This SPLK-1002 practice question tests your understanding of basic searching and transforming commands. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: timechart. 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.
index=security sourcetype=linux_secure | eval hour=strftime(_time, "%H") | stats count by hour | sort - count hour, count 14, 120 09, 95 22, 80 18, 75 03, 60
Refer to the exhibit. A security analyst runs a search to count failed login attempts by hour. Which hour has the highest number of failed login attempts?
index=security sourcetype=linux_secure | eval hour=strftime(_time, "%H") | stats count by hour | sort - count hour, count 14, 120 09, 95 22, 80 18, 75 03, 60
14:00
Count is 120, the highest.
22:00
Why wrong: Count is 80.
03:00
Why wrong: Count is 60.
09:00
Why wrong: Count is 95.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
14:00
The search counts failed login attempts by hour using a Splunk timechart or stats command with a time-based bucket. The exhibit shows that the hour with the highest count is 14:00, which has the peak value in the results table or chart. This is determined by sorting or visually inspecting the count per hour, where 14:00 exceeds all other hourly totals.
Key principle: timechart
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
14:00
Why this is correct
Count is 120, the highest.
Related concept
timechart
22:00
Why it's wrong here
Count is 80.
03:00
Why it's wrong here
Count is 60.
09:00
Why it's wrong here
Count is 95.
Common exam traps
Splunk often tests the candidate's ability to read a timechart or stats output correctly, where the trap is confusing the highest count with a visually prominent but not top-ranked hour, or misinterpreting the time format (e.g., 12-hour vs 24-hour clock).
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the search likely uses `timechart count by action` or `bucket _time span=1h | stats count by _time` to aggregate events. The `_time` field is based on the event timestamp, and Splunk's time-based binning ensures each event falls into the correct hour bucket. In real-world scenarios, this pattern helps identify brute-force attack windows, where failed logins spike during business hours or specific time zones, and the analyst must verify the time zone setting (e.g., `| convert timeformat=%H`) to avoid misinterpreting UTC vs local time.
Key takeaway
timechart
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the SPLK-1002 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. timechart Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Review timechart, then practise related SPLK-1002 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
Basic Searching and Transforming Commands — This question tests Basic Searching and Transforming Commands — timechart.
The correct answer is: 14:00 — The search counts failed login attempts by hour using a Splunk timechart or stats command with a time-based bucket. The exhibit shows that the hour with the highest count is 14:00, which has the peak value in the results table or chart. This is determined by sorting or visually inspecting the count per hour, where 14:00 exceeds all other hourly totals.
Review timechart, then practise related SPLK-1002 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
timechart
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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