XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
An administrator wants to change the priority of a running process with PID 1234 to a lower priority (nicer). The current nice value is 0. Which command will set the nice value to 10?
⚠ Common exam trap
The Linux+ exam often tests the distinction between `renice` (for running processes) and `nice` (for launching a new process with a modified priority), and candidates may confuse `renice` with `nice` or think `kill` can change priority via signal numbers.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
renice 10 -p 1234
The `renice` command is used to alter the scheduling priority of an already running process. By default, a process starts with a nice value of 0. Running `renice 10 -p 1234` sets the nice value to 10, which is a lower priority (more 'nice') because the kernel adds this value to the dynamic priority calculation, giving the process less CPU time.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
renice 10 -p 1234
Why this is correct
Correct: renice sets the nice value for the process.
- ✗
nice -n 10 kill 1234
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect syntax; nice is used to start a command with a given priority, not change existing.
- ✗
chrt -p 10 1234
Why it's wrong here
chrt sets real-time scheduling attributes, not nice value.
- ✗
kill -10 1234
Why it's wrong here
Sends signal 10 (USR1), not related to priority.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Process Management and System Monitoring
Key term
Process
In IT service management, a process is a structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective, such as managing incidents or changes, by transforming inputs into defined outputs.
Key term
Kernel
The kernel is the core program of an operating system that manages hardware resources and provides essential services for all other software to run.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every XK0-006 question from scratch — 979 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 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 XK0-006 exam.