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 under /var/log that have been modified within the last 7 days. Which command accomplishes this task?
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 -atime -7
Why wrong: -atime checks access time, not modification time.
find /var/log -mmin -10080
Why wrong: While this would work (10080 minutes = 7 days), the question expects the more standard -mtime option.
find /var/log -mtime -7
-mtime -7 finds files modified less than 7 days ago.
find /var/log -ctime -7
Why wrong: -ctime checks inode change time, which includes metadata changes, not just content modification.
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 -7
Option C is correct because the `find` command with `-mtime -7` searches for files whose content was modified (i.e., changed) within the last 7 days. The `-mtime` flag uses a 24-hour period, so `-7` means files modified less than 7 days ago, which matches the requirement to find files modified within the last 7 days under /var/log.
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 -atime -7
Why it's wrong here
-atime checks access time, not modification time.
find /var/log -mmin -10080
Why it's wrong here
While this would work (10080 minutes = 7 days), the question expects the more standard -mtime option.
find /var/log -mtime -7
Why this is correct
-mtime -7 finds files modified less than 7 days ago.
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 -ctime -7
Why it's wrong here
-ctime checks inode change time, which includes metadata changes, not just content modification.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `-mtime` (modification time) with `-ctime` (change time) or `-atime` (access time), leading them to pick an option that checks the wrong timestamp for the task of finding recently modified files.
Detailed technical explanation
The `find` command distinguishes between three timestamps: `atime` (access time), `mtime` (modification time of content), and `ctime` (change time of metadata). The `-mtime` flag counts in 24-hour cycles from the current time, so `-mtime -7` includes files modified up to 7 days ago (i.e., within the last 168 hours). In real-world scenarios, using `-mtime` is common for log rotation or cleanup tasks, but note that `-mmin` offers finer granularity in minutes, which can be useful for more precise time windows.
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 -7 — Option C is correct because the `find` command with `-mtime -7` searches for files whose content was modified (i.e., changed) within the last 7 days. The `-mtime` flag uses a 24-hour period, so `-7` means files modified less than 7 days ago, which matches the requirement to find files modified within the last 7 days under /var/log.
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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