XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
A Linux administrator needs to locate all files in the /var directory that have been modified within the last 30 minutes and are larger than 10MB. Which command accomplishes this task?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse `-mmin` (minutes) with `-mtime` (days), and misinterpreting the minus sign: `-mmin -30` means less than 30 minutes ago, while `-mmin 30` means exactly 30 minutes ago. Candidates often mistakenly choose `-mtime -30` thinking it means minutes, or omit the minus sign.
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
✓
find /var -mmin -30 -size +10M
The correct command is `find /var -mmin -30 -size +10M`. The `-mmin -30` option tells find to match files modified less than 30 minutes ago (the minus sign means 'less than'), and `-size +10M` matches files larger than 10 megabytes. This combination precisely meets the requirement of files modified within the last 30 minutes and larger than 10MB.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
find /var -mmin 30 -size +10M
Why it's wrong here
Without a minus sign, -mmin 30 matches files modified exactly 30 minutes ago, not within the last 30 minutes. It is tempting because -mmin is the correct minutes-based primitive; the option is right when the stem asks for files modified precisely 30 minutes ago.
- ✓
find /var -mmin -30 -size +10M
Why this is correct
The -mmin -30 predicate matches files modified within the last 30 minutes, and -size +10M selects those larger than 10MB. Combining both in one find invocation over /var returns exactly the files meeting both constraints simultaneously.
- ✗
locate /var -mmin -30 -size +10M
Why it's wrong here
locate queries a prebuilt filename database and accepts no -mmin or -size predicates, so it cannot filter by modification time or size. It is tempting because locate is fast for finding files by name; it is correct when you only need path matching and the database is current.
- ✗
find /var -mtime -30 -size +10M
Why it's wrong here
-mtime -30 measures in 24-hour periods, so it matches files modified within the last 30 days, not 30 minutes. It is tempting because -mtime with a negative offset is the standard idiom for recent modifications; it is correct when the window is expressed in days.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.