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100+ Free IBM AIX Administrator Practice Questions

Pass your IBM AIX v7.3 Administrator Specialty (S2000-025) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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Which AIX feature lets each user encrypt files on a JFS2 filesystem using a per-user keystore tied to their password?

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: IBM AIX Administrator Exam

45

Exam Questions

IBM S2000-025 specs

75 min

Time Limit

Pearson VUE delivery

71%

Passing Score

32 of 45 correct

$100

Exam Fee

Per attempt at Pearson VUE

7

Exam Domains

Setup, operations, storage, security, network, performance, problem determination

AIX 7.3

OS Version

Current LTS, covers Live Update and POWER10

The IBM AIX v7.3 Administrator Specialty (S2000-025) is a $100 IBM credential delivered at Pearson VUE with 45 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes and a 71% passing score (32 of 45 correct). The exam validates everyday AIX 7.3 administration: SMIT/SMITTY, user setup, mksysb and savevg backups, LVM volume groups and JFS2 filesystems, AIX RBAC and Trusted Execution, TCP/IP and NFS, performance tuning (vmstat, iostat, topas, nmon), and problem determination (errpt, snap, diag). Specialty exams are shorter than IBM's C1000 expert exams, but they still expect real hands-on AIX experience.

Sample IBM AIX Administrator Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your IBM AIX Administrator exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which menu-driven system management interface is launched on AIX from the command line by typing `smitty` and is the recommended way for new administrators to perform routine setup tasks?
A.SMIT (System Management Interface Tool)
B.WSM (Web System Manager)
C.DSM (Distributed System Management)
D.AIX Admin Center
Explanation: SMIT is the System Management Interface Tool. The text-mode entry point is `smitty`; the X11 entry point is `smit`. SMIT generates the underlying AIX commands as it runs, which administrators can capture from `smit.script` and `smit.log` for reuse in scripts.
2A user logs in and wants their per-shell environment variables (PATH, MAIL, etc.) sourced automatically from a Korn shell startup file. Which file in the user's home directory does ksh read on every interactive login?
A..profile
B..bashrc
C..cshrc
D..kshrc only
Explanation: On AIX, the default login shell is Korn shell (ksh). At login, ksh sources `/etc/profile` first, then the user's `~/.profile`. `.profile` is where users place their PATH and other environment customizations. ENV-file variables like `~/.kshrc` are sourced for non-login interactive shells when the ENV variable points at them.
3Which AIX file defines the global system-wide environment that is read for every login shell before the user's personal profile?
A./etc/profile
B./etc/environment
C./etc/security/environ
D./etc/security/login.cfg
Explanation: /etc/profile is sourced for every login shell to set system-wide variables (TERM, MAIL, PATH defaults). /etc/environment is read by the `init` process and `login` and supplies process-environment variables to all processes (including non-shell processes), but it is not 'sourced' as shell code.
4An administrator wants to allow remote login over SSH but block clear-text Telnet. Which inetd-controlled service should be commented out or removed from /etc/inetd.conf to disable Telnet access?
A.telnet
B.ftp
C.rlogin
D.shell
Explanation: The `telnet` service line in /etc/inetd.conf invokes telnetd via inetd. Commenting it out and refreshing inetd (`refresh -s inetd`) disables Telnet while leaving FTP, RSH, and other services untouched. SSH (sshd) runs as a stand-alone daemon and is unaffected.
5Which SMIT fast-path goes directly to the user-creation panel?
A.smitty mkuser
B.smitty users
C.smitty addusr
D.smitty newuser
Explanation: `smitty mkuser` opens the Add a User panel directly. SMIT fast paths usually match the underlying command name, so `smitty chuser`, `smitty rmuser`, and `smitty passwd` open the corresponding user-management panels.
6An administrator runs `oslevel -s` on an AIX 7.3 server and gets `7300-02-02-2420`. Which component of that string is the Service Pack?
A.7300
B.02 (the second field)
C.02 (the third field)
D.2420
Explanation: The `oslevel -s` output format is `VVVV-TT-SS-YYWW`: VVVV is the version (7300 = AIX 7.3), TT is the Technology Level, SS is the Service Pack, and YYWW is the build year/week. So `7300-02-02-2420` is AIX 7.3 TL2 SP2.
7Which AIX command lists all installed filesets and their installation state (COMMITTED, APPLIED, BROKEN)?
A.lslpp -L
B.rpm -qa
C.lsdev -C
D.lscfg -vp
Explanation: `lslpp -L` lists every installed installp fileset along with its state. `lslpp -h` shows install history; `lslpp -f filename` shows which fileset owns a file. RPM packages are listed separately by `rpm -qa`.
8After applying a Technology Level update with `installp`, the new filesets show state APPLIED rather than COMMITTED. What is the practical effect?
A.The previous version is preserved and the update can be rejected with `installp -r`
B.The update is fully written to disk and cannot be reversed
C.The system must be rebooted before the filesets can be used
D.The filesets are inactive until `installp -c` is run
Explanation: APPLIED filesets keep the prior version on disk so the update can be backed out (`installp -r`). Once you `installp -c` to commit, the previous version is removed and the only way back is to reinstall the older code. This is why TL/SP updates are often left APPLIED for a soak period.
9Which command displays the currently configured root volume group, total disks, and PVID on an AIX system?
A.lspv
B.lsdev -Cc disk
C.df -g
D.lscfg -vl hdisk0
Explanation: `lspv` (no arguments) lists every physical volume known to LVM along with its PVID and the volume group it belongs to. `rootvg` will appear next to disks that belong to the root volume group.
10An administrator must allow only key-based SSH login for the `aixadm` account and disable password authentication for that user only. Where should the `Match User aixadm` block be placed?
A.At the end of /etc/ssh/sshd_config, after global directives
B.At the top of /etc/ssh/sshd_config, before global directives
C.In ~aixadm/.ssh/config
D.In /etc/security/login.cfg
Explanation: OpenSSH applies the first matching value for each directive. A `Match` block must come AFTER global directives so it can override them for the specified user. ~/.ssh/config is the client-side config and does not affect sshd; /etc/security/login.cfg is for AIX login policies, not OpenSSH.

