Why you should use Linux Shell Online Test?

The Shell Online Assessment Test makes use of scenario-based questions to test for on-the-job skills as opposed to theoretical knowledge, ensuring that candidates who do well on this screening test have the relavant skills. The questions are designed to covered following on-the-job aspects: Expertise in writing and executing shell scripts for automation In-depth understanding of the Linux file system and directory structure Proficiency in managing and monitoring processes Knowledge of networking concepts and configurations Understanding of permissions and security settings Experience with package management and installation Strong skills in text processing using Linux commands Ability to work with and manipulate shell variables effectively Proficiency in using regular expressions for pattern matching and text manipulation

Linux Shell Online Test

Q: What topics are covered in the Linux Shell Online Test?

Linux Shell Command Line Shell Scripting Linux File System Process Management Networking in Linux Permissions and Security Package Management Text Processing Shell Variables Regular Expressions

About the test:

The Linux Shell Online Test evaluates a candidate's knowledge and proficiency in working with Linux command line and shell scripting. The test assesses understanding of Linux file system, process management, networking, permissions and security, package management, text processing, shell variables, and regular expressions.

Covered skills:

Linux Shell
Shell Scripting
Process Management
Permissions and Security
Text Processing
Regular Expressions

Command Line
Linux File System
Networking in Linux
Package Management
Shell Variables

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9 reasons why

Adaface Linux Shell Test is the most accurate way to shortlist Linux Administrators

Reason #1

Tests for on-the-job skills

The Linux Shell Online Test helps recruiters and hiring managers identify qualified candidates from a pool of resumes, and helps in taking objective hiring decisions. It reduces the administrative overhead of interviewing too many candidates and saves time by filtering out unqualified candidates at the first step of the hiring process.

The test screens for the following skills that hiring managers look for in candidates:

Efficiently navigating through the Linux command line
Writing and executing shell scripts
Understanding and working with the Linux file system
Managing processes in Linux
Configuring and troubleshooting networking in Linux
Implementing permissions and security measures in Linux
Managing software packages in Linux
Manipulating text using Linux shell commands
Working with shell variables
Utilizing regular expressions in shell scripts

Reason #2

No trick questions

Traditional assessment tools use trick questions and puzzles for the screening, which creates a lot of frustration among candidates about having to go through irrelevant screening assessments.

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The main reason we started Adaface is that traditional pre-employment assessment platforms are not a fair way for companies to evaluate candidates. At Adaface, our mission is to help companies find great candidates by assessing on-the-job skills required for a role.

Why we started Adaface

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Reason #3

Non-googleable questions

We have a very high focus on the quality of questions that test for on-the-job skills. Every question is non-googleable and we have a very high bar for the level of subject matter experts we onboard to create these questions. We have crawlers to check if any of the questions are leaked online. If/ when a question gets leaked, we get an alert. We change the question for you & let you know.

How we design questions

These are just a small sample from our library of 10,000+ questions. The actual questions on this Shell Online Assessment Test will be non-googleable.

🧐 Question
Medium Debugging Issues Environment Variables Debugging	Solve
You are working on a Linux system and have recently installed a new program named myprogram. The executable is located in /opt/myprogram/bin/. You want to be able to run this program from any directory in your shell without specifying the full path. You executed the following command: export PATH="/opt/myprogram/bin" However, when you try to run the program using myprogram, you get the following error message: -bash: myprogram: command not found Which of the following commands can fix this issue and allow you to run the program? A: export PATH=$PATH:/opt/myprogram/bin/ B: export PATH="/opt/myprogram:$PATH" C: export PATH="/opt/myprogram/bin:$PATH" D: ln -s /opt/myprogram/bin/myprogram /usr/local/bin/myprogram
Easy File Structure and Navigation Files Basic Commands	Solve
Consider the following directory structure: You start at /home/user and execute the following commands: What will be the resulting directory structure?
Medium Fork mellow yellow	Solve
How many times will the following code will print "Mellow Yellow"?
Medium Remote server connection SSH	Solve
Our software engineering intern, Wu is looking to use port 4545 on localhost to connect to a remote server called woot.bananas.com on port 80. Which command would you recommend for this?
Easy Commands	Solve
Which of the following unix commands change the case of first three lines of file “classified” from lowercase to uppercase
Easy Expressions	Solve
What does this shell script output?
Easy Loops	Solve
What are fourth and sixth lines output by this script:

