- A
Console
Why wrong: Console shows system logs, useful for crash logs but not real-time memory usage.
- B
Disk Utility
Why wrong: Disk Utility manages disks and volumes, not memory.
- C
Activity Monitor
Activity Monitor's Memory tab shows memory pressure, usage per app, and can help identify the culprit.
- D
System Information
Why wrong: System Information provides hardware and software overview, not live memory diagnostics.
Question 115 of 750
220-1202 macOS Features and Tools Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of macos features and tools. 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 user complains that their Mac running macOS Big Sur suddenly shows a message 'Your system has run out of application memory' and applications crash frequently. Activity Monitor shows high memory pressure. What is the most effective built-in tool to diagnose the cause?
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
✓
Activity Monitor
Activity Monitor is the correct tool because it provides real-time metrics on memory pressure, including the 'Memory Pressure' graph, which indicates whether the system is efficiently using memory or thrashing. High memory pressure, combined with the 'Your system has run out of application memory' alert, points to excessive memory usage or a memory leak, which Activity Monitor can pinpoint by sorting processes by memory consumption.
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.
- ✗
Console
Why it's wrong here
Console shows system logs, useful for crash logs but not real-time memory usage.
- ✗
Disk Utility
Why it's wrong here
Disk Utility manages disks and volumes, not memory.
- ✓
Activity Monitor
Why this is correct
Activity Monitor's Memory tab shows memory pressure, usage per app, and can help identify the culprit.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
System Information
Why it's wrong here
System Information provides hardware and software overview, not live memory diagnostics.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests whether candidates confuse 'Console' (log viewer) with 'Activity Monitor' (performance monitor), assuming that error messages logged in Console would be the primary diagnostic tool for a memory issue.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Console shows system logs, useful for crash logs but not real-time memory usage.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, macOS uses a compressed memory and swap mechanism; when memory pressure is high, the system compresses inactive pages and swaps to disk, which degrades performance. Activity Monitor's 'Memory Pressure' graph visualizes the 'vm_pageout' rate and 'memory pressure' kernel statistics, allowing you to identify if a single app (e.g., a browser with many tabs) is causing the issue. In a real-world scenario, a memory leak in a third-party application can cause the 'application memory' alert even with ample physical RAM, and Activity Monitor's 'Memory' tab reveals the culprit by showing abnormally high 'Real Mem' or 'Memory' usage over time.
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 practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
macOS Features and Tools — This question tests macOS Features and Tools — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Activity Monitor — Activity Monitor is the correct tool because it provides real-time metrics on memory pressure, including the 'Memory Pressure' graph, which indicates whether the system is efficiently using memory or thrashing. High memory pressure, combined with the 'Your system has run out of application memory' alert, points to excessive memory usage or a memory leak, which Activity Monitor can pinpoint by sorting processes by memory consumption.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.
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