LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question
A system administrator suspects that a particular service is failing to start at boot. The service is managed by systemd. Which command will show the current status of the service, including whether it is active, and recent log entries?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse systemctl status with journalctl -u; while journalctl shows logs, it does not show the current active state, which is crucial for a quick status check.
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
✓
systemctl status servicename.service
The correct command is systemctl status servicename.service. It provides a concise status summary, including whether the service is active, its main PID, and recent log entries. The other commands either show only properties, only logs, or a list of all services, lacking the combined status and log view needed for quick diagnosis.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
journalctl -u servicename.service
Why it's wrong here
journalctl -u shows log entries for the specified unit, which is helpful, but it does not display the current status (active/inactive) or a summary of the service state. It only shows logs. The administrator also wants to see whether the service is active, so this command alone is insufficient. Thus, it is not the correct answer.
- ✗
systemctl list-units --type=service
Why it's wrong here
This command lists all loaded service units and their states, but it does not provide detailed status for a specific service, nor does it show recent log entries. It is useful for a broad overview, but not for diagnosing a particular service. Therefore, it does not meet the requirement.
- ✗
systemctl show servicename.service
Why it's wrong here
systemctl show displays properties of the service as key-value pairs, but it does not show recent log entries or a human-readable status summary. It is useful for scripting or detailed property inspection, but not for quickly checking status and logs. Therefore, it is not the best choice for this scenario.
- ✓
systemctl status servicename.service
Why this is correct
systemctl status displays the current state of the service, whether it is active or failed, and includes recent log lines from the journal. It provides a quick overview of the service's health and recent activity. This is the standard command to diagnose service issues on systemd-based systems.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official LPI exam blueprint
This LPIC-1 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI 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 LPIC-1 exam.