This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of storage management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Refer to the exhibit. An administrator attempts to mount all filesystems using mount -a, but it fails. The error message indicates that UUID=jkl012 is not found. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The swap partition is not formatted or missing.
The error 'UUID=jkl012 not found' indicates that the system cannot locate a device with that UUID. Since the swap partition is typically referenced by UUID in /etc/fstab and is not required for normal filesystem mounting, a missing or unformatted swap partition would cause mount -a to fail when it tries to mount the swap entry. This is the most likely cause because swap is often the only filesystem that can be missing without affecting other mounts, yet mount -a processes all entries including swap.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
The swap partition is not formatted or missing.
Why this is correct
Correct cause.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The /dev/mapper/vg_data-lv_data device does not exist.
Why it's wrong here
Would cause different error.
✗
The NFS share is unreachable.
Why it's wrong here
Would cause a different error.
✗
The /home filesystem type is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
Would cause different error.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Linux Foundation often tests the misconception that mount -a only mounts regular filesystems, when in fact it also processes swap entries, so candidates overlook swap as the cause of a UUID error.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The mount -a command reads /etc/fstab and attempts to mount all entries in order, including swap partitions via swapon. UUIDs are used to identify block devices independently of their device node names; if a swap partition's UUID in fstab does not match any existing device (e.g., because the partition was never created or formatted with mkswap), the kernel returns an error. This is a common issue when cloning disks or restoring from backups where the swap partition UUID changes or is missing.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Storage Management — This question tests Storage Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The swap partition is not formatted or missing. — The error 'UUID=jkl012 not found' indicates that the system cannot locate a device with that UUID. Since the swap partition is typically referenced by UUID in /etc/fstab and is not required for normal filesystem mounting, a missing or unformatted swap partition would cause mount -a to fail when it tries to mount the swap entry. This is the most likely cause because swap is often the only filesystem that can be missing without affecting other mounts, yet mount -a processes all entries including swap.
What should I do if I get this LFCS question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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