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Linux System Administrator Online Test

The System Administration test uses multiple-choice questions to evaluate candidates on their knowledge of system administration concepts and tools, including network administration, server management, security and access control, backup and recovery, troubleshooting, and scripting. The test aims to assess the candidate's ability to manage and maintain computer systems and networks, and ensure their optimal performance, security, and availability.

Covered skills:

  • Linux command line
  • File management
  • User and group management
  • Process management
  • System monitoring and performance tuning
  • Network configuration
  • Security
  • Shell scripting
  • Package management
  • Backup and restore
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About the Linux System Administrator Test


The Linux System Administrator 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:

  • Proficient in Linux command line usage
  • Expertise in file management on Linux systems
  • Skilled in user and group management
  • Ability to manage processes effectively
  • Knowledge of system monitoring and performance tuning
  • Experience in configuring network settings
  • Familiarity with security measures on Linux systems
  • Proficiency in shell scripting
  • Understanding of package management
  • Capability to perform backup and restore operations

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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 15,000+ questions. The actual questions on this Linux System Administrator Test will be non-googleable.

🧐 Question

Medium

Swap space
Performance Analysis
Resource Optimization
Solve
A Linux administrator is responsible for monitoring system performance and adjusting memory configurations to ensure optimal resource usage. Consider the following output from the 'top' command:
 image
Which of the following actions would be most appropriate for improving system performance based on the given output?

A) Decrease the nice value of the 'httpd' process
B) Terminate the 'mysqld' process to free up system resources
C) Increase the total amount of RAM
D) Increase the size of the swap partition
E) Increase the nice value of the 'httpd' process to lower its priority

Medium

Debugging Issues
Environment Variables
Debugging
System Administration
Command Line Interface
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
File System Management
Directory Structure Manipulation
Solve
Consider the following directory structure:
 image
You start at /home/user and execute the following commands:
 image
What will be the resulting directory structure?
 image

Medium

Fork mellow yellow
Solve
How many times will the following code will print "Mellow Yellow"?
 image

Medium

Remote server connection
SSH
Ssh
Port Forwarding
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?
 image

Easy

Commands
Unix Commands
String Manipulation
Solve
Which of the following unix commands change the case of first three lines of file “classified” from lowercase to uppercase
 image

Easy

Expressions
Solve
What does this shell script output?
 image

Easy

Loops
Conditional Logic
Looping
Solve
What are fourth and sixth lines output by this script:
 image
🧐 Question🔧 Skill

Medium

Swap space
Performance Analysis
Resource Optimization

3 mins

Linux Administration
Solve

Medium

Debugging Issues
Environment Variables
Debugging
System Administration
Command Line Interface

2 mins

Linux
Solve

Easy

File Structure and Navigation
Files
Basic Commands
File System Management
Directory Structure Manipulation

2 mins

Linux
Solve

Medium

Fork mellow yellow

2 mins

Linux
Solve

Medium

Remote server connection
SSH
Ssh
Port Forwarding

2 mins

Linux
Solve

Easy

Commands
Unix Commands
String Manipulation

2 mins

Shell Scripting
Solve

Easy

Expressions

2 mins

Shell Scripting
Solve

Easy

Loops
Conditional Logic
Looping

2 mins

Shell Scripting
Solve
🧐 Question🔧 Skill💪 Difficulty⌛ Time
Swap space
Performance Analysis
Resource Optimization
Linux Administration
Medium3 mins
Solve
Debugging Issues
Environment Variables
Debugging
System Administration
Command Line Interface
Linux
Medium2 mins
Solve
File Structure and Navigation
Files
Basic Commands
File System Management
Directory Structure Manipulation
Linux
Easy2 mins
Solve
Fork mellow yellow
Linux
Medium2 mins
Solve
Remote server connection
SSH
Ssh
Port Forwarding
Linux
Medium2 mins
Solve
Commands
Unix Commands
String Manipulation
Shell Scripting
Easy2 mins
Solve
Expressions
Shell Scripting
Easy2 mins
Solve
Loops
Conditional Logic
Looping
Shell Scripting
Easy2 mins
Solve
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Why you should use Pre-employment Linux System Administrator Online Test?

