This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of configure local storage. 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 create a new partition on a disk without erasing existing partitions? (Choose two.)
mkswap
Why wrong: Incorrect. mkswap creates a swap filesystem on an existing partition.
fdisk
Correct. fdisk can add partitions interactively.
dd
Why wrong: Incorrect. dd overwrites data, not creates partitions.
parted
Correct. parted can add partitions and supports both MBR and GPT.
wipefs
Why wrong: Incorrect. wipefs erases filesystem signatures, not create partitions.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
fdisk
The `fdisk` command is a disk partitioning tool that allows you to create, delete, and modify partitions on a disk without erasing existing partitions, as long as there is unallocated space. It operates on the MBR or GPT partition table and writes changes only when explicitly saved, preserving existing partition entries.
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.
mkswap
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. mkswap creates a swap filesystem on an existing partition.
fdisk
Why this is correct
Correct. fdisk can add partitions interactively.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
dd
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. dd overwrites data, not creates partitions.
parted
Why this is correct
Correct. parted can add partitions and supports both MBR and GPT.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
wipefs
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. wipefs erases filesystem signatures, not create partitions.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse `mkswap` or `wipefs` as partition-creation tools because they are commonly used in storage setup workflows, but neither actually creates a partition entry in the partition table.
Detailed technical explanation
Both `fdisk` and `parted` interact directly with the partition table (MBR or GPT) stored in the first sector(s) of the disk. When creating a partition, they update the table entries and allocate space from the free region without modifying data in existing partitions, provided the disk has unpartitioned space. In GPT, `parted` can also handle partition alignment and backup GPT tables automatically, which is critical for modern large disks.
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
Configure local storage — This question tests Configure local storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: fdisk — The `fdisk` command is a disk partitioning tool that allows you to create, delete, and modify partitions on a disk without erasing existing partitions, as long as there is unallocated space. It operates on the MBR or GPT partition table and writes changes only when explicitly saved, preserving existing partition entries.
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 24, 2026
This EX200 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the EX200 exam.
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