This XK0-005 practice question tests your understanding of troubleshooting. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. 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.
A Linux administrator needs to find large log files that may be consuming disk space. Which command should be used to locate files larger than 100MB in the /var/log directory?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
df -h
Why wrong: Shows disk usage of partitions, not individual files.
ls -lR /var/log
Why wrong: Lists all files recursively, no size filtering.
find /var/log -type f -size +100M
Correct: Finds files larger than 100MB.
du -sh /var/log/*
Why wrong: Shows sizes of all log files, does not filter by size.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
find /var/log -type f -size +100M
The `find` command with `-type f` (regular files) and `-size +100M` (files larger than 100 megabytes) is the correct tool to locate large log files in /var/log. This directly meets the requirement to find files by size, unlike other commands that only show disk usage or directory listings without size filtering.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
df -h
Why it's wrong here
Shows disk usage of partitions, not individual files.
ls -lR /var/log
Why it's wrong here
Lists all files recursively, no size filtering.
find /var/log -type f -size +100M
Why this is correct
Correct: Finds files larger than 100MB.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
du -sh /var/log/*
Why it's wrong here
Shows sizes of all log files, does not filter by size.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `du` (disk usage of directories) or `df` (filesystem free space) with `find`'s file-size filtering, leading them to choose options that show aggregate usage rather than locating individual large files.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Shows disk usage of partitions, not individual files.
Detailed technical explanation
The `find` command uses the `-size` predicate with a `+` prefix to match files larger than the specified size; the suffix `M` denotes mebibytes (1024^2 bytes), not megabytes (1000^2 bytes), which can cause slight discrepancies if the administrator expects exact decimal megabytes. In real-world scenarios, log rotation (e.g., via `logrotate`) may leave compressed or rotated files like `*.gz` that are smaller, so `find` can be combined with `-name '*.log'` to target only active logs.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the XK0-005 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. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Troubleshooting — This question tests Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: find /var/log -type f -size +100M — The `find` command with `-type f` (regular files) and `-size +100M` (files larger than 100 megabytes) is the correct tool to locate large log files in /var/log. This directly meets the requirement to find files by size, unlike other commands that only show disk usage or directory listings without size filtering.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This XK0-005 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 XK0-005 exam.
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