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100+ Free EX442 Practice Questions

Pass your Red Hat Certified Specialist in Performance Tuning (EX442) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Which command lists all available tuned profiles on a RHEL 10 system?

A
B
C
D
to track
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: EX442 Exam

210/300

Passing Score (70%)

Red Hat

~4 hours

Single Section

Red Hat

$400

Exam Fee (USD)

Red Hat

120-180 hrs

Study Time

Recommended

$130-180K

Performance Engineer Salary

Glassdoor 2024

3 years

Cert Valid

Red Hat renewal

EX442 is Red Hat's flagship performance-tuning specialist certification — a roughly 4-hour, hands-on, performance-based exam with no multiple-choice questions. Passing score is 210/300 (70%) and the exam fee is approximately $400 USD. EX442 holders are typically senior platform/SRE engineers earning $130,000-180,000. The credential is valid for 3 years and counts toward the Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA).

Sample EX442 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your EX442 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which command lists all available tuned profiles on a RHEL 10 system?
A.tuned-adm list
B.tuned --list
C.tuned-adm profiles
D.systemctl list-units tuned
Explanation: tuned-adm list prints the available profiles plus the currently active profile and a one-line description of each. It's the standard discovery command before activating a profile with tuned-adm profile <name>.
2Which tuned-adm subcommand shows the currently active profile?
A.tuned-adm current
B.tuned-adm active
C.tuned-adm show
D.tuned-adm status
Explanation: tuned-adm active prints the active profile name. It's the canonical way to confirm which profile tuned is enforcing before making tuning changes.
3Which tuned profile is recommended as a starting baseline for low-latency workloads on bare metal?
A.balanced
B.throughput-performance
C.latency-performance
D.powersave
Explanation: latency-performance favors deterministic response times by setting the cpufreq governor to performance, disabling C-states deeper than C1 via force_latency, and tuning kernel.sched_* and disk parameters for predictability rather than raw throughput.
4Where do system-shipped tuned profiles live, and where should you place a custom profile so package updates don't overwrite it?
A./etc/tuned/profiles for system, /usr/lib/tuned for custom
B./usr/lib/tuned for system, /etc/tuned for custom
C./var/lib/tuned for both
D./etc/tuned.d for system, /etc/tuned for custom
Explanation: Distribution-shipped profiles live under /usr/lib/tuned/<name>/tuned.conf and are owned by the tuned-profiles RPMs. Custom or overridden profiles go in /etc/tuned/<name>/tuned.conf, which takes precedence and survives updates.
5In a tuned profile's tuned.conf, which directive makes your custom profile inherit the throughput-performance profile and only change a few settings?
A.extends=throughput-performance
B.include=throughput-performance
C.parent=throughput-performance
D.inherit=throughput-performance
Explanation: Inside [main] you set include=<parent-profile>. Tuned applies the parent's plugin entries first, then overlays your profile, so you only need to write the deltas. This is how Red Hat ships virtual-host (includes throughput-performance) and similar layered profiles.
6After editing /etc/tuned/myprofile/tuned.conf, which command activates the profile immediately?
A.tuned-adm reload myprofile
B.tuned-adm profile myprofile
C.systemctl reload tuned --apply=myprofile
D.tuned-adm apply myprofile
Explanation: tuned-adm profile <name> activates a profile, persists the choice in /etc/tuned/active_profile, and signals the daemon to apply every plugin in the profile. No daemon restart is required.
7Which tuned-adm subcommand verifies that the system's runtime settings still match the active profile?
A.tuned-adm verify
B.tuned-adm check
C.tuned-adm audit
D.tuned-adm diff
Explanation: tuned-adm verify compares the live kernel/sysfs/sysctl values against what the active profile set and reports any drift. This is the right tool to confirm a long-running system has not been altered out from under tuned.
8Which tuned plugin lets you write a sysctl key/value pair into a profile?
A.[sysctl] net.ipv4.tcp_rmem = 4096 87380 16777216
B.[kernel] tcp_rmem = ...
C.[sysctl_kernel] net.ipv4.tcp_rmem = ...
D.[main] sysctl_net.ipv4.tcp_rmem = ...
Explanation: The [sysctl] section accepts arbitrary kernel.sysctl-style keys and values. Tuned applies them with sysctl -w on activation and reverts to baseline values when you switch profiles.
9Which tuned plugin pins the cpufreq governor and is a quick way to force a single governor across all CPUs?
A.[cpu] governor=performance
B.[cpufreq] governor=performance
C.[cpu_freq] gov=performance
D.[scheduler] cpufreq=performance
Explanation: The [cpu] plugin in tuned exposes governor (and energy_perf_bias, force_latency, min_perf_pct, etc.). Setting governor=performance writes to /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/scaling_governor.
10Which tuned profile is intended for a KVM/QEMU hypervisor host running guest VMs?
A.virtual-guest
B.virtual-host
C.kvm-host
D.hypervisor
Explanation: virtual-host is for the host running VMs and inherits throughput-performance, raises sched_migration_cost_ns and dirty ratios, and tunes for many guests. virtual-guest is the opposite: it runs inside a VM.