About the IBM AIX Administrator Exam

The IBM AIX v7.3 Administrator Specialty (S2000-025) certification validates day-to-day AIX 7.3 administration skills. The exam covers SMIT/SMITTY system management, user setup and remote login via SSH or telnet/inetd, mksysb and savevg backups, LVM and JFS2 storage management, AIX Enhanced RBAC and Trusted Execution security, TCP/IP and NFS network management, performance tools (vmstat, iostat, topas, nmon, lparstat) and tunables (vmo, ioo, no, schedo), and problem determination with errpt, snap, and AIX diagnostics. As a Specialty (S2000) exam, it is shorter than the C1000 expert exams: 45 questions in 75 minutes.

Assessment

45 multiple-choice questions covering setup, operations, storage management (LVM/JFS2), system security, network management, performance management and tuning, and problem determination

Time Limit

75 minutes

Passing Score

71% (32 of 45 correct)

Exam Fee

$100 USD (IBM / Pearson VUE)

IBM AIX Administrator Exam Content Outline

~14%

Setup

SMIT/SMITTY, /etc/environment, /etc/profile, /etc/security/limits, oslevel and lslpp, installp APPLIED vs COMMITTED, telnet via inetd, SSH (sshd_config, host keys), prtconf, SRC subsystems

~14%

Operations

mksysb (rootvg backup), savevg/restvg, alt_disk_install/alt_disk_copy, multibos, AIX Live Update, NIM resources (bosinst_data, spot, lpp_source, mksysb), nimadm migrations, SUMA, emgr ifixes, instfix APAR queries

~14%

Storage Management

LVM hierarchy (PV/VG/LV/LP/PP), lspv/lsvg/lslv, mklv/extendvg/reducevg, exportvg/importvg, varyonvg/varyoffvg, JFS2 mounts and /etc/filesystems, online chfs resize, fsck, snapshots, mklvcopy mirroring (parallel/sequential), Scalable VG, CIO/DIO mount options

~14%

System Security

OpenSSH (PermitRootLogin, Match blocks), users (/etc/passwd, /etc/security/passwd, /etc/security/user, account_locked), AIX Enhanced RBAC (lsrole, mkrole, swrole, lssecattr, setkst), Trusted Execution (trustchk, TSD, TEP/TLP), EFS (efsenable, efsmgr, efskeymgr, chfs efs=yes)

~14%

Network Management

Persistent IP via chdev, /etc/hosts, /etc/netsvc.conf, /etc/resolv.conf, ifconfig/entstat/netstat -rn, inetd and /etc/inetd.conf, NFS server (/etc/exports, exportfs) and client (showmount, mount), Etherchannel (ibm_ech), no tunables (tcp_sendspace, rfc1323)

