This JNCIA-JUNOS practice question tests your understanding of junos os fundamentals. 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.
An engineer needs to view the current active configuration on a Juniper device. Which command will display the configuration that is currently running?
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.
show chassis hardware
Why wrong: Shows hardware inventory, not configuration.
show interfaces terse
Why wrong: Shows interface status, not the full configuration.
show configuration
Displays the current active configuration (or candidate if uncommitted changes exist).
show system commit
Why wrong: Shows the commit history, not the configuration itself.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
show configuration
The 'show configuration' command displays the current active configuration that is committed and running on a Juniper device. Unlike Cisco's 'show running-config', Junos uses a commit model where the candidate configuration is activated only after a 'commit' operation, and 'show configuration' shows that committed, active configuration.
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.
show chassis hardware
Why it's wrong here
Shows hardware inventory, not configuration.
show interfaces terse
Why it's wrong here
Shows interface status, not the full configuration.
show configuration
Why this is correct
Displays the current active configuration (or candidate if uncommitted changes exist).
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.
show system commit
Why it's wrong here
Shows the commit history, not the configuration itself.
Common exam traps
Juniper Networks often tests the 'show running-config' equivalent, and the trap here is that candidates familiar with Cisco may mistakenly choose 'show system commit' (thinking it shows the running config) or 'show interfaces terse' (confusing interface status with the full configuration).
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Shows hardware inventory, not configuration.
Detailed technical explanation
Juniper's architecture separates the candidate configuration (in 'configure' mode) from the active configuration. The 'show configuration' command reads from the 'junos.conf' file in the /config directory, which is the committed configuration. A subtle behavior is that 'show configuration | display set' can output the configuration in a set-based format, useful for scripting or comparing with candidate changes.
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 JNCIA-JUNOS 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
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FAQ
Junos OS Fundamentals — This question tests Junos OS Fundamentals — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: show configuration — The 'show configuration' command displays the current active configuration that is committed and running on a Juniper device. Unlike Cisco's 'show running-config', Junos uses a commit model where the candidate configuration is activated only after a 'commit' operation, and 'show configuration' shows that committed, active configuration.
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 30, 2026
This JNCIA-JUNOS practice question is part of Courseiva's free Juniper Networks 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 JNCIA-JUNOS exam.
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