The Linux System Administrator 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:

  • Demonstrates proficiency in Linux command line usage
  • Ability to efficiently manage files on a Linux system
  • Knowledge of user and group management in Linux
  • Understanding of process management concepts
  • Able to monitor and fine-tune system performance
  • Familiarity with network configuration on a Linux system
  • Knowledge of security best practices for Linux systems
  • Ability to write and execute shell scripts
  • Proficiency in package management on a Linux system
  • Understanding of backup and restore procedures

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 System Administrator Online Test?

Linux command line: The Linux command line refers to the text-based interface used to interact with the operating system. It allows users to execute commands and perform various tasks efficiently and quickly. This skill should be measured in the test to ensure that candidates have a strong understanding of the command line and can effectively navigate and manipulate the Linux environment.

File management: File management involves the organization, manipulation, and maintenance of files in a Linux system. This skill includes creating, deleting, renaming, and moving files, as well as understanding file permissions and ownership. Measuring this skill in the test is essential to assess a candidate's ability to efficiently manage and organize data in a Linux environment.

User and group management: User and group management pertains to the administration and control of user accounts and groups in a Linux system. This skill involves creating and managing user accounts, assigning permissions and access privileges, as well as managing user groups. Assessing this skill in the test is crucial to ensure that candidates possess the necessary knowledge to maintain user accounts and access control in a Linux environment.

Process management: Process management involves monitoring and controlling running processes in a Linux system. This skill includes starting, stopping, and managing processes, as well as understanding process utilization and resource allocation. It is important to measure this skill in the test to evaluate a candidate's ability to handle and optimize system processes effectively.

System monitoring and performance tuning: System monitoring and performance tuning encompass the ability to monitor system resources, identify bottlenecks, and optimize the performance of a Linux system. This skill includes gathering system statistics, analyzing performance data, and implementing appropriate tuning strategies. Measuring this skill in the test is crucial to assess a candidate's ability to maintain the stability and efficiency of a Linux environment.

Network configuration: Network configuration involves setting up and managing network interfaces, IP addresses, routing tables, and other networking parameters in a Linux system. This skill includes configuring both wired and wireless networks, troubleshooting network connectivity issues, and implementing network security measures. Assessing this skill in the test is necessary to ensure that candidates possess the necessary knowledge to configure and troubleshoot network settings in a Linux environment.

Security: Security in a Linux system refers to implementing measures to protect the system and its resources from unauthorized access, attacks, and vulnerabilities. This skill includes configuring user permissions, setting up firewalls, implementing encryption, and managing security patches. Measuring this skill in the test is essential to evaluate a candidate's understanding of Linux security practices and their ability to safeguard the system from potential threats.

Shell scripting: Shell scripting involves writing scripts that automate tasks and processes in a Linux system. This skill includes understanding scripting languages, such as Bash, and using them to create efficient and automated solutions. Assessing this skill in the test is crucial to evaluate a candidate's ability to automate routine tasks, improve workflow efficiency, and troubleshoot common system issues.

Package management: Package management refers to the installation, updating, and removal of software packages in a Linux system. This skill involves using package managers, such as apt or yum, to manage software dependencies and maintain the system's software repository. Measuring this skill in the test is important to assess a candidate's familiarity with package management techniques and their ability to handle software installation and updates effectively.

Backup and restore: Backup and restore involves creating and managing data backups to ensure the availability and integrity of important files and system configurations. This skill includes choosing backup strategies, executing backup processes, and restoring data from backups. Assessing this skill in the test is necessary to evaluate a candidate's understanding of backup principles and their ability to implement reliable backup and restore procedures in a Linux environment.

