Why You Must Create a Partition Before Mounting a Disk in Red Hat
This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of create and configure file systems. 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.
Exhibit
# df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1 50G 20G 30G 40% /
/dev/sdb1 100G 10G 90G 10% /data
# lsblk
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda 8:0 0 50G 0 disk
└─sda1 8:1 0 50G 0 part /
sdb 8:16 0 100G 0 disk
└─sdb1 8:17 0 100G 0 part /data
sdc 8:32 0 10G 0 disk
# mount | grep sdc
#
Refer to the exhibit. An administrator wants to mount /dev/sdc1 on /mnt/storage. What must be done first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Exhibit
# df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1 50G 20G 30G 40% /
/dev/sdb1 100G 10G 90G 10% /data
# lsblk
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda 8:0 0 50G 0 disk
└─sda1 8:1 0 50G 0 part /
sdb 8:16 0 100G 0 disk
└─sdb1 8:17 0 100G 0 part /data
sdc 8:32 0 10G 0 disk
# mount | grep sdc
#
A
Mount /dev/sdc directly
Why wrong: Mounting the raw disk without a partition is possible but not recommended; the question asks for /dev/sdc1, which doesn't exist.
B
Add an entry to /etc/fstab
Why wrong: The device does not exist; a partition and filesystem must be created first.
C
Create a partition on /dev/sdc
The disk /dev/sdc has no partitions; a partition (e.g., /dev/sdc1) must be created before formatting and mounting.
D
Run mkfs.xfs /dev/sdc1
Why wrong: The device /dev/sdc1 does not exist; a partition must be created first.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a partition on /dev/sdc
The exhibit shows that /dev/sdc has no partition table (it is a raw disk). Before you can mount a filesystem on /dev/sdc1, you must first create a partition on /dev/sdc using a tool like fdisk or parted. Without a partition, the block device /dev/sdc1 does not exist, so any mount attempt would fail with a 'no such device' error.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Mount /dev/sdc directly
Why it's wrong here
Mounting the raw disk without a partition is possible but not recommended; the question asks for /dev/sdc1, which doesn't exist.
✗
Add an entry to /etc/fstab
Why it's wrong here
The device does not exist; a partition and filesystem must be created first.
✓
Create a partition on /dev/sdc
Why this is correct
The disk /dev/sdc has no partitions; a partition (e.g., /dev/sdc1) must be created before formatting and mounting.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Run mkfs.xfs /dev/sdc1
Why it's wrong here
The device /dev/sdc1 does not exist; a partition must be created first.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common pitfall in the Red Hat RHCSA exam is thinking you can directly mount a raw disk or create a filesystem on a non-existent partition, leading candidates to select mkfs.xfs or /etc/fstab before partitioning.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the kernel exposes partitions as separate block devices (e.g., /dev/sdc1) only after a valid partition table (MBR or GPT) is written to the disk. The partition table defines the starting sector and size of each partition; without it, the kernel has no way to present /dev/sdc1. In real-world scenarios, attempting to mount a raw disk without partitioning can lead to data loss or unexpected behavior if the disk already contains a filesystem from a different context.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the EX200 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Create and configure file systems — This question tests Create and configure file systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a partition on /dev/sdc — The exhibit shows that /dev/sdc has no partition table (it is a raw disk). Before you can mount a filesystem on /dev/sdc1, you must first create a partition on /dev/sdc using a tool like fdisk or parted. Without a partition, the block device /dev/sdc1 does not exist, so any mount attempt would fail with a 'no such device' error.
What should I do if I get this EX200 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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