This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of manage users and groups. 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 user reports that they can log in but cannot change their password. Which file might be misconfigured?
Option A is correct: if the shadow entry has an expired password (e.g., maximum password age reached or account locked), the user may be unable to change the password.
B
/etc/group with no user entry
Why wrong: Option C is incorrect; /etc/group does not affect password change capability.
C
/etc/login.defs with PASS_MAX_DAYS set to 0
Why wrong: Option D is incorrect; PASS_MAX_DAYS=0 means no maximum, so password never expires, but it does not prevent password changes.
D
/etc/passwd with incorrect shell
Why wrong: Option B is incorrect; an incorrect shell would prevent login, not password change.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
/etc/shadow with an expiration date in the past
The /etc/shadow file stores password aging information, including the date of the last password change and the expiration date. If the account's expiration date is set in the past, the system will allow login (if the account is not locked) but will prevent the user from changing their password because the account is considered expired. This matches the symptom where the user can authenticate but cannot update their password.
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.
✓
/etc/shadow with an expiration date in the past
Why this is correct
Option A is correct: if the shadow entry has an expired password (e.g., maximum password age reached or account locked), the user may be unable to change the password.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
/etc/group with no user entry
Why it's wrong here
Option C is incorrect; /etc/group does not affect password change capability.
✗
/etc/login.defs with PASS_MAX_DAYS set to 0
Why it's wrong here
Option D is incorrect; PASS_MAX_DAYS=0 means no maximum, so password never expires, but it does not prevent password changes.
✗
/etc/passwd with incorrect shell
Why it's wrong here
Option B is incorrect; an incorrect shell would prevent login, not password change.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume password change issues are caused by /etc/passwd or /etc/login.defs, but the actual control for password aging and expiration is in /etc/shadow, specifically the expiration date field.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The /etc/shadow file uses the number of days since January 1, 1970 (epoch) for the last change and expiration fields. When the expiration date (field 8) is in the past, the account is marked as expired, and PAM's pam_unix module will deny password changes even if the user is authenticated. A real-world scenario is a contractor account with a hard expiration date that has passed; the user can still log in if the account is not locked, but cannot update their password until an administrator resets the expiration field.
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: /etc/shadow with an expiration date in the past — The /etc/shadow file stores password aging information, including the date of the last password change and the expiration date. If the account's expiration date is set in the past, the system will allow login (if the account is not locked) but will prevent the user from changing their password because the account is considered expired. This matches the symptom where the user can authenticate but cannot update their password.
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.
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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