Quick Answer
The answer is `du -h /path | sort -rh`. This command is correct because `du` (disk usage) recursively calculates the size of each directory under the specified path, and the `-h` flag outputs those sizes in a human-readable format like gigabytes or megabytes. The pipe sends that output to `sort`, where `-r` reverses the order and `-h` sorts by human-readable numeric values, so the largest directories appear at the top. On the CompTIA Linux+ XK0-005 exam, this question tests your ability to troubleshoot disk space issues efficiently; a common trap is using `du` without `sort` or using `sort -n` instead of `-h`, which fails to properly order sizes like "1.5G" and "900M". Remember that `du` finds the space, but `sort -rh` ranks it—think "du for data, sort for sequence." A helpful mnemonic is "Disk Usage, Reverse Human," which keeps the flags `-rh` in mind for identifying large directories quickly.
This XK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A system administrator notices that a Linux server is running low on disk space. Which command should be used to identify which directories are consuming the most space?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
ls -laR
Why wrong: ls -laR lists all files recursively but does not aggregate sizes per directory.
find / -size +100M
Why wrong: find with -size finds large files, not directory total sizes.
df -h
Why wrong: df shows filesystem disk space usage, not per-directory usage.
du -h /path | sort -rh
du with -h and sort -rh lists directories with human-readable sizes sorted largest first.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
du -h /path | sort -rh
Option D is correct because the `du -h /path | sort -rh` command recursively calculates disk usage for each directory under the specified path, displays sizes in human-readable format (`-h`), and then sorts the output in reverse numerical order (`-rh`), showing the largest directories first. This directly identifies which directories are consuming the most space, which is exactly what the system administrator needs.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
ls -laR
Why it's wrong here
ls -laR lists all files recursively but does not aggregate sizes per directory.
find / -size +100M
Why it's wrong here
find with -size finds large files, not directory total sizes.
df -h
Why it's wrong here
df shows filesystem disk space usage, not per-directory usage.
du -h /path | sort -rh
Why this is correct
du with -h and sort -rh lists directories with human-readable sizes sorted largest first.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often pick `df -h` (Option C) because it shows disk space usage, but it only reports filesystem-level totals, not per-directory breakdowns, which fails to identify the specific directories consuming space.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
df shows filesystem disk space usage, not per-directory usage.
Detailed technical explanation
The `du` command uses the `stat` system call to retrieve the number of disk blocks allocated to each file and directory, and `sort -rh` performs a human-numeric sort that correctly orders sizes like 1K, 10M, 2G. In real-world scenarios, running `du -h / | sort -rh | head -20` is a common troubleshooting pattern to quickly locate space hogs, but note that `du` counts apparent size by default, not actual disk usage (which can differ due to sparse files or block allocation).
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Troubleshooting — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Troubleshooting — This question tests Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: du -h /path | sort -rh — Option D is correct because the `du -h /path | sort -rh` command recursively calculates disk usage for each directory under the specified path, displays sizes in human-readable format (`-h`), and then sorts the output in reverse numerical order (`-rh`), showing the largest directories first. This directly identifies which directories are consuming the most space, which is exactly what the system administrator needs.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This XK0-005 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the XK0-005 exam.
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