This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of user and group 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
# ls -ld /shared
drwxrws--- 3 root developers 4096 Apr 10 10:00 /shared
# ls -l /shared
drwxrws--- 2 alice developers 4096 Apr 10 10:00 project
-rw-rw---- 1 bob developers 1024 Apr 10 10:05 file.txt
Refer to the exhibit. The 'developers' group has members alice, bob, and charlie. User 'charlie' is not in the 'developers' group. Which statement is true?
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
# ls -ld /shared
drwxrws--- 3 root developers 4096 Apr 10 10:00 /shared
# ls -l /shared
drwxrws--- 2 alice developers 4096 Apr 10 10:00 project
-rw-rw---- 1 bob developers 1024 Apr 10 10:05 file.txt
A
alice can write to file.txt because she is in the developers group and the file has group write.
File has rw-rw----, group can write; alice is in developers, so she can write.
B
bob can delete /shared/project because he is the owner? No, directory permissions apply.
Why wrong: Bob is not owner of project (alice owns), but he can delete if he has write and execute on the parent directory, which he does. However, the statement says 'because he is the owner' which is false.
C
charlie can read /shared because the directory has world read? No, it's --- for others.
Why wrong: Others have no permissions (---).
D
charlie can list the contents of /shared if he knows the path.
Why wrong: No, charlie has no permissions on /shared.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
alice can write to file.txt because she is in the developers group and the file has group write.
Alice is a member of the 'developers' group, which has group ownership of 'file.txt'. Since the file has group write permissions, Alice can write to it. Bob's statement about deleting /shared/project is incorrect because directory permissions (specifically write on the directory) determine deletion, not ownership alone. Charlie cannot access /shared because permissions are 770 (wx for owner and group, no permissions for others), and he is not in the developers group. Therefore, option A is correct.
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.
✓
alice can write to file.txt because she is in the developers group and the file has group write.
Why this is correct
File has rw-rw----, group can write; alice is in developers, so she can write.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
bob can delete /shared/project because he is the owner? No, directory permissions apply.
Why it's wrong here
Bob is not owner of project (alice owns), but he can delete if he has write and execute on the parent directory, which he does. However, the statement says 'because he is the owner' which is false.
✗
charlie can read /shared because the directory has world read? No, it's --- for others.
Why it's wrong here
Others have no permissions (---).
✗
charlie can list the contents of /shared if he knows the path.
Why it's wrong here
No, charlie has no permissions on /shared.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 LFCS exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: alice can write to file.txt because she is in the developers group and the file has group write. — Alice is a member of the 'developers' group, which has group ownership of 'file.txt'. Since the file has group write permissions, Alice can write to it. Bob's statement about deleting /shared/project is incorrect because directory permissions (specifically write on the directory) determine deletion, not ownership alone. Charlie cannot access /shared because permissions are 770 (wx for owner and group, no permissions for others), and he is not in the developers group. Therefore, option A is correct.
What should I do if I get this LFCS question wrong?
Identify which LFCS exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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