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 Linux System Administrator Test to be based on.

Commands and utilities
File permissions
File system hierarchy
File system types
I/O redirection
Pipes and filters
Regular expressions
Environment variables
Shell variables
Shell functions
Command substitution
Process management commands
Monitoring system performance
Network configuration commands
Firewall configuration
SSH and remote access
Encryption and secure communication
Package installation and removal
Software updates and patches
Backup tools and strategies
Restoring data from backups
Cron jobs and scheduling
System logs and log analysis
User authentication and authorization
Security auditing
Kernel and system tuning
Disk management
Memory management
Networking concepts
Troubleshooting common system issues
Managing system services
Routing and network configuration
Disk partitioning and formatting
Fundamentals of scripting
Variables and data types
Conditional statements
Loops and control structures
Functions and arguments
String manipulation
Script execution and debugging
Regular expression usage
System information and status
Creating and managing users
User groups and permissions
Managing password policies
Managing groups and group membership
Linux system startup and shutdown
File compression and archiving
Managing software repositories
Dependency management
Managing software versions
Data backup and restore strategies
System recovery procedures
Network address configuration
Network troubleshooting steps
Network security measures
Security protocols and encryption
Secure system access
Basic network services
Scripting best practices
Handling command line arguments
Process monitoring and management
DNS configuration and troubleshooting

What roles can I use the Linux System Administrator Online Test for?

  • Linux System Administrator
  • DevOps Engineer
  • Network Administrator
  • Cloud Engineer
  • Security Engineer
  • IT Support Engineer
  • SysOps Administrator

How is the Linux System Administrator 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

  • Demonstrates experience with Linux command line utilities
  • Knowledge of file permission and ownership management
  • Ability to troubleshoot and resolve system issues
  • Understanding of networking protocols and configurations
  • Experience with system monitoring tools and utilities
  • Knowledge of file system hierarchy and organization
  • Ability to secure and harden a Linux system
  • Proficiency in automating tasks with shell scripts
  • Understanding of software package dependencies
  • Experience with disaster recovery and system backup

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MCQ Questions

Coding Questions

Typing Questions

Personality Questions

Custom Questions

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Custom Branding

Bulk Invites

Public Links

ATS Integrations

Multiple Question Sets

Custom API integrations

Role-based Access

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Have questions about the Linux System Administrator Hiring Test?

What is the Linux System Administrator Test?

The Linux System Administrator Test is designed to assess the skills and knowledge of candidates in various aspects of Linux system administration. It is used by recruiters to identify individuals who are capable of managing and maintaining Linux systems effectively.

Can I combine Linux System Administrator Test with Shell Scripting questions?

Yes, recruiters can request a customized test that combines Linux System Administrator Test with Shell Scripting questions. To learn more about our Shell Online Assessment Test, visit Shell Online Assessment Test.

What skills are evaluated in the Linux System Administrator Test?

The test evaluates skills in Linux command line, file management, user and group management, process management, system monitoring, performance tuning, network configuration, security, shell scripting, package management, and backup and restore.

How to use the Linux System Administrator Test in my hiring process?

Use this test as a pre-screening tool in the early stages of recruitment. Add a link to the assessment in your job post or invite candidates via email. This helps identify skilled candidates faster.

Can I test Linux and Python together in a test?

Yes, you can combine Linux and Python skills in a single test. This is beneficial for roles requiring both skills. Check out our Python and Linux Test for more details.

What are the main System Administration tests?
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.

I'm a candidate. Can I try a practice test?

No. Unfortunately, we do not support practice tests at the moment. However, you can use our sample questions for practice.

What is the cost of using this test?

You can check out our pricing plans.

Can I get a free trial?

Yes, you can sign up for free and preview this test.

I just moved to a paid plan. How can I request a custom assessment?

Here is a quick guide on how to request a custom assessment on Adaface.

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