This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of shells, scripting and data management. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 wants to list all lines in a log file that do NOT contain the word 'ERROR'. Which command should be used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "NOT"
Why it matters: Negative qualifier — you are looking for the one option that does NOT apply. Most options will be true; only one is false for this scenario.
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.
grep -i 'ERROR' logfile
Why wrong: This case-insensitively matches lines containing ERROR.
grep -w 'ERROR' logfile
Why wrong: This matches whole words only, still showing lines containing ERROR.
grep -v 'ERROR' logfile
The -v option inverts the match.
grep 'ERROR' logfile
Why wrong: This shows lines containing ERROR.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
grep -v 'ERROR' logfile
Option C is correct because the -v option in grep inverts the match, showing lines that do not contain ERROR. Option A shows lines containing ERROR. Option B is also -v? Wait, we moved correct to C.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
grep -i 'ERROR' logfile
Why it's wrong here
This case-insensitively matches lines containing ERROR.
grep -w 'ERROR' logfile
Why it's wrong here
This matches whole words only, still showing lines containing ERROR.
grep -v 'ERROR' logfile
Why this is correct
The -v option inverts the match.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "NOT", "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
grep 'ERROR' logfile
Why it's wrong here
This shows lines containing ERROR.
Common exam traps
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This matches whole words only, still showing lines containing ERROR.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which LPIC-1 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.
Shells, Scripting and Data Management — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Shells, Scripting and Data Management — This question tests Shells, Scripting and Data Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: grep -v 'ERROR' logfile — Option C is correct because the -v option in grep inverts the match, showing lines that do not contain ERROR. Option A shows lines containing ERROR. Option B is also -v? Wait, we moved correct to C.
Identify which LPIC-1 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.
Yes — watch for: "NOT", "which command". Negative qualifier — you are looking for the one option that does NOT apply. Most options will be true; only one is false for this scenario.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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