	🧐 Question	🔧 Skill
	Medium Debugging Issues Environment Variables Debugging	2 mins Linux	Solve
You are working on a Linux system and have recently installed a new program named myprogram. The executable is located in /opt/myprogram/bin/. You want to be able to run this program from any directory in your shell without specifying the full path. You executed the following command: export PATH="/opt/myprogram/bin" However, when you try to run the program using myprogram, you get the following error message: -bash: myprogram: command not found Which of the following commands can fix this issue and allow you to run the program? A: export PATH=$PATH:/opt/myprogram/bin/ B: export PATH="/opt/myprogram:$PATH" C: export PATH="/opt/myprogram/bin:$PATH" D: ln -s /opt/myprogram/bin/myprogram /usr/local/bin/myprogram
	Easy File Structure and Navigation Files Basic Commands	2 mins Linux	Solve
Consider the following directory structure: You start at /home/user and execute the following commands: What will be the resulting directory structure?
	Medium Fork mellow yellow	2 mins Linux	Solve
How many times will the following code will print "Mellow Yellow"?
	Medium Remote server connection SSH	2 mins Linux	Solve
Our software engineering intern, Wu is looking to use port 4545 on localhost to connect to a remote server called woot.bananas.com on port 80. Which command would you recommend for this?
	Easy Commands	2 mins Shell Scripting	Solve
Which of the following unix commands change the case of first three lines of file “classified” from lowercase to uppercase
	Easy Expressions	2 mins Shell Scripting	Solve
What does this shell script output?
	Easy Loops	2 mins Shell Scripting	Solve
What are fourth and sixth lines output by this script:

	🧐 Question	🔧 Skill	💪 Difficulty	⌛ Time
	Debugging Issues Environment Variables Debugging	Linux	Medium	2 mins	Solve
You are working on a Linux system and have recently installed a new program named myprogram. The executable is located in /opt/myprogram/bin/. You want to be able to run this program from any directory in your shell without specifying the full path. You executed the following command: export PATH="/opt/myprogram/bin" However, when you try to run the program using myprogram, you get the following error message: -bash: myprogram: command not found Which of the following commands can fix this issue and allow you to run the program? A: export PATH=$PATH:/opt/myprogram/bin/ B: export PATH="/opt/myprogram:$PATH" C: export PATH="/opt/myprogram/bin:$PATH" D: ln -s /opt/myprogram/bin/myprogram /usr/local/bin/myprogram
	File Structure and Navigation Files Basic Commands	Linux	Easy	2 mins	Solve
Consider the following directory structure: You start at /home/user and execute the following commands: What will be the resulting directory structure?
	Fork mellow yellow	Linux	Medium	2 mins	Solve
How many times will the following code will print "Mellow Yellow"?
	Remote server connection SSH	Linux	Medium	2 mins	Solve
Our software engineering intern, Wu is looking to use port 4545 on localhost to connect to a remote server called woot.bananas.com on port 80. Which command would you recommend for this?
	Commands	Shell Scripting	Easy	2 mins	Solve
Which of the following unix commands change the case of first three lines of file “classified” from lowercase to uppercase
	Expressions	Shell Scripting	Easy	2 mins	Solve
What does this shell script output?
	Loops	Shell Scripting	Easy	2 mins	Solve
What are fourth and sixth lines output by this script:

Reason #4

1200+ customers in 75 countries

With Adaface, we were able to optimise our initial screening process by upwards of 75%, freeing up precious time for both hiring managers and our talent acquisition team alike!

