Quick Answer
The answer is to use kill -9 3456, which sends the SIGKILL signal. This is correct because SIGKILL cannot be caught, blocked, or ignored by any process; it forces the kernel to immediately terminate the process, making it the signal of last resort when a hung process fails to respond to SIGTERM (kill -15). On the Red Hat Certified System Administrator EX200 exam, this tests your understanding of process management and signal hierarchy, often appearing in scenario-based questions where a process is unresponsive. A common trap is assuming a higher kill number is always better, but remember that SIGKILL (9) bypasses cleanup routines, so it should only be used after SIGTERM (15) fails. A useful memory tip: think of 9 as the "nuclear option"—it works, but you lose all graceful shutdown.
This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of essential tools. 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.
An administrator needs to terminate a hung process with PID 3456 that does not respond to 'kill -15 3456'. Which signal should be used next?
kill -9 3456
Forceful kill; cannot be caught.
kill -15 3456
Why wrong: Already tried; process ignored it.
kill -19 3456
Why wrong: Suspends the process, does not terminate.
kill -1 3456
Why wrong: Hangup; often ignored by hung processes.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
kill -9 3456
Option A is correct because kill -9 (SIGKILL) is the signal of last resort for a process that does not respond to SIGTERM (kill -15). SIGKILL cannot be caught, blocked, or ignored by the process; it forces immediate termination by the kernel. Since the process is hung and unresponsive to SIGTERM, SIGKILL is the appropriate next step.
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.
kill -9 3456
Why this is correct
Forceful kill; cannot be caught.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
kill -15 3456
Why it's wrong here
Already tried; process ignored it.
kill -19 3456
Why it's wrong here
Suspends the process, does not terminate.
kill -1 3456
Why it's wrong here
Hangup; often ignored by hung processes.
Common exam traps
Red Hat often tests the distinction between signals that can be caught/ignored (SIGTERM, SIGHUP) and those that cannot (SIGKILL, SIGSTOP), and candidates may mistakenly choose SIGSTOP (kill -19) thinking it will terminate the process, when it actually only suspends it.
Detailed technical explanation
SIGKILL (signal 9) works by sending a direct termination request to the kernel's process scheduler, bypassing any user-space signal handlers. The kernel immediately removes the process from the task list and reclaims its resources. In real-world scenarios, a process might be stuck in an uninterruptible sleep state (D state) waiting on I/O, in which case even SIGKILL may not work until the I/O completes; however, for a typical hung process, SIGKILL is the standard escalation from SIGTERM.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Essential Tools — This question tests Essential Tools — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: kill -9 3456 — Option A is correct because kill -9 (SIGKILL) is the signal of last resort for a process that does not respond to SIGTERM (kill -15). SIGKILL cannot be caught, blocked, or ignored by the process; it forces immediate termination by the kernel. Since the process is hung and unresponsive to SIGTERM, SIGKILL is the appropriate next step.
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 30, 2026
This EX200 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat 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 EX200 exam.
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