This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of administrative tasks. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An administrator notices the system clock is drifting. Which command can be used to enable automatic time synchronization using NTP on a system with systemd?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Why wrong: Ntpdate performs a one-time clock correction but does not enable continuous synchronization.
B
timedatectl set-ntp yes
This enables automatic time synchronization using NTP.
C
systemctl start ntpd
Why wrong: This starts the NTP daemon, but on some systems, timedatectl manages this automatically. However, the command itself does not enable the feature; it only starts the service temporarily.
D
date --set
Why wrong: This manually sets the date and time, not automatic synchronization.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
timedatectl set-ntp yes
Option B is correct because `timedatectl set-ntp yes` enables automatic time synchronization via NTP on systems using systemd. This command configures the `systemd-timesyncd` service, which is the default NTP client for systemd-based distributions, to synchronize the system clock with remote NTP servers. It is the standard, modern method for managing NTP settings in such environments.
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.
✗
ntpdate pool.ntp.org
Why it's wrong here
Ntpdate performs a one-time clock correction but does not enable continuous synchronization.
✓
timedatectl set-ntp yes
Why this is correct
This enables automatic time synchronization using NTP.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
systemctl start ntpd
Why it's wrong here
This starts the NTP daemon, but on some systems, timedatectl manages this automatically. However, the command itself does not enable the feature; it only starts the service temporarily.
✗
date --set
Why it's wrong here
This manually sets the date and time, not automatic synchronization.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse one-time synchronization commands (like `ntpdate` or `date --set`) with the persistent enabling of automatic NTP synchronization, or they assume starting the `ntpd` service alone is sufficient without using `timedatectl` to manage systemd's time synchronization framework.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This starts the NTP daemon, but on some systems, timedatectl manages this automatically. However, the command itself does not enable the feature; it only starts the service temporarily.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, `timedatectl set-ntp yes` enables the `systemd-timesyncd` service, which implements the SNTP (Simple Network Time Protocol) subset of NTP (RFC 5905) and uses a fallback NTP pool (e.g., `pool.ntp.org`) if no custom servers are configured. A subtle behavior is that `systemd-timesyncd` does not support full NTP authentication or advanced features like hardware timestamping, so in environments requiring high precision or security, administrators may need to replace it with `ntpd` or `chronyd` and disable `systemd-timesyncd` via `timedatectl set-ntp no`.
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 LPIC-1 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.
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: timedatectl set-ntp yes — Option B is correct because `timedatectl set-ntp yes` enables automatic time synchronization via NTP on systems using systemd. This command configures the `systemd-timesyncd` service, which is the default NTP client for systemd-based distributions, to synchronize the system clock with remote NTP servers. It is the standard, modern method for managing NTP settings in such environments.
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: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
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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