CV0-004 Deployment Practice Question
A cloud engineer is using Ansible to automate cloud resource provisioning. Which statement about Ansible is true?
⚠ Common exam trap
CV0-004 often tests the misconception that Ansible requires agents or uses JSON, when in fact it is agentless and YAML-based — a common point of confusion with other configuration management tools.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Ansible uses YAML for playbook definitions.
Ansible playbooks are written in YAML, a human-readable data serialization format that defines plays, tasks, modules, and variables. This YAML-based syntax is a defining characteristic of Ansible and is why it is popular for configuration management and orchestration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ansible uses JSON for configuration management.
Why it's wrong here
Ansible playbooks are written in YAML, not JSON; JSON is used by some other tools for data serialisation. It is tempting because JSON is a widespread configuration and API format, but Ansible's human-readable YAML syntax is a defining characteristic, so this statement is false.
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Ansible requires an agent to be installed on each managed node.
Why it's wrong here
Ansible is agentless, connecting over SSH or WinRM, so no software is installed on managed nodes. It is tempting because agent-based configuration tools such as Puppet and Chef do require installed agents, and that model is common, but Ansible deliberately avoids it to reduce management overhead.
- ✓
Ansible uses YAML for playbook definitions.
Why this is correct
Ansible playbooks are written in YAML, a human-readable data serialisation format, and executed over SSH without agents on managed nodes. This is the factual property distinguishing Ansible from agent-based configuration tools that use other definition languages.
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Ansible is a cloud-only tool that cannot manage on-premises servers.
Why it's wrong here
Ansible manages Linux, Windows and network devices on-premises as readily as cloud resources, using the same modules. It is tempting because Ansible's cloud modules are heavily promoted, but it is a general-purpose automation engine, so restricting it to cloud-only misrepresents its scope.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This CV0-004 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 CV0-004 exam.