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Systems Administrator exam mistakes to avoid

Updated 15 September 2026 · 3 min read

Systems administrator tests are broad, and most lost marks come from a handful of predictable errors rather than from truly difficult questions. Some are gaps in knowledge, but many are habits: jumping to a familiar fix, reading a question too fast, or preparing unevenly. Here are the mistakes that come up most, with a way to avoid each one.

How this guide was made

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Fixing the most familiar thing

Faced with a login problem, many candidates choose "reset the password" because it is what they do most often at work. But if the question says several users at one site cannot log in, a single password is unlikely to be the cause. Look for the clue that shows how widespread the problem is, and choose an answer that matches that scope.

Forgetting what a service depends on

Services fail because something they need has failed. A domain login needs DNS, network access, a domain controller and correct time. A website needs its service running, its port open and its files readable. Candidates who do not think in dependencies pick answers that treat the symptom. Before choosing, list what the service needs and find the broken link.

Mixing up backup types

Incremental and differential backups are easy to confuse, and questions about restores depend on the difference. An incremental holds changes since the previous backup of any kind; a differential holds changes since the last full backup. Restoring from incrementals therefore needs the full backup and every incremental since, applied in order.

Getting permissions backwards

In a Linux mode such as 750, the digits apply to owner, group and others, in that order. Candidates who reverse the order give access to the wrong people. On Windows, remember that when share and file-system permissions both apply over the network, the more restrictive result wins. Questions test these rules precisely because they are easy to get wrong in practice.

Preparing only one operating system

A candidate who works with Windows every day may skip Linux revision, then lose a block of marks on commands and permissions. The reverse happens too. Use your practice results to find the weaker system and give it more time.

Choosing the risky fix

When a question asks what to do about a problem on a production server, options that restart services, reboot or change configuration without a backup are often traps. Well-written questions reward the answer that gathers information first or protects data before making changes, unless the stem makes clear that immediate action is needed.

Questions where these mistakes cost marks

  1. What is the purpose of a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply)?

    1. To increase processing speed
    2. To protect against viruses
    3. To connect multiple devices
    4. To provide backup power
    Show the answer

    D. To provide backup power

    A UPS supplies battery power during an outage so equipment can ride through it or shut down cleanly.

    Real past-paper question; answer cross-checked against the original session. Open this question

  2. An application requires persistent connections and checkpointing during a large file transfer so it can resume if interrupted. Which OSI layer provides these dialog control features?

    1. Transport
    2. Session
    3. Application
    4. Presentation
    Show the answer

    B. Session

    Objective 1.1: The Session layer (Layer 5) establishes, manages, and terminates sessions/dialogs between applications.

    Original practice question, written against published exam objectives. Open this question

  3. Which cable type is most commonly used for Ethernet connections?

    1. Fiber optic cable
    2. Twisted pair cable
    3. Serial cable
    4. Coaxial cable
    Show the answer

    B. Twisted pair cable

    Twisted pair (Cat5e/Cat6) is by far the most common Ethernet medium. Fibre is used for long or high-capacity links, not for the typical desk connection.

    Real past-paper question; answer cross-checked against the original session. Open this question

Common questions

How do I get faster at Linux command questions?

Use the commands daily on a practice machine for a few weeks. Recognising a command in a question is much easier once your hands have typed it many times.

Should I guess if I do not know the answer?

Check the paper's instructions first. If wrong answers carry no penalty, eliminate what you can and choose from the rest rather than leaving a blank.

Are snapshots the same as backups?

No. A snapshot captures a virtual machine's state at a moment, usually on the same storage. It is useful before a risky change, but a storage failure takes the snapshot with it, so it cannot stand in for a backup.

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