Using the top Command for Frequency Ranking
A security analyst needs to find the top 10 users with the most failed login attempts from the linux_secure sourcetype. Which SPL command is most efficient for this task?
Quick Answer
The answer is `index=main sourcetype=linux_secure "Failed password" | top limit=10 user`. This is correct because the `top` command in SPL is purpose-built for frequency ranking, aggregating field values and returning the most common results in a single operation, making it more efficient than chaining `stats count`, `sort`, and `head`. On the Splunk Core Certified Power User SPLK-1003 exam, this question tests your ability to choose the most efficient command for ranking tasks, with a common trap being to overcomplicate the search with multiple commands when `top` handles both counting and sorting natively. Remember that `top` is the direct path to frequency ranking—think of it as a shortcut that combines count, sort, and limit into one streamlined command. For a quick memory tip, associate “top” with “top of the list” for frequency analysis, and always pair it with `limit=` to control output size.
⚠ Common exam trap
Splunk often tests the misconception that `stats count by user | sort -count | head 10` is functionally equivalent to `top limit=10 user`, but the trap is that `top` is more efficient and is the idiomatic Splunk command for this task, while the multi-command approach is less optimal and may be penalized in performance-sensitive scenarios.
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
✓
index=main sourcetype=linux_secure "Failed password" | top limit=10 user
The `top` command in SPL is specifically designed to return the most frequent values of a field, and the `limit=10` parameter directly restricts the output to the top 10 results. This approach is more efficient than using `stats count` followed by `sort` and `head` because `top` performs the aggregation and ranking in a single operation, reducing processing overhead. The search also correctly filters for 'Failed password' events within the `linux_secure` sourcetype, ensuring only failed login attempts are considered.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
index=main sourcetype=linux_secure "Failed password" | top limit=10 user
Why this is correct
The `top` command is optimized for finding top values and is efficient for this scenario.
- ✗
index=main sourcetype=linux_secure "Failed password" | stats count by user | sort 10 -count
Why it's wrong here
The syntax `sort 10 -count` is invalid; `sort` requires `-count` then `head 10`.
- ✗
index=main sourcetype=linux_secure "Failed password" | stats count by user | sort -count | head 10
Why it's wrong here
While functional, `stats` with `sort` and `head` is less efficient than `top` for this purpose.
- ✗
index=main sourcetype=linux_secure | regex _raw="Failed password" | stats count by user | top limit=10
Why it's wrong here
Using `regex` is slower than using a search term in the base search.
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About these practice questions
One of 475 original SPLK-1002 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on SPLK-1002
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A search returns many events, and the analyst wants to see a summary table of the top 5 values of the field `src_ip` along with the count of events for each. Which command should be used?
easy- A.eventstats
- ✓ B.top
- C.sort
- D.rare
Why B: The `top` command in Splunk is specifically designed to find the most common values of a field and display them in a summary table with counts and percentages. By default, `top` returns the top 10 values, but you can use the `limit=5` parameter to restrict the output to the top 5 values of `src_ip` along with their event counts. This directly meets the analyst's requirement.
Variation 2. An analyst runs `index=web status=500 | top 10 uri` and gets results. Which statement is true about the 'top' command's behavior?
easy- A.It returns the 10 URIs that appeared most recently.
- B.It computes the average latency per URI and shows the top 10.
- C.It sums a numeric field per URI and shows the top 10 sums.
- D.It requires a 'by' clause to specify the field to group by.
- ✓ E.It counts the number of events per URI and displays the 10 with the highest count.
Why E: The `top` command in Splunk counts the occurrences of each distinct value of a specified field (here, `uri`) and returns the values with the highest counts. By default, it returns the top 10 results, so option E correctly describes that it counts events per URI and displays the 10 with the highest count.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SPLK-1002 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Splunk 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 SPLK-1002 exam.