Free Practice Questions for LPI Linux Essentials
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Key Facts: LPI Linux Essentials Exam
40
Exam Questions
LPI
60 min
Exam Duration
LPI
500/800
Passing Score (66%)
LPI
$120
Exam Fee (USD)
LPI Marketplace
Lifetime
Validity
No recertification required
Pearson VUE
Delivery
Test center or OnVUE online
LPI Linux Essentials 010-160 has 40 questions in 60 minutes with a 500-of-800 scaled passing score (about 66%). Topic weights: Topic 1 The Linux Community and a Career in Open Source (7), Topic 2 Finding Your Way on a Linux System (9), Topic 3 The Power of the Command Line (9), Topic 4 The Linux Operating System (8), and Topic 5 Security and File Permissions (7). The exam is multiple-choice plus fill-in-the-blank — the fill-ins demand exact command names, paths, and option flags. Coverage spans Linux distributions (Red Hat, Debian, SUSE, Arch families), open source licensing (GPL, LGPL, MIT, BSD, Apache), shell basics (pwd, ls, cd, cp, mv, rm, $PATH, history), text processing (grep, sed, head, tail, sort, wc), archives (tar, gzip), the FHS (/etc, /var, /usr, /home, /proc, /sys), basic networking (ip addr, ping, /etc/hosts, /etc/resolv.conf), and permissions (chmod, chown, umask, sticky/setuid/setgid). Exam fee is $120 USD standard. The certificate is valid for lifetime with no recertification.
Sample LPI Linux Essentials Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to review concepts for the LPI Linux Essentials exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Which of the following is a Linux distribution sponsored by the community-driven successor to CentOS Linux that aims to be 1:1 binary compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux?
2Which Linux distribution family does Ubuntu belong to?
3Which of the following statements about Android is TRUE?
4Which embedded computing platform is widely used to run Linux on inexpensive ARM hardware and is commonly the first Linux device new learners interact with?
5Which of the following is NOT a major public cloud provider whose infrastructure heavily runs Linux?
6Which web server is the original Linux web server and remains one of the most widely deployed open source HTTP servers?
7Which of the following is a relational database management system commonly bundled in the LAMP stack on Linux?
8Which application is an open source office productivity suite frequently used as a free alternative to Microsoft Office on Linux?
9Which of the following programs is an open source web browser?
10Which of the following is an open source raster graphics editor often compared to Adobe Photoshop?
About the LPI Linux Essentials Exam
The Linux Essentials Certificate (010-160) is LPI's entry-level credential validating foundational Linux knowledge: the open source community, basic command-line use, simple shell scripting, the Linux operating system and filesystem hierarchy, and core file-permission and user-management concepts. It is designed for IT students, career changers, and beginners with no prior Linux experience.
Exam sponsor: Linux Professional Institute (LPI) / Pearson VUE. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.
Questions
40 questions
Time Limit
60 minutes
Passing Score
66% (500/800)
Reported exam pass rate: Not publicly disclosed. LPI does not publish first-attempt pass rates Exam sponsor website
Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.
Our practice resources: topics covered
We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.
Topic 2: Finding Your Way on a Linux System
Sub-objectives 2.1-2.4 (weights 3+2+2+2 = 9). Command line basics (echo, history, $PATH, variables vs environment variables, command substitution $()); using the command line to get help (man, apropos, whatis, --help, info, help builtin); directories and listing files (ls -la, cd, pwd, ., .., ~, globbing with * ? [ ]); creating, moving, deleting files (touch, mkdir -p, cp -r, mv, rm -rf, rmdir).
Topic 3: The Power of the Command Line
Sub-objectives 3.1-3.3 (weights 2+3+4 = 9). Archiving (tar -cvf/-xvf/-tvf, gzip/gunzip, bzip2, xz, .tar.gz vs .tar.bz2); searching and extracting data (grep -r/-v/-i, sed s/g, head, tail -f, wc -l, sort, uniq, find); turning commands into scripts (shebang #!/bin/bash, positional arguments $1 $@ $#, exit status $?, if/for/while/case, test [ -f ], chmod +x to make executable).