Brandon Lee, Head of People, Love, Bonito

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Reason #5

Designed for elimination, not selection

The most important thing while implementing the pre-employment Shell Online Assessment Test in your hiring process is that it is an elimination tool, not a selection tool. In other words: you want to use the test to eliminate the candidates who do poorly on the test, not to select the candidates who come out at the top. While they are super valuable, pre-employment tests do not paint the entire picture of a candidate’s abilities, knowledge, and motivations. Multiple easy questions are more predictive of a candidate's ability than fewer hard questions. Harder questions are often "trick" based questions, which do not provide any meaningful signal about the candidate's skillset.

Science behind Adaface tests

Reason #6

1 click candidate invites

Email invites: You can send candidates an email invite to the Shell Online Assessment Test from your dashboard by entering their email address.

Public link: You can create a public link for each test that you can share with candidates.

API or integrations: You can invite candidates directly from your ATS by using our pre-built integrations with popular ATS systems or building a custom integration with your in-house ATS.

Reason #7

Detailed scorecards & benchmarks

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Reason #8

High completion rate

Adaface tests are conversational, low-stress, and take just 25-40 mins to complete.

This is why Adaface has the highest test-completion rate (86%), which is more than 2x better than traditional assessments.

Reason #9

Advanced Proctoring

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About the Linux Shell Assessment Test

Why you should use Pre-employment Linux Shell Online Test?

The Shell Online Assessment Test makes use of scenario-based questions to test for on-the-job skills as opposed to theoretical knowledge, ensuring that candidates who do well on this screening test have the relavant skills. The questions are designed to covered following on-the-job aspects:

Expertise in writing and executing shell scripts for automation
In-depth understanding of the Linux file system and directory structure
Proficiency in managing and monitoring processes
Knowledge of networking concepts and configurations
Understanding of permissions and security settings
Experience with package management and installation
Strong skills in text processing using Linux commands
Ability to work with and manipulate shell variables effectively
Proficiency in using regular expressions for pattern matching and text manipulation

Once the test is sent to a candidate, the candidate receives a link in email to take the test. For each candidate, you will receive a detailed report with skills breakdown and benchmarks to shortlist the top candidates from your pool.

What topics are covered in the Linux Shell Online Test?

Linux Shell
The Linux shell refers to the command-line interface where users can interact with and control the operating system. It allows users to execute commands, manage files and processes, and perform various administrative tasks.
Command Line
The command line is a text-based interface where users can enter commands to interact with the computer system. It provides more flexibility and control compared to graphical user interfaces, making it essential for managing and administering Linux systems.
Shell Scripting
Shell scripting involves writing and executing scripts using the shell language, which allows automation and customization of Linux system tasks. It enables users to create complex sequences of commands and perform repetitive tasks efficiently.
Linux File System
The Linux file system organizes and stores files and directories on a Linux system. Understanding the file system structure and knowing how to navigate, create, modify, and manage files and directories is crucial for effective system administration.
Process Management
Process management involves monitoring and controlling running processes on a Linux system. This skill includes tasks such as starting, stopping, and prioritizing processes, as well as managing system resources and understanding process states.
Networking in Linux
Networking in Linux refers to the configuration and management of network connections and protocols on a Linux system. It includes tasks such as setting up network interfaces, configuring IP addresses, managing routing tables, and troubleshooting network connectivity.
Permissions and Security
Permissions and security in Linux involve managing access rights to files, directories, and system resources. This includes setting file permissions, managing user and group permissions, implementing security policies, and securing the system against unauthorized access and potential threats.
Package Management
Package management in Linux involves managing software packages, including installation, updates, and removal. Linux distributions use package managers to handle dependencies, ensure system stability, and provide easy software management for users.
Text Processing
Text processing in Linux involves manipulating and transforming text data using command-line tools and scripting. It includes tasks such as searching, replacing, sorting, filtering, and formatting text files, making it vital for tasks such as log file analysis and data processing.
Shell Variables
Shell variables are used to store and manipulate data in the shell environment. They allow users to store values, perform calculations, and control the behavior of scripts and commands. Understanding shell variables is essential for effective shell scripting and system administration.
Regular Expressions
Regular expressions are powerful patterns used to search, match, and manipulate text data. They provide a flexible and efficient way to perform complex string operations, making them an important skill for tasks such as data validation, text parsing, and pattern matching.
Full list of covered topics
The actual topics of the questions in the final test will depend on your job description and requirements. However, here's a list of topics you can expect the questions for Shell Online Assessment Test to be based on.
Linux File Permissions
Linux File System Hierarchy
Linux Command Line Basics
Shell Script Structure
Conditional Statements in Shell Scripting
Looping in Shell Scripting
File Input/Output
Pattern Matching
Command Substitution
Shell Arithmetic
Process Management - Starting, Stopping, and Monitoring Processes
Process Signals and Job Control
Managing Network Interfaces
Configuring DNS
Firewall Configuration
SSH and Remote Access
User and Group Management
Access Control Lists
Encrypting and Decrypting Files
Package Installation
Package Removal
Updating and Upgrading Packages
Shell Command Line Editing
Piping and Redirection
Regular Expressions - Syntax and Usage
Matching Patterns
Text Extraction and Manipulation
Text Replacement
Text Sorting and Filtering
Shell Variables - Environment and User-defined
Variable Substitution
Variable Expansion
Script Input and Output
Command Line Arguments
Error Handling
Script Debugging
Script Documentation
Command Line Tools - sed, awk, grep
File Compression and Archiving
System Monitoring
System Information and Hardware Assistance
Managing System Services
Backup and Restore
Shell Scripting Best Practices
Automation and Task Scheduling
Regular Expressions - Advanced Patterns
Command Line Text Editors
Regular Expressions - Lookaheads and Lookbehinds
Shell Variables - Arrays
File Permissions - Advanced
Package Dependency Management
System Logs and Log Rotation
System Administration Tasks
File System Navigation
Process Environment and Variables
Managing File Systems and Partitions
Symbolic and Hard Links
Archiving and Compression Tools
System Resource Monitoring
Boot Process and Startup Scripts
Text Processing Tools

