EX200 Manage users and groups Practice Question
Which THREE statements about /etc/shadow are true? (Choose exactly 3)
⚠ Common exam trap
Red Hat often tests the distinction between /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow, trapping candidates who think UIDs or group membership are in shadow, or that shadow is world-readable like passwd.
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
✓
Contains account expiration dates.
The /etc/shadow file stores account expiration dates in the ninth field (field 9), which is the number of days since the epoch until the account is disabled. This field is used by the system to enforce account aging policies, such as automatically locking accounts after a set period of inactivity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Contains account expiration dates.
Why this is correct
The /etc/shadow file stores account expiration dates in the eighth field (field 8), which is the number of days since the epoch until the account is disabled. This field is used by the system to enforce account aging policies.
- ✓
Contains the date of last password change.
Why this is correct
The /etc/shadow file stores the date of the last password change in the third field (field 3), expressed as the number of days since January 1, 1970 (epoch).
- ✓
Contains encrypted password hashes.
Why this is correct
The /etc/shadow file stores encrypted password hashes in the second field (field 2). Typically, the hash includes the algorithm identifier and salt.
- ✗
Is readable by all users.
Why it's wrong here
The /etc/shadow file is readable only by root or users in the shadow group, not all users.
- ✗
Contains user ID numbers.
Why it's wrong here
User ID numbers are stored in /etc/passwd, not in /etc/shadow.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This EX200 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat 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 EX200 exam.