This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of essential commands. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 system administrator needs to find all files in /var/log that have been modified in the last 24 hours. Which command accomplishes this?
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.
find /var/log -mtime 0
Why wrong: Finds files modified exactly 0 days ago (current day), not within the last 24 hours.
find /var/log -newer /var/log/syslog
Why wrong: Compares against a specific file, not a time range.
find /var/log -mtime -1
Correctly finds files modified less than 1 day ago, i.e., within the last 24 hours.
find /var/log -mtime 1
Why wrong: Finds files modified exactly 1 day ago, not within the last 24 hours.
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 -mtime -1
Option C is correct because `find /var/log -mtime -1` finds files modified less than 1 day ago (i.e., within the last 24 hours). The `-mtime` option with a negative number (`-1`) matches files whose content was modified less than n*24 hours ago, which is exactly what the question requires.
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.
find /var/log -mtime 0
Why it's wrong here
Finds files modified exactly 0 days ago (current day), not within the last 24 hours.
find /var/log -newer /var/log/syslog
Why it's wrong here
Compares against a specific file, not a time range.
find /var/log -mtime -1
Why this is correct
Correctly finds files modified less than 1 day ago, i.e., within the last 24 hours.
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.
find /var/log -mtime 1
Why it's wrong here
Finds files modified exactly 1 day ago, not within the last 24 hours.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing `-mtime -1` (modified less than 24 hours ago) with `-mtime 1` (modified between 24 and 48 hours ago) or `-mtime 0` (modified exactly 24 hours ago), leading candidates to pick the wrong numeric argument.
Detailed technical explanation
The `-mtime` option uses a 24-hour cycle from the current time, and the integer argument is interpreted in days. A negative value (e.g., `-1`) means 'less than n days ago', zero means 'exactly n days ago', and a positive value means 'more than n days ago but less than n+1 days ago'. For precise sub-day searches, `-mmin` (minutes) can be used, e.g., `-mmin -1440` for the last 24 hours. In real-world scenarios, log rotation may cause files to be renamed or compressed, so combining `-mtime` with `-name` patterns is common.
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 LFCS 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
Essential Commands — This question tests Essential Commands — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: find /var/log -mtime -1 — Option C is correct because `find /var/log -mtime -1` finds files modified less than 1 day ago (i.e., within the last 24 hours). The `-mtime` option with a negative number (`-1`) matches files whose content was modified less than n*24 hours ago, which is exactly what the question requires.
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 LFCS practice question is part of Courseiva's free Linux Foundation 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 LFCS exam.
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