- A
aircrack-ng
Why wrong: aircrack-ng cracks WEP/WPA keys, not capture.
- B
aireplay-ng
Why wrong: aireplay-ng injects packets, such as deauth, but does not capture.
- C
Airmon-ng
Why wrong: airmon-ng enables monitor mode, but does not capture.
- D
airodump-ng
airodump-ng captures raw 802.11 frames, including handshakes.
Question 637 of 1,000
PT0-002 Tools and Code Analysis Practice Question
This PT0-002 practice question tests your understanding of tools and code analysis. 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 penetration tester is conducting a wireless assessment and needs to capture the four-way handshake to perform offline WPA cracking. Which tool is best suited for capturing the handshake?
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
✓
airodump-ng
Airodump-ng (option D) is the correct tool for capturing the four-way handshake because it passively monitors wireless traffic and can save captured packets to a file (e.g., .cap or .pcap). The four-way handshake occurs during the WPA/WPA2 authentication process between a client and an access point, and airodump-ng's ability to filter on a specific channel and BSSID allows the tester to isolate and record the handshake frames for offline cracking.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
aircrack-ng
Why it's wrong here
aircrack-ng cracks WEP/WPA keys, not capture.
- ✗
aireplay-ng
Why it's wrong here
aireplay-ng injects packets, such as deauth, but does not capture.
- ✗
Airmon-ng
Why it's wrong here
airmon-ng enables monitor mode, but does not capture.
- ✓
airodump-ng
Why this is correct
airodump-ng captures raw 802.11 frames, including handshakes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse airodump-ng (capture tool) with aircrack-ng (cracking tool) or aireplay-ng (injection tool), leading them to pick a tool that cannot actually capture the handshake.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The four-way handshake consists of four EAPOL-Key frames exchanged between the supplicant (client) and authenticator (AP) after association. Airodump-ng captures these by listening on the wireless channel in monitor mode; it writes all raw 802.11 frames to a file, and the handshake is identified by the presence of the four EAPOL messages (typically frames 1–4 with the same nonce and MIC). In real-world assessments, airodump-ng is often combined with aireplay-ng's deauthentication attack to force a client to reauthenticate, generating a fresh handshake for capture.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
Visual reference
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PT0-002 question test?
Tools and Code Analysis — This question tests Tools and Code Analysis — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: airodump-ng — Airodump-ng (option D) is the correct tool for capturing the four-way handshake because it passively monitors wireless traffic and can save captured packets to a file (e.g., .cap or .pcap). The four-way handshake occurs during the WPA/WPA2 authentication process between a client and an access point, and airodump-ng's ability to filter on a specific channel and BSSID allows the tester to isolate and record the handshake frames for offline cracking.
What should I do if I get this PT0-002 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PT0-002 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 PT0-002 exam.
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