Define Role Dependencies in Ansible — meta/main.yml | Red Hat Certified Engineer Explained
This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of manage task execution and roles. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
meta/main.yml
Role dependencies in Ansible are declared in the `meta/main.yml` file using the `dependencies` key. This allows you to specify other roles that must be executed before the current role, ensuring prerequisite tasks are run automatically.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
vars/main.yml
Why it's wrong here
Vars file contains variable definitions with higher priority.
✗
defaults/main.yml
Why it's wrong here
Defaults file contains default variable values.
✗
tasks/main.yml
Why it's wrong here
Tasks file contains the role's tasks, not dependency definitions.
✓
meta/main.yml
Why this is correct
Role metadata, including dependencies, is defined in meta/main.yml.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `meta/main.yml` with `tasks/main.yml` or variable files, assuming dependencies are defined in the task list or variable defaults, but Ansible specifically reserves `meta/main.yml` for role metadata including dependencies, author info, and supported platforms.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `dependencies` key in `meta/main.yml` accepts a list of roles, optionally with parameters, and Ansible resolves these dependencies recursively before executing the dependent role. This is similar to a dependency graph where each role's `meta/main.yml` is parsed, and roles are executed in the order defined, ensuring idempotency and proper setup. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for roles like a web server that depends on a firewall role to open ports first.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the EX294 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Manage task execution and roles — This question tests Manage task execution and roles — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: meta/main.yml — Role dependencies in Ansible are declared in the `meta/main.yml` file using the `dependencies` key. This allows you to specify other roles that must be executed before the current role, ensuring prerequisite tasks are run automatically.
What should I do if I get this EX294 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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