SPLK-1002 Advanced Searching and Statistics Practice Question
To find users who logged in from more than 3 different IP addresses, which search is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
Splunk often tests the distinction between `dc()` (distinct count) and `count` (total occurrences), and the trap here is that candidates may confuse `distinct_count()` (invalid) with `dc()` or think `dedup` followed by `count` achieves the same result, which it does not because it counts duplicates of the pair rather than distinct IPs per user.
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=auth | stats dc(IP) by user | where dc(IP) > 3
It uses `stats dc(IP) by user` to count distinct IP addresses per user, then filters with `where dc(IP) > 3` to return only users who logged in from more than 3 different IPs. The `dc()` function calculates distinct count, which is exactly what the question requires.
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=auth | stats dc(IP) by user | where dc(IP) > 3
Why this is correct
dc counts distinct IPs per user, then filters.
- ✗
index=auth | top limit=3 IP by user
Why it's wrong here
Returns top 3 IPs per user, not the count of distinct IPs.
- ✗
index=auth | eval user, IP | dedup user, IP | stats count by user | where count > 3
Why it's wrong here
eval user, IP is invalid syntax.
- ✗
index=auth | stats distinct_count(IP) by user | where distinct_count(IP) > 3
Why it's wrong here
distinct_count is not a valid stats function; use dc.
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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.