This PCNSA practice question tests your understanding of decryption and monitoring. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Exhibit
admin@PA-5050> show system info | match uptime
Uptime: 12 days, 4 hours, 23 minutes
admin@PA-5050> show running resource-monitor
Resource Monitor:
Data Plane CPU: 78%
Data Plane Memory: 82%
Session Utilization: 95%
Session Capacity: 1000000
Active Sessions: 950000
SSL/TLS Proxy Sessions: 5000
Decryption Policy Matches: 12000
Refer to the exhibit. A network administrator notices that SSL decryption performance has degraded. Based on the exhibit, which factor is most likely contributing to the performance issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
admin@PA-5050> show system info | match uptime
Uptime: 12 days, 4 hours, 23 minutes
admin@PA-5050> show running resource-monitor
Resource Monitor:
Data Plane CPU: 78%
Data Plane Memory: 82%
Session Utilization: 95%
Session Capacity: 1000000
Active Sessions: 950000
SSL/TLS Proxy Sessions: 5000
Decryption Policy Matches: 12000
A
The firewall has been running for too long without a reboot.
Why wrong: The uptime of 12 days is not excessive and should not cause performance degradation.
B
The session utilization is at 95%, nearing the capacity limit, but decryption sessions are only a small fraction.
Why wrong: Session utilization is high but decryption sessions are only 5000 out of 950000 total, so it's not the direct cause.
C
The decryption policy matches (12000) are high relative to the number of SSL/TLS proxy sessions (5000), indicating many sessions are being decrypted but then possibly dropped or not fully processed.
A high number of decryption policy matches compared to actual proxy sessions suggests that many decrypted sessions are not being fully proxied, which can cause inefficiency and performance degradation.
D
The data plane CPU and memory are both high, indicating resource exhaustion.
Why wrong: While CPU and memory are elevated, they are not at critical levels (above 90%).
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The decryption policy matches (12000) are high relative to the number of SSL/TLS proxy sessions (5000), indicating many sessions are being decrypted but then possibly dropped or not fully processed.
The exhibit shows 12000 decryption policy matches but only 5000 SSL/TLS proxy sessions, indicating that many sessions matched the decryption policy but were not fully decrypted (e.g., due to unsupported ciphers or certificate issues), leading to wasted processing and degraded performance.
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.
✗
The firewall has been running for too long without a reboot.
Why it's wrong here
The uptime of 12 days is not excessive and should not cause performance degradation.
✗
The session utilization is at 95%, nearing the capacity limit, but decryption sessions are only a small fraction.
Why it's wrong here
Session utilization is high but decryption sessions are only 5000 out of 950000 total, so it's not the direct cause.
✓
The decryption policy matches (12000) are high relative to the number of SSL/TLS proxy sessions (5000), indicating many sessions are being decrypted but then possibly dropped or not fully processed.
Why this is correct
A high number of decryption policy matches compared to actual proxy sessions suggests that many decrypted sessions are not being fully proxied, which can cause inefficiency and performance degradation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The data plane CPU and memory are both high, indicating resource exhaustion.
Why it's wrong here
While CPU and memory are elevated, they are not at critical levels (above 90%).
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 PCNSA 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PCNSA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Decryption and Monitoring — This question tests Decryption and Monitoring — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The decryption policy matches (12000) are high relative to the number of SSL/TLS proxy sessions (5000), indicating many sessions are being decrypted but then possibly dropped or not fully processed. — The exhibit shows 12000 decryption policy matches but only 5000 SSL/TLS proxy sessions, indicating that many sessions matched the decryption policy but were not fully decrypted (e.g., due to unsupported ciphers or certificate issues), leading to wasted processing and degraded performance.
What should I do if I get this PCNSA question wrong?
Identify which PCNSA exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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