- A
Bob can still log in but will be forced to change his password.
Password expiry forces a password change on next login, but login is still allowed until account expiry.
- B
Bob's account will be locked.
Why wrong: Account lock occurs only after the account expiry date, not on password expiration.
- C
Bob's password will be disabled.
Why wrong: Password is not disabled; the user must change it.
- D
Bob will receive a warning message only.
Why wrong: Warnings are sent before expiration, but on the due date the user is forced to change password.
Question 177 of 513
LFCS User and Group Management Practice Question
This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of user and group management. 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.
After running 'chage -l bob', the output shows: 'Last password change: Apr 01, 2023', 'Password expires: May 31, 2023', 'Account expires: Jul 15, 2023'. What will happen on May 31, 2023?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Bob can still log in but will be forced to change his password.
Option A is correct because on May 31, 2023, Bob's password expires. According to the PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) configuration and the `chage` command's behavior, a password expiration does not lock the account or disable the password; instead, it forces the user to change their password at the next login. The user can still authenticate with their current password, but upon successful authentication, the system will prompt them to set a new password before granting access to the shell.
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.
- ✓
Bob can still log in but will be forced to change his password.
Why this is correct
Password expiry forces a password change on next login, but login is still allowed until account expiry.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Bob's account will be locked.
Why it's wrong here
Account lock occurs only after the account expiry date, not on password expiration.
- ✗
Bob's password will be disabled.
Why it's wrong here
Password is not disabled; the user must change it.
- ✗
Bob will receive a warning message only.
Why it's wrong here
Warnings are sent before expiration, but on the due date the user is forced to change password.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse password expiration with account expiration or password disabling, but the LFCS exam tests the precise distinction: password expiration forces a password change at next login, while account expiration locks the account entirely.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, password expiration is tracked via the `sp_lstchg` and `sp_max` fields in /etc/shadow. When the current date exceeds `sp_lstchg + sp_max`, the password is considered expired. The `login` program or `sshd` checks this via PAM module `pam_unix.so`; if expired, it invokes `pam_unix.so`'s `passwd` change routine. A subtle behavior: if the account has a null password (no password set), expiration checks are bypassed. In real-world scenarios, this prevents stale credentials from being used indefinitely, enforcing periodic password rotation policies.
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.
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User and Group Management — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this LFCS question test?
User and Group Management — This question tests User and Group Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Bob can still log in but will be forced to change his password. — Option A is correct because on May 31, 2023, Bob's password expires. According to the PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) configuration and the `chage` command's behavior, a password expiration does not lock the account or disable the password; instead, it forces the user to change their password at the next login. The user can still authenticate with their current password, but upon successful authentication, the system will prompt them to set a new password before granting access to the shell.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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