EX294 Practice Question: Create content collections and execution environments
Which THREE components are typically included in an execution environment?
⚠ Common exam trap
Red Hat often tests the distinction between tools that manage execution environments (like Ansible Navigator) versus components that are actually inside the execution environment, leading candidates to mistakenly include Navigator or Tower/AWX as part of the image.
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
✓
Base OS image
An execution environment is a container image that bundles everything needed to run Ansible automation, so option A (Base OS image) is correct because the container must be built on a base operating system layer such as a UBI or Debian image. Option C (Ansible Core and collections) is correct because the execution environment packages ansible-core together with the required collections so playbooks and roles have their modