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.
Which TWO commands can be used to add the user 'alice' to the supplementary group 'developers'?
gpasswd -a alice developers
-a adds user to group.
useradd -g developers alice
Why wrong: -g sets primary group during creation, not for existing user.
usermod -aG developers alice
-aG appends to supplementary groups.
groupmod -a alice developers
Why wrong: groupmod does not have -a option.
usermod -g developers alice
Why wrong: -g sets the primary group, not supplementary.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
gpasswd -a alice developers
Option A is correct because `gpasswd -a alice developers` adds the user 'alice' to the supplementary group 'developers' by appending her to the group's member list in /etc/group. Option C is correct because `usermod -aG developers alice` appends 'alice' to the supplementary group 'developers' without removing her from other supplementary groups, which is the intended behavior for adding a user to an additional group.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
gpasswd -a alice developers
Why this is correct
-a adds user to group.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
useradd -g developers alice
Why it's wrong here
-g sets primary group during creation, not for existing user.
usermod -aG developers alice
Why this is correct
-aG appends to supplementary groups.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
groupmod -a alice developers
Why it's wrong here
groupmod does not have -a option.
usermod -g developers alice
Why it's wrong here
-g sets the primary group, not supplementary.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse the `-g` (primary group) and `-G` (supplementary groups) options of `usermod`, and forget that without the `-a` flag, `usermod -G` replaces all supplementary group memberships instead of appending.
Detailed technical explanation
The `usermod -aG` combination is critical: the `-a` (append) flag must be used with `-G` to avoid overwriting existing supplementary group memberships; omitting `-a` causes the user to be removed from all supplementary groups not listed in the `-G` argument. The `gpasswd -a` command directly modifies the /etc/group file by adding the user to the group's member list, and it is often used in scripts for its simplicity. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, both commands update the group membership in the same underlying database, but `usermod` is more commonly used for user account modifications while `gpasswd` is group administration focused.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Manage users and groups — This question tests Manage users and groups — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: gpasswd -a alice developers — Option A is correct because `gpasswd -a alice developers` adds the user 'alice' to the supplementary group 'developers' by appending her to the group's member list in /etc/group. Option C is correct because `usermod -aG developers alice` appends 'alice' to the supplementary group 'developers' without removing her from other supplementary groups, which is the intended behavior for adding a user to an additional group.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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