~15%

Performance Management and Tuning

vmstat (pi/po), iostat -DRT, sar, topas, nmon -f capture, mpstat, lparstat -i, ps, vmo/ioo/no/schedo, micro-partitioning, DLPAR, SMT4/SMT8 with smtctl, WPAR, Live Application Mobility, Active Memory Expansion, NPIV via VIOS

~15%

Problem Determination and Management

errpt, errclear, errnotify ODM stanzas, snap (-gGLfik), sysdumpdev, kdb kernel debugger, truss, trace, diag hardware diagnostics, bosboot, bootlist, PowerHA SystemMirror logs, ODM repair patterns

How to Pass the IBM AIX Administrator Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 71% (32 of 45 correct)
  • Assessment: 45 multiple-choice questions covering setup, operations, storage management (LVM/JFS2), system security, network management, performance management and tuning, and problem determination
  • Time limit: 75 minutes
  • Exam fee: $100 USD

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

IBM AIX Administrator Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize the LVM hierarchy as a mental tree: VG holds PVs, PVs are sliced into PPs, LVs are made of LPs, and each LP maps to one or two or three PPs depending on copies — the exam tests this in many subtle ways
2Drill the difference between mksysb (rootvg only) and savevg (everything else) until it is reflexive — and remember restvg is the partner to savevg, while alt_disk_copy is the way to clone rootvg to a spare disk
3Practice the SRC pattern: startsrc -s, stopsrc -s, lssrc -s, refresh -s. AIX uses SRC, not systemd, and several questions test that you know the difference
4Memorize the four AIX tunable commands by subsystem: vmo (memory), ioo (I/O and JFS2), no (network), schedo (scheduler). Always include -p when you want a change to survive a reboot
5Know the security file tree cold: /etc/security/user (policy), /etc/security/passwd (hashes), /etc/security/limits (ulimits), /etc/security/login.cfg (login policies), /etc/security/group (group attributes)
6Keep an LPAR open while studying. errpt, lspv, lsvg, vmstat, iostat, topas, lparstat -i, and oslevel -s should be muscle memory before you sit the exam

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IBM AIX v7.3 Administrator Specialty (S2000-025) exam?

The S2000-025 is an IBM Specialty-track certification that validates entry to mid-level AIX 7.3 administration skills. It covers seven domains: setup, operations (backups and patching), storage management (LVM and JFS2), system security (RBAC, Trusted Execution, EFS), network management, performance tuning, and problem determination.

How many questions are on the AIX Administrator Specialty exam?

The S2000-025 exam contains 45 multiple-choice questions delivered in 75 minutes. The passing score is 71%, which works out to 32 of 45 correct. As a Specialty-track exam, it is shorter than IBM's C1000 expert exams.

What does the AIX 7.3 Administrator exam cost?

The exam costs $100 USD per attempt and is administered through Pearson VUE testing centers. IBM partner organizations sometimes bundle vouchers with training; check the current Pearson VUE retake policy if you need to schedule a second attempt.

What topics does the S2000-025 exam cover?

The exam covers AIX setup (SMIT/SMITTY, environment files, remote login), operations (mksysb, savevg, NIM, Live Update), storage management (LVM, JFS2, mirroring, snapshots), system security (SSH, users, Enhanced RBAC, Trusted Execution, EFS), network management (TCP/IP, /etc/hosts, NFS, inetd), performance tools (vmstat, iostat, topas, nmon, lparstat) and tunables (vmo, ioo, no, schedo), and problem determination (errpt, snap, sysdumpdev, diag).

How should I prepare for the AIX Administrator Specialty exam?

Spend hands-on time with an AIX 7.3 LPAR (or PowerVM lab) practicing LVM workflows, mksysb/savevg backups, and NIM operations. Read the AIX 7.3 documentation cover to cover for each of the seven domains, work through these 100 free practice questions to identify weak areas, and review key commands (lspv, lsvg, mklv, chfs, errpt, snap) until they are second nature.

Do I need previous AIX experience to pass S2000-025?

There are no formal prerequisites, but IBM recommends 1-2 years of hands-on AIX administration experience. Candidates without that experience usually need a longer ramp-up to translate command-line theory into the right answer under exam pressure. Practice questions accelerate this transition.

How long is the IBM AIX Administrator Specialty credential valid?

IBM specialty badges issued through Credly do not expire on a fixed annual schedule. However, the content reflects the AIX 7.3 release; when IBM refreshes the exam to a future AIX version, candidates pursuing currency typically retake the new Specialty exam.