This PCNSE practice question tests your understanding of manage, monitor and operate. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.
An administrator wants to see only the candidate configuration changes that have not yet been committed. Which CLI command should be used?
show configuration running
Why wrong: This shows the running configuration, not pending changes.
show configuration sessions all
Why wrong: This shows all active configuration sessions, not the changes.
show configuration sessions changes
This displays only the uncommitted changes.
show configuration candidate
Why wrong: This shows the full candidate configuration, not just changes.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
show configuration sessions changes
The 'show configuration sessions changes' command displays the uncommitted candidate configuration changes for the current administrative session. This is the correct command because it specifically shows only the modifications that have been made to the candidate config but not yet committed to the running configuration on a Palo Alto Networks firewall.
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.
show configuration running
Why it's wrong here
This shows the running configuration, not pending changes.
show configuration sessions all
Why it's wrong here
This shows all active configuration sessions, not the changes.
show configuration sessions changes
Why this is correct
This displays only the uncommitted changes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
show configuration candidate
Why it's wrong here
This shows the full candidate configuration, not just changes.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'show configuration candidate' (which is not a valid command) with the correct 'show config candidate' command, or they mistakenly think 'show configuration running' or 'show configuration sessions all' will show uncommitted changes, when in fact only 'show configuration sessions changes' provides the diff of pending modifications.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This shows the running configuration, not pending changes.
Detailed technical explanation
Palo Alto Networks firewalls use a session-based configuration model where each administrator's changes are isolated in a private candidate configuration until committed. The 'show configuration sessions changes' command leverages the session ID to filter and display only the diff between the candidate config and the running config for that specific session, which is essential for auditing changes before commit in multi-admin environments.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the PCNSE 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
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FAQ
Manage, Monitor and Operate — This question tests Manage, Monitor and Operate — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: show configuration sessions changes — The 'show configuration sessions changes' command displays the uncommitted candidate configuration changes for the current administrative session. This is the correct command because it specifically shows only the modifications that have been made to the candidate config but not yet committed to the running configuration on a Palo Alto Networks firewall.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This PCNSE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Palo Alto Networks 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 PCNSE exam.
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