This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure and automation. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A CI/CD pipeline for network automation includes stages for linting, unit testing, and deployment. Which stage typically validates the syntax of Ansible playbooks?
Integration testing stage
Why wrong: Integration tests verify end-to-end behavior after deployment.
Deployment stage
Why wrong: Deployment applies changes; syntax should be checked earlier.
Unit testing stage
Why wrong: Unit tests verify logic, not syntax.
Linting stage
Linting tools like ansible-lint validate playbook syntax and best practices.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Linting stage
Linting is the stage that validates syntax and style for code or configuration files. In a CI/CD pipeline for network automation, the linting stage uses tools like `ansible-lint` to check Ansible playbooks for syntax errors, best practices, and idempotency issues before any testing or deployment occurs.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Integration testing stage
Why it's wrong here
Integration tests verify end-to-end behavior after deployment.
Deployment stage
Why it's wrong here
Deployment applies changes; syntax should be checked earlier.
Unit testing stage
Why it's wrong here
Unit tests verify logic, not syntax.
Linting stage
Why this is correct
Linting tools like ansible-lint validate playbook syntax and best practices.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between linting (syntax/style checks) and unit testing (functional correctness of code), leading candidates to mistakenly choose unit testing for syntax validation.
Detailed technical explanation
`ansible-lint` parses the YAML structure of playbooks and checks against rules like the Ansible Galaxy style guide, flagging issues such as unquoted strings, missing `become` directives, or deprecated module calls. In a real-world pipeline, a failed linting stage stops the pipeline early, preventing malformed playbooks from reaching integration tests or deployment, which saves time and avoids device misconfiguration.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the 200-901 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Infrastructure and Automation — This question tests Infrastructure and Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Linting stage — Linting is the stage that validates syntax and style for code or configuration files. In a CI/CD pipeline for network automation, the linting stage uses tools like `ansible-lint` to check Ansible playbooks for syntax errors, best practices, and idempotency issues before any testing or deployment occurs.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-901 exam.
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