Topic 4: The Linux Operating System
Sub-objectives 4.1-4.4 (weights 1+2+3+2 = 8). Choosing an operating system (Red Hat / Debian / SUSE / Arch families, Android, embedded Linux including Raspberry Pi); understanding hardware (lspci, lsusb, dmesg, lsmod, /proc/cpuinfo, /proc/meminfo, /dev/sda, /dev/nvme0n1); where data is stored (FHS — /, /bin, /sbin, /etc, /var, /usr, /opt, /home, /tmp, /proc, /sys, /dev); your computer on the network (ip addr, ip route, ping, dig/host/nslookup, /etc/hosts, /etc/resolv.conf).
Topic 1: The Linux Community and a Career in Open Source
Sub-objectives 1.1-1.4 (weights 2+2+1+2 = 7). Linux evolution and popular operating systems (Linux kernel, distros, mobile/cloud/embedded uses); major open source applications (LibreOffice, Apache, NGINX, MySQL/MariaDB, Firefox, GIMP, Inkscape, Blender, Audacity); open source software and licensing (GPL v2/v3, LGPL, MIT, BSD, Apache 2.0; copyleft vs permissive; FSF, OSI, Creative Commons); ICT skills and working in Linux (privacy, password managers, HTTPS, career paths).
Topic 5: Security and File Permissions
Sub-objectives 5.1-5.4 (weights 2+2+2+1 = 7). Basic security and identifying user types (root UID 0, /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, /etc/sudoers, su, sudo, id, who, w); creating users and groups (useradd, passwd, groupadd, /etc/group, usermod -g/-aG, userdel, groupdel); managing file permissions and ownership (chmod symbolic and octal — 755 = rwxr-xr-x, 644 = rw-r--r--, chown user:group, chgrp, umask); special directories and files (sticky bit on /tmp, setuid on /usr/bin/passwd, setgid, hard vs symbolic links).
Preparing for the LPI Linux Essentials Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: 66% (500/800)
- Exam length: 40 questions
- Time limit: 60 minutes
- Exam / certification fees: $120 USD Official sources
Using Our Practice Resources
- Work through all 100 available questions
- Review every answer and explanation
- Track weak areas and revisit them
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
LPI Linux Essentials: Suggested Study Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the LPI Linux Essentials 010-160 exam?
The Linux Essentials 010-160 exam is LPI's entry-level certification covering Linux foundations: distributions and the open source community, basic command-line use, simple shell scripting, the filesystem hierarchy, basic networking, and file permissions. It is designed for absolute beginners — no prior Linux experience is required.
How many questions are on the LPI Linux Essentials exam?
40 questions in 60 minutes. The exam is a mix of multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank. Fill-in items require typing the exact command, path, or option flag (e.g., 'pwd', '/etc/passwd', '-r'). LPI uses a scaled score of 200-800 with a passing mark of 500, which is approximately 66%.
How much does the Linux Essentials exam cost?
$120 USD per attempt at standard pricing. LPI offers reduced pricing in lower-income regions ($100 or $80). The fee covers a single attempt; retakes require a new voucher. Vouchers are sold through LPI Marketplace and partners.
What are the five topic areas on Linux Essentials?
Topic 1 The Linux Community and a Career in Open Source (weight 7), Topic 2 Finding Your Way on a Linux System (weight 9), Topic 3 The Power of the Command Line (weight 9), Topic 4 The Linux Operating System (weight 8), and Topic 5 Security and File Permissions (weight 7). Total 40 weight points across 40 questions.
Is the Linux Essentials certificate valid for life?
Yes. The LPI Linux Essentials certificate has lifetime validity and never requires recertification. Higher-level LPIC-1, LPIC-2, and LPIC-3 certifications are valid for 5 years and do require recertification.
Where can I take the Linux Essentials exam?
At any Pearson VUE testing center worldwide, or remotely via LPI's OnVUE online proctored option from your home or office. OnVUE requires a webcam, microphone, and a clean room. Schedule via lpi.org or pearsonvue.com/lpi.
Do I need any prerequisites to take Linux Essentials?
No prerequisites. Linux Essentials is the entry point of LPI's certification track and is aimed at absolute beginners, IT students, and career changers. LPI publishes free learning materials at learning.lpi.org. Some hands-on time at a Linux shell is strongly recommended before exam day.