LPIC-1 Shells, Scripting and Data Management Practice Question
Which THREE of the following commands can be used to transform delimited text (e.g., CSV) by selecting specific fields or columns?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse `cut` with `tr` because both manipulate text, but `tr` operates on characters, not fields, making it unsuitable for column selection.
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
✓
cut
The `cut` command is specifically designed to extract sections from each line of input, making it ideal for selecting fields from delimited text like CSV. By using the `-d` option to specify a delimiter (e.g., `-d','`) and the `-f` option to choose fields (e.g., `-f1,3`), `cut` can efficiently extract columns without additional processing.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
cut
Why this is correct
Selects columns by delimiter.
- ✗
tr
Why it's wrong here
Translates characters, not fields.
- ✓
awk
Why this is correct
Parses and manipulates fields.
- ✗
cat
Why it's wrong here
Just outputs the file.
- ✓
sed
Why this is correct
Can extract and transform fields using patterns.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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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.