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What roles can I use the Linux Shell Online Test for?

Linux Administrator
DevOps Engineer
System Administrator
Shell Scriping Developer
Software Engineer
IT Support Technician
Cloud Developer

How is the Linux Shell Online Test customized for senior candidates?

For intermediate/ experienced candidates, we customize the assessment questions to include advanced topics and increase the difficulty level of the questions. This might include adding questions on topics like

Expertise in managing file permissions and ownership
Understanding of disk management and partitioning
Proficiency in managing and configuring network services
Experience in scripting complex tasks and automating system administration
Understanding of user and group management
Proficiency in implementing security measures
Ability to optimize system performance and resource utilization

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The hiring managers felt that through the technical questions that they asked during the panel interviews, they were able to tell which candidates had better scores, and differentiated with those who did not score as well. They are highly satisfied with the quality of candidates shortlisted with the Adaface screening.

85%

reduction in screening time

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Linux Shell Hiring Test FAQs

Can I combine multiple skills into one custom assessment?

Yes, absolutely. Custom assessments are set up based on your job description, and will include questions on all must-have skills you specify. Here's a quick guide on how you can request a custom test.

Do you have any anti-cheating or proctoring features in place?

We have the following anti-cheating features in place:

Non-googleable questions
IP proctoring
Screen proctoring
Web proctoring
Webcam proctoring
Plagiarism detection
Secure browser
Copy paste protection

Read more about the proctoring features.

How do I interpret test scores?

The primary thing to keep in mind is that an assessment is an elimination tool, not a selection tool. A skills assessment is optimized to help you eliminate candidates who are not technically qualified for the role, it is not optimized to help you find the best candidate for the role. So the ideal way to use an assessment is to decide a threshold score (typically 55%, we help you benchmark) and invite all candidates who score above the threshold for the next rounds of interview.

What experience level can I use this test for?

Each Adaface assessment is customized to your job description/ ideal candidate persona (our subject matter experts will pick the right questions for your assessment from our library of 10000+ questions). This assessment can be customized for any experience level.

Does every candidate get the same questions?

Yes, it makes it much easier for you to compare candidates. Options for MCQ questions and the order of questions are randomized. We have anti-cheating/ proctoring features in place. In our enterprise plan, we also have the option to create multiple versions of the same assessment with questions of similar difficulty levels.