hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: A company's security policy requires that all…
A company's security policy requires that all user passwords must expire every 90 days. The administrator runs 'chage -M 90 jdoe' for user jdoe. Which additional step ensures that the password expiration policy is enforced for all new users?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the purpose of /etc/login.defs (defaults for new users) with /etc/shadow (current user settings) or think that modifying a single user's policy with chage will propagate to all users.
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
✓
Set PASS_MAX_DAYS 90 in /etc/login.defs
/etc/login.defs contains default values used by useradd and other tools when creating new users. Setting PASS_MAX_DAYS 90 in this file ensures that every new user account created will automatically have a 90-day password expiration, enforcing the policy globally without manual intervention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Set PASS_MAX_DAYS 90 in /etc/login.defs
Why this is correct
This sets the default maximum password age for new users.
- ✗
Add 'password required pam_unix.so remember=5' to /etc/pam.d/system-auth
Why it's wrong here
This controls password history, not expiration.
- ✗
Set EXPIRE=90 in /etc/default/useradd
Why it's wrong here
This option does not exist; useradd defaults are different.
- ✗
Modify /etc/shadow to set max days for each user
Why it's wrong here
This is per-user, not a default for new users.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Permissions and Ownership
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
Key term
useradd
A command-line utility in Unix-like operating systems used to create a new user account with specified settings.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 XK0-006 exam.