This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of essential tools. 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 system administrator has created a new group named 'ops'. The administrator wants to add the existing user 'alice' to this group as a supplementary group without affecting her current group memberships. Which command should be used?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
usermod -aG ops alice
Option A is correct because the `-a` (append) flag combined with `-G` (supplementary groups) in `usermod` adds the user 'alice' to the 'ops' group without removing her from any existing supplementary groups. Without `-a`, the `-G` flag alone would replace the user's current supplementary group list with only the specified groups, which would remove her from any other groups she already belongs to.
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.
✓
usermod -aG ops alice
Why this is correct
The -aG flag appends the user to the supplementary group 'ops' while preserving existing group memberships.
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.
✗
usermod -G ops alice
Why it's wrong here
This command replaces the user's supplementary groups with only 'ops', removing any existing supplementary groups.
✗
groupadd ops alice
Why it's wrong here
groupadd is used to create a new group, not to add a user to an existing group.
✗
usermod -g ops alice
Why it's wrong here
This command changes the user's primary group to 'ops', not a supplementary group.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often forget the `-a` flag and choose `usermod -G ops alice`, mistakenly thinking it adds the user to the group, when in fact it replaces all supplementary group memberships.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This command replaces the user's supplementary groups with only 'ops', removing any existing supplementary groups.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `usermod` command modifies the `/etc/group` file directly; when `-aG` is used, it appends the user to the specified group's member list without altering other entries. A subtle behavior is that the `-a` flag is only meaningful when used with `-G`; using `-a` without `-G` is ignored. In real-world scenarios, an administrator might need to add a user to a new project group (e.g., 'ops') while preserving access to existing groups like 'developers' or 'sudo' to avoid accidental privilege loss.
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.
Essential Tools — This question tests Essential Tools — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: usermod -aG ops alice — Option A is correct because the `-a` (append) flag combined with `-G` (supplementary groups) in `usermod` adds the user 'alice' to the 'ops' group without removing her from any existing supplementary groups. Without `-a`, the `-G` flag alone would replace the user's current supplementary group list with only the specified groups, which would remove her from any other groups she already belongs to.
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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Question Discussion
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