LFCS Essential Commands Practice Question
Which TWO commands can be used to display the current working directory? (Choose exactly two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse `ls` (which lists files) with displaying the current directory path, or think `dirname` or `cd` can show the current directory without additional arguments.
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
✓
echo $PWD
The shell stores the current working directory path in the environment variable `$PWD`, and `echo $PWD` prints its value. This is a reliable way to display the current directory, as the shell updates `PWD` automatically on every `cd` command.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ls
Why it's wrong here
Lists files, not current directory.
- ✓
echo $PWD
Why this is correct
Correct: prints the PWD variable.
- ✓
pwd
Why this is correct
Correct: prints working directory.
- ✗
dirname
Why it's wrong here
Extracts directory part of a file path, not current directory.
- ✗
cd
Why it's wrong here
Changes directory, does not display it.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.