This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of administrative tasks. 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.
After creating a new user with 'useradd john', the user 'john' cannot log in. What 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
✓
No password has been set for the user
The `useradd` command creates a new user account but does not set a password. Without a password, the system's authentication mechanism (typically PAM) will deny login attempts, as there is no valid password hash in `/etc/shadow`. The user must have a password assigned via `passwd john` before they can authenticate.
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 home directory does not exist
Why it's wrong here
By default, 'useradd' creates the home directory unless told otherwise.
✓
No password has been set for the user
Why this is correct
The 'useradd' command creates the account but does not assign a password; the account is locked initially.
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 user's shell is not set
Why it's wrong here
By default, 'useradd' assigns the shell specified in /etc/default/useradd, typically /bin/bash.
✗
The user is not in the sudoers file
Why it's wrong here
Being in sudoers is for sudo access, not basic login.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume `useradd` fully provisions an account, overlooking that password assignment is a separate mandatory step, and they may confuse login failure with missing home directory or shell issues.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Linux authentication uses PAM modules that check the password hash stored in `/etc/shadow`. The `useradd` command only populates `/etc/passwd` and `/etc/shadow` with a placeholder (often `!` or `*`) in the password field, which explicitly disables password-based login. A real-world scenario is automated provisioning scripts that create users with `useradd` but forget to call `passwd`, leaving accounts locked until an administrator sets a password.
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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
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.
Administrative Tasks — This question tests Administrative Tasks — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: No password has been set for the user — The `useradd` command creates a new user account but does not set a password. Without a password, the system's authentication mechanism (typically PAM) will deny login attempts, as there is no valid password hash in `/etc/shadow`. The user must have a password assigned via `passwd john` before they can authenticate.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-1 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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