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.
An administrator wants to ensure that any new user accounts created on the system have a default primary group matching the username. What change is needed?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Set USERGROUPS_ENAB to yes in /etc/login.defs
Option C is correct because setting USERGROUPS_ENAB to yes in /etc/login.defs instructs the useradd command to automatically create a private group with the same name as the new user and assign it as the user's primary group. This is the default behavior in Red Hat Enterprise Linux and ensures that each new user has a matching primary group without manual intervention.
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.
✗
Set GROUP to same name in /etc/default/useradd
Why it's wrong here
Option C is incorrect; /etc/default/useradd does not have a GROUP option that matches username dynamically.
✗
Set USERGROUPS_ENAB to no; then create user with -g
Why it's wrong here
Option D is incorrect; disabling USERGROUPS_ENAB prevents automatic group creation, requiring manual -g specification.
✓
Set USERGROUPS_ENAB to yes in /etc/login.defs
Why this is correct
Option A is correct: when USERGROUPS_ENAB=yes, useradd creates a group with the same name as the user and sets it as the primary group.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Set CREATE_HOME to yes in /etc/login.defs
Why it's wrong here
Option B is incorrect; CREATE_HOME controls home directory creation, not group assignment.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the GROUP setting in /etc/default/useradd (which sets a fixed default group) with the USERGROUPS_ENAB mechanism that dynamically creates a matching group, leading them to incorrectly select Option A.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The USERGROUPS_ENAB parameter is defined in /etc/login.defs and, when set to yes, makes useradd call the groupadd command internally to create a group with the same name as the user and a GID equal to the UID. This behavior is part of the User Private Group (UPG) scheme, which simplifies permission management by ensuring each user has a private group for file ownership. In RHEL, this is enabled by default, but administrators may disable it in environments using a shared group model.
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: Set USERGROUPS_ENAB to yes in /etc/login.defs — Option C is correct because setting USERGROUPS_ENAB to yes in /etc/login.defs instructs the useradd command to automatically create a private group with the same name as the new user and assign it as the user's primary group. This is the default behavior in Red Hat Enterprise Linux and ensures that each new user has a matching primary group without manual intervention.
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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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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