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.
Refer to the exhibit. Which entry is most likely to cause the system to fail to boot if the NFS server is unavailable?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The fourth entry (/mnt)
Option B is correct because the /mnt entry in /etc/fstab is configured with the default mount options, which include the _netdev option being absent. Without _netdev, the system will attempt to mount the NFS filesystem during the boot process before the network is fully operational. If the NFS server is unavailable, the mount will fail, and because the default mount behavior for non-root filesystems in /etc/fstab is to cause a boot failure if the mount fails (unless the 'nofail' option is specified), the system will drop into emergency mode and fail to complete the boot process.
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.
✗
The third entry (/home)
Why it's wrong here
Local filesystem; will not fail due to NFS server.
✓
The fourth entry (/mnt)
Why this is correct
NFS mount without _netdev option; network may not be ready, causing boot delay or failure.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The second entry (/boot)
Why it's wrong here
Local filesystem; will not fail due to NFS server.
✗
The first entry (/)
Why it's wrong here
Local filesystem; will not fail due to NFS server.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Red Hat often tests the misconception that any NFS mount in /etc/fstab will cause a boot failure if the server is unavailable, but the trap here is that only mounts without the _netdev or nofail options will cause the system to fail to boot, and candidates may overlook the absence of these options in the default /mnt entry.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, the /etc/fstab file controls how filesystems are mounted at boot. For NFS mounts, the _netdev option is critical because it tells systemd to delay the mount until the network is available; without it, the mount attempt occurs before networking is ready, leading to a timeout and boot failure. The 'nofail' option can also be used to allow the system to continue booting even if the mount fails, but it is not present in the default configuration for the /mnt entry. This behavior is governed by systemd's mount unit dependencies and the ordering of network.target.
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: The fourth entry (/mnt) — Option B is correct because the /mnt entry in /etc/fstab is configured with the default mount options, which include the _netdev option being absent. Without _netdev, the system will attempt to mount the NFS filesystem during the boot process before the network is fully operational. If the NFS server is unavailable, the mount will fail, and because the default mount behavior for non-root filesystems in /etc/fstab is to cause a boot failure if the mount fails (unless the 'nofail' option is specified), the system will drop into emergency mode and fail to complete the boot process.
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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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