This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of administrative tasks. 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.
Which command schedules a job to run once at 2:30 PM today?
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.
crontab -e
Why wrong: Edits the user's crontab for recurring jobs, not one-time scheduling.
batch
Why wrong: Schedules a job to run when system load is low, not at a specific time.
at 14.30
Why wrong: The time separator must be a colon, not a dot.
at 14:30
The 'at' command with a time in 24-hour format schedules a one-time job at that time.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
at 14:30
The `at` command schedules a one-time job for a specified time. The correct syntax uses a colon (:) to separate hours and minutes, as in `at 14:30`, which schedules the job for 2:30 PM today. Option D is correct because it follows the standard `at` time format.
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.
crontab -e
Why it's wrong here
Edits the user's crontab for recurring jobs, not one-time scheduling.
batch
Why it's wrong here
Schedules a job to run when system load is low, not at a specific time.
at 14.30
Why it's wrong here
The time separator must be a colon, not a dot.
at 14:30
Why this is correct
The 'at' command with a time in 24-hour format schedules a one-time job at that time.
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.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse the `at` time separator (colon) with the period used in some other contexts, or mistakenly think `crontab` can schedule one-time jobs, leading them to choose option A or C.
Detailed technical explanation
The `at` command uses the `atd` daemon to manage job queues, storing jobs in `/var/spool/at/` with permissions controlled by `/etc/at.allow` and `/etc/at.deny`. Time formats can include `HH:MM`, `noon`, `midnight`, or `teatime` (4 PM), and the command supports relative times like `now + 5 minutes`. In real-world scenarios, `at` is ideal for maintenance tasks like a one-time database backup at a specific off-peak hour.
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 exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Administrative Tasks — This question tests Administrative Tasks — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: at 14:30 — The `at` command schedules a one-time job for a specified time. The correct syntax uses a colon (:) to separate hours and minutes, as in `at 14:30`, which schedules the job for 2:30 PM today. Option D is correct because it follows the standard `at` time format.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 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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