- A
poll
Why wrong: poll controls async polling interval, not concurrency.
- B
serial
serial: 5 limits the batch of hosts to 5 at a time.
- C
throttle
Why wrong: throttle limits tasks per host, not simultaneous hosts.
- D
forks
Why wrong: forks controls the number of simultaneous tasks, but per-host parallel tasks; serial controls batch size of hosts.
Question 30 of 528
Ansible Serial: Controlling Batch Execution
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.
An administrator wants to run a playbook that executes tasks in parallel across multiple hosts but wants to limit the number of simultaneous hosts to 5. Which directive should be set?
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
✓
serial
The `serial` directive in Ansible controls the number of hosts that execute a play at a time, allowing you to limit concurrency. Setting `serial: 5` ensures that only 5 hosts run tasks simultaneously, with the playbook completing in batches of 5 until all hosts are processed.
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.
- ✗
poll
Why it's wrong here
poll controls async polling interval, not concurrency.
- ✓
serial
Why this is correct
serial: 5 limits the batch of hosts to 5 at a time.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
throttle
Why it's wrong here
throttle limits tasks per host, not simultaneous hosts.
- ✗
forks
Why it's wrong here
forks controls the number of simultaneous tasks, but per-host parallel tasks; serial controls batch size of hosts.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing `forks` (which controls connection parallelism) with `serial` (which controls play-level batch execution), leading candidates to incorrectly choose `forks` when they need to limit simultaneous host execution per play.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, `serial` works by dividing the host list into batches and running each batch sequentially, with each batch executing all tasks in the play before moving to the next batch. This is crucial for rolling updates or when managing stateful services that cannot handle too many simultaneous changes, such as database clusters or load balancers. A subtle behavior is that `serial` can be set to a percentage (e.g., `serial: 30%`) to dynamically calculate batch size based on total hosts.
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.
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Manage task execution and roles — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this EX294 question test?
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: serial — The `serial` directive in Ansible controls the number of hosts that execute a play at a time, allowing you to limit concurrency. Setting `serial: 5` ensures that only 5 hosts run tasks simultaneously, with the playbook completing in batches of 5 until all hosts are processed.
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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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