EX200 Deploy, configure, and maintain systems Practice Question
This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of deploy, configure, and maintain systems. 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 fails to boot and drops into an emergency shell. The administrator suspects a misconfigured /etc/fstab. Which command should be used to determine which filesystem is causing the boot issue?
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.
Why wrong: Shows the status of local filesystem target but not specific errors clearly.
B
journalctl -xb -p err
Shows error messages from the journal, including mount failures.
C
fsck -A
Why wrong: Checks filesystems for errors, not configuration issues.
D
mount -a
Why wrong: This attempts to mount all filesystems from fstab and will display errors, but in emergency shell it may not output to console; journalctl is more reliable.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
journalctl -xb -p err
When a system fails to boot due to a misconfigured /etc/fstab, the emergency shell is entered. The `journalctl -xb -p err` command displays the systemd journal from the current boot (`-b`) with extended information (`-x`) and filters for error-level messages (`-p err`). This will show the exact mount failure and the offending filesystem entry, making it the correct diagnostic tool.
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.
✗
systemctl status local-fs.target
Why it's wrong here
Shows the status of local filesystem target but not specific errors clearly.
✓
journalctl -xb -p err
Why this is correct
Shows error messages from the journal, including mount failures.
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.
✗
fsck -A
Why it's wrong here
Checks filesystems for errors, not configuration issues.
✗
mount -a
Why it's wrong here
This attempts to mount all filesystems from fstab and will display errors, but in emergency shell it may not output to console; journalctl is more reliable.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose `mount -a` (option D) thinking it will show the error, but it only attempts the mount again without providing the specific fstab line or error context, whereas `journalctl -xb -p err` reveals the exact failure from the boot process.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Shows the status of local filesystem target but not specific errors clearly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `journalctl -xb -p err` command leverages systemd's journal, which logs mount failures with precise error codes (e.g., ENOENT for missing device, EINVAL for invalid options). The `-x` flag adds explanatory text, such as the actual fstab line that failed, making it invaluable for troubleshooting. In a real-world scenario, a typo in the device path (e.g., `/dev/sda1` vs `/dev/sda`) would be immediately visible in the journal output, whereas `mount -a` would just silently fail or produce a generic error.
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.
Deploy, configure, and maintain systems — This question tests Deploy, configure, and maintain systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: journalctl -xb -p err — When a system fails to boot due to a misconfigured /etc/fstab, the emergency shell is entered. The `journalctl -xb -p err` command displays the systemd journal from the current boot (`-b`) with extended information (`-x`) and filters for error-level messages (`-p err`). This will show the exact mount failure and the offending filesystem entry, making it the correct diagnostic tool.
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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