LPIC-1 GNU and Unix Commands Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. 30 4 1 * * /usr/bin/backup
Refer to the exhibit. When will the backup script run?
⚠ Common exam trap
LPI often tests the misconception that a `*` in the day-of-week field implies 'every day' but candidates forget that the day-of-month field of `1` restricts execution to only the 1st, not daily.
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
✓
Monthly at 4:30 AM on the 1st
The cron entry `30 4 1 * * /usr/local/bin/backup.sh` specifies that the script runs when the minute is 30, hour is 4, and day-of-month is 1, with the month and day-of-week fields set to `*` (meaning every month and every day of the week). This results in execution at 4:30 AM on the 1st day of every month, making option B correct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Daily at 4:30 AM
Why it's wrong here
A crontab entry with a fixed day-of-month field runs only on that date each month, not every day, so daily execution cannot occur. It tempts because the 4:30 time is read from the hour and minute fields, which do govern the run time whenever the schedule does trigger.
- ✓
Monthly at 4:30 AM on the 1st
Why this is correct
The '1' in the day-of-month field indicates the first day of each month.
- ✗
Yearly at 4:30 AM
Why it's wrong here
The yearly schedule fires only once per year at the specified time, so daily or weekly backup expectations are unmet. Yearly suits archival or compliance snapshots taken annually. The exhibit's cron fields indicate a different recurrence, which the correct option reflects.
- ✗
Weekly at 4:30 AM
Why it's wrong here
A weekly schedule requires the day-of-week field to be set; here the day-of-month field is populated instead, so the job fires monthly on that date. It tempts because 4:30 is genuinely the execution time, and weekly cadence is a common backup interval.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.