EX200 Create simple shell scripts Practice Question
This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of create simple shell scripts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 writes a shell script to monitor disk usage and send an alert if any partition exceeds 80%. Which TWO of the following are best practices for implementing this script?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Include error handling to check for missing commands and exit gracefully.
Option B is correct because robust shell scripts should always include error handling to verify that required commands (e.g., `df`, `awk`, `grep`) are available before proceeding. This prevents the script from failing silently or producing misleading output, and allows it to exit gracefully with a meaningful error message, which is a key best practice for production scripts.
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.
✗
Use `cat /proc/partitions` to retrieve partition sizes.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: /proc/partitions shows partition sizes but not usage percentages.
✓
Include error handling to check for missing commands and exit gracefully.
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Send alerts only via syslog (logger command).
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: syslog is not a reliable alerting mechanism for urgent issues.
✓
Use `df -h` and parse the output to check usage percentages.
Why this is correct
Correct: df -h shows filesystem disk space usage in human-readable format.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use `du -h /` and parse the output.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: du reports disk usage of files/directories, not overall partition usage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Red Hat often tests the distinction between `df` (filesystem-level usage) and `du` (directory-level usage), and candidates mistakenly choose `du` because they think it shows disk usage, but it does not report capacity or percentage used.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Incorrect: /proc/partitions shows partition sizes but not usage percentages.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `df -h` command reads filesystem statistics from the kernel via the `statfs()` system call, which returns total and available blocks for each mounted filesystem. Parsing its output with tools like `awk` or `grep` allows the script to extract the 'Use%' column and compare it against a threshold (e.g., 80). In real-world scenarios, scripts should also handle edge cases such as filesystems with spaces in mount points by using `-P` for POSIX output or `--output` to avoid parsing errors.
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 simple shell scripts — This question tests Create simple shell scripts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Include error handling to check for missing commands and exit gracefully. — Option B is correct because robust shell scripts should always include error handling to verify that required commands (e.g., `df`, `awk`, `grep`) are available before proceeding. This prevents the script from failing silently or producing misleading output, and allows it to exit gracefully with a meaningful error message, which is a key best practice for production scripts.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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