This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of storage management. 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 partition a new 2TB disk using GPT. Which tool should be used?
cfdisk
Why wrong: Curses-based, supports MBR; GPT support limited.
fdisk
Why wrong: Primarily for MBR, not recommended for GPT >2TB.
parted
Supports GPT and large disks.
sfdisk
Why wrong: Scriptable, but older MBR focus.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
parted
Parted is the correct tool because it explicitly supports GPT partition tables on disks larger than 2TB, whereas fdisk and cfdisk traditionally use MBR (which is limited to 2TB) and sfdisk is primarily a script-based tool that, while it can handle GPT, is not the standard interactive tool for initial partitioning of a new 2TB GPT disk. Parted provides both interactive and scriptable modes and is designed to handle modern partition table formats like GPT.
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.
cfdisk
Why it's wrong here
Curses-based, supports MBR; GPT support limited.
fdisk
Why it's wrong here
Primarily for MBR, not recommended for GPT >2TB.
parted
Why this is correct
Supports GPT and large disks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
sfdisk
Why it's wrong here
Scriptable, but older MBR focus.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume fdisk is the universal partitioning tool because of its widespread use with MBR, but the LFCS exam specifically tests knowledge of GPT support and the fact that parted (or gdisk) is the correct choice for disks larger than 2TB with GPT.
Detailed technical explanation
GPT uses a protective MBR at LBA 0 to prevent legacy tools from misidentifying the disk as unformatted, followed by a primary GPT header at LBA 1 and partition entries starting at LBA 2. Parted handles this layout correctly, including the 64-bit logical block addressing that allows addressing beyond 2TB, and it automatically aligns partitions to optimal I/O boundaries (e.g., 1 MiB alignment) for modern SSDs and 4K-sector drives. In a real-world scenario, using fdisk on a 2TB GPT disk might accidentally create an MBR table, limiting usable space to 2TB or causing data loss if the disk is later accessed by GPT-aware systems.
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
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FAQ
Storage Management — This question tests Storage Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: parted — Parted is the correct tool because it explicitly supports GPT partition tables on disks larger than 2TB, whereas fdisk and cfdisk traditionally use MBR (which is limited to 2TB) and sfdisk is primarily a script-based tool that, while it can handle GPT, is not the standard interactive tool for initial partitioning of a new 2TB GPT disk. Parted provides both interactive and scriptable modes and is designed to handle modern partition table formats like GPT.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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