LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question
Which two commands can be used to display the amount of free and used memory in the system?
⚠ Common exam trap
LPI often tests the distinction between commands that show system-wide memory summary (`free`, `top`) versus those that show per-process memory usage (`ps`) or system load/uptime (`uptime`), leading candidates to mistakenly select `ps` because it shows a %MEM column.
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
✓
free
The `free` command displays the total amount of free and used physical memory and swap space in the system, along with buffers and cache. The `top` command provides a real-time, dynamic view of running processes and includes a summary of memory usage (both physical and swap) at the top of its output. Both commands are standard Linux utilities for monitoring memory consumption.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
free
Why this is correct
Displays amount of free and used memory in the system.
- ✗
uptime
Why it's wrong here
Shows system load, uptime, and users, not memory details.
- ✗
ps
Why it's wrong here
Reports process status, not memory usage.
- ✓
top
Why this is correct
Shows memory usage in its header along with process information.
- ✗
vmstat
Why it's wrong here
Provides virtual memory statistics but also includes other system information; typically used for performance analysis, but not a simple memory display like free or top.
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JA
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.