This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of manage users and groups. 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.
A new employee named asmith needs a user account with a home directory and a specific UID of 1500. Which command accomplishes this?
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.
Option A is correct: -m creates the home directory, -u sets the UID.
B
adduser -uid 1500 asmith
Why wrong: Option C is incorrect; adduser is a different command often used interactively, and -uid is not a standard option for useradd.
C
useradd -h /home/asmith -u 1500 asmith
Why wrong: Option D is incorrect; -h is not a valid option for useradd.
D
useradd -d /home/asmith -U 1500 asmith
Why wrong: Option B is incorrect; -U creates a group with the same name, not setting UID. -d specifies home directory path but does not create it without -m.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
useradd -m -u 1500 asmith
Option A is correct because `useradd -m -u 1500 asmith` creates the user asmith with a home directory (via `-m`) and assigns a specific UID of 1500 (via `-u`). The `-m` flag ensures the home directory is created if it does not exist, which is required by the question.
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.
✓
useradd -m -u 1500 asmith
Why this is correct
Option A is correct: -m creates the home directory, -u sets the UID.
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.
✗
adduser -uid 1500 asmith
Why it's wrong here
Option C is incorrect; adduser is a different command often used interactively, and -uid is not a standard option for useradd.
✗
useradd -h /home/asmith -u 1500 asmith
Why it's wrong here
Option D is incorrect; -h is not a valid option for useradd.
✗
useradd -d /home/asmith -U 1500 asmith
Why it's wrong here
Option B is incorrect; -U creates a group with the same name, not setting UID. -d specifies home directory path but does not create it without -m.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing `-u` (UID) with `-U` (create user group) and mistaking `-h` for home directory instead of the correct `-d` flag.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Option C is incorrect; adduser is a different command often used interactively, and -uid is not a standard option for useradd.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `useradd` command reads defaults from `/etc/default/useradd` and `/etc/login.defs`, which control home directory base path (e.g., `/home`) and UID ranges. The `-m` flag overrides the `CREATE_HOME` setting in `/etc/login.defs` and forces home directory creation even if the default is no. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, UIDs below 1000 are reserved for system accounts by default, so assigning UID 1500 is appropriate for a regular user.
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.
Manage users and groups — This question tests Manage users and groups — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: useradd -m -u 1500 asmith — Option A is correct because `useradd -m -u 1500 asmith` creates the user asmith with a home directory (via `-m`) and assigns a specific UID of 1500 (via `-u`). The `-m` flag ensures the home directory is created if it does not exist, which is required by the question.
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: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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