About the EX442 Exam

Performance-based certification for Linux performance specialists. EX442 validates hands-on skills in performance methodology, tuned profile authoring, Performance Co-Pilot monitoring, perf hardware-counter analysis, eBPF and ftrace tracing, CPU/memory/storage/network tuning, and KVM hypervisor tuning on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.

Assessment

Single performance-based hands-on section on a live RHEL 10 system

Time Limit

~4 hours

Passing Score

210/300 (70%)

Exam Fee

$400 USD (Red Hat)

EX442 Exam Content Outline

10%

Performance Methodology and Analysis

USE method, RED method, baselines, identifying bottlenecks across CPU, memory, disk, and network

13%

Tuned Profiles and Custom Profiles

tuned-adm list/active/profile/verify, /usr/lib/tuned vs /etc/tuned, [main]/[sysctl]/[cpu]/[bootloader] plugins, virtual-host, latency-performance, cpu-partitioning

12%

Performance Co-Pilot (PCP) Monitoring

pmcd, pmlogger, pmstat, pmrep, pminfo, pmie, pcp atop archive replay, pcp-zeroconf, sysstat (iostat, sar)

12%

perf, eBPF, and Tracing

perf top/record/stat/report, call-graphs, hardware counters, bcc-tools, bpftrace one-liners, ftrace, biolatency, flame graphs

15%

CPU Tuning

NUMA topology with numactl, isolcpus/nohz_full/rcu_nocbs, taskset, chrt, cpufreq governors, cpupower, IRQ affinity, irqbalance, cgroup v2 cpu.weight/cpu.max, kernel.sched_*

12%

Memory Tuning

vm.swappiness, THP modes (always/madvise/never), zone_reclaim_mode, dirty_ratio/dirty_background_ratio, hugepages (2M and 1G), vm.overcommit_memory

12%

Storage I/O Tuning

I/O schedulers (none, mq-deadline, kyber, bfq), blktrace and btt, iostat saturation analysis, fstrim/fstrim.timer, mount options (noatime, barriers), read_ahead_kb

10%

Network Tuning

tcp_rmem/tcp_wmem, BBR with fq qdisc, default_qdisc, ethtool offloads, RPS/RFS, tcp_max_syn_backlog, somaxconn, conntrack table

4%

Virtualization Tuning

vCPU pinning via libvirt cputune, KSM, hugepage-backed guests, virtual-host vs virtual-guest profiles, cpu-partitioning

How to Pass the EX442 Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 210/300 (70%)
  • Assessment: Single performance-based hands-on section on a live RHEL 10 system
  • Time limit: ~4 hours
  • Exam fee: $400 USD

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

EX442 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Build a real RHEL 10 lab — a single-host VM with KVM nested or a dedicated server is enough; everything you tune must be reproducible
2Master the USE method first: for each resource (CPU, memory, disk, NIC) ask Utilization, Saturation, Errors before reaching for any tool
3Drill tuned-adm: list, active, profile <name>, verify, off — and write at least two custom profiles in /etc/tuned that include= a parent
4Stand up Performance Co-Pilot end-to-end: pmcd, pmlogger archives, pmrep reports, pcp atop -r to replay an archive backwards in time
5Practice perf top, perf record -g, perf stat -e cycles,instructions,LLC-loads-misses, and perf report until they're second-nature
6Learn bpftrace one-liners and a few bcc-tools (biolatency, execsnoop, runqlat) — eBPF is the future of RHEL tracing
7Drill NUMA: numactl --hardware, --cpunodebind/--membind, --interleave, plus isolcpus + nohz_full + rcu_nocbs on the kernel cmdline
8Memorize the vm.* memory tunables: swappiness, dirty_ratio/dirty_background_ratio, zone_reclaim_mode, overcommit_memory, plus THP modes
9Practice swapping I/O schedulers (none, mq-deadline, kyber, bfq), reading /sys/block/*/queue/scheduler, and capturing blktrace + btt output
10Learn the BBR + fq pairing for high-bandwidth networking, plus RPS/RFS via /sys/class/net/*/queues/rx-*/rps_cpus when NIC queues are scarce
11On every objective, plan to verify your fix — measure before, change one thing, measure after; the exam grades outcomes, not just commands
12Run full 4-hour timed mock labs the last two weeks — speed comes only from repetition, and EX442 is unforgiving on time

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EX442 pass rate?

Red Hat does not officially publish pass rates. Industry estimates suggest approximately 50-60% of candidates pass on their first attempt because of the hands-on format and the breadth of kernel-level skills required. The passing score is 210/300 (70%). Most candidates need 120-180 hours of focused practice on real RHEL 10 systems before they reliably hit the threshold.

What RHEL version does EX442 cover?

EX442 currently aligns to RHEL 10, with tuned 2.x, kernel 6.x defaults, and cgroup v2 unified hierarchy as the default. Always verify the active exam objectives on the official Red Hat exam page before scheduling — Red Hat updates the exam when major RHEL versions change. Practice on a current RHEL 10 host or VM so commands and sysctls match what you'll see.

How is EX442 different from RHCE?

RHCE focuses on automation with Ansible across RHEL fleets. EX442 is a deep performance-tuning specialist exam: tuned profile authoring, Performance Co-Pilot, perf hardware-counter analysis, eBPF and ftrace tracing, NUMA tuning with isolcpus/numactl, cgroup v2 CPU controllers, BBR with fq pacing, hugepages, and KVM hypervisor tuning. None of those are RHCE objectives.

What are the EX442 prerequisites?

There is no enforced prerequisite — anyone can register. Red Hat strongly recommends RHCE plus Red Hat Performance Tuning (RH442) training or equivalent experience. EX442 also counts toward the Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) credential, which formally requires RHCE first.

Does EX442 expire?

Yes — EX442 is valid for 3 years from the date you pass. You can recertify by passing the current version of EX442 again, passing a higher-level Red Hat exam, or earning enough Red Hat credentials to maintain RHCA status. Red Hat sends renewal notifications before expiration.

How long should I study for EX442?

Plan for 120-180 hours of hands-on study over 10-14 weeks if you already have RHCE-level experience and have done some performance work. If you've never used perf, bpftrace, or PCP, double that. Build a real RHEL 10 lab, drill every objective until commands are muscle-memory, and run timed mock labs to develop the diagnose-then-tune workflow speed needed to finish in 4 hours.

What jobs can I get with EX442?

EX442 qualifies you for: Senior Linux Performance Engineer ($130-180K), Site Reliability Engineer ($140-190K), HPC/Quant Platform Engineer ($150-220K), Telecom NFV/DPDK Engineer ($140-200K), and KVM/RHV Hypervisor Engineer ($130-180K). Demand is strongest in financial services, HPC, telecom, and any organization running latency-sensitive workloads on RHEL.