EX294 Transform data with filters and plugins Practice Question
A playbook registers the output of a shell command that returns a JSON string. You need to parse this JSON string into a usable dictionary within the same play. Which filter should you apply to the registered variable?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse `from_json` with `to_json`; the former parses a string into data, while the latter serializes data into a string.
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
✓
from_json
When a command returns JSON as a string, the registered variable stores that string, not a parsed object. The `from_json` filter is specifically designed to deserialize JSON strings into Ansible data structures, enabling direct access to nested keys. Using the wrong direction or a query filter would not achieve the required parsing.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
json_query
Why it's wrong here
The `json_query` filter applies a JMESPath expression to an existing data structure; it does not parse a JSON string into a data structure. It expects the input to already be a dictionary or list. Using it on a raw string would fail or produce unexpected results.
- ✗
from_yaml
Why it's wrong here
The `from_yaml` filter parses YAML-formatted strings. While JSON is a subset of YAML and some JSON strings might parse successfully, this filter is semantically intended for YAML and may not handle all JSON edge cases identically. The dedicated `from_json` filter is the correct choice for JSON input.
- ✗
to_json
Why it's wrong here
The `to_json` filter performs the opposite operation: it serializes a data structure into a JSON string. Applying it to a string that is already JSON would double-encode it, producing a quoted string rather than a dictionary, and would not allow direct access to the parsed fields.
- ✓
from_json
Why this is correct
The `from_json` filter parses a JSON-formatted string and returns the corresponding Python data structure, such as a dictionary or list. This is exactly what is needed to convert the registered stdout string into an accessible dictionary for subsequent tasks.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Red Hat exam blueprint
This EX294 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat 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 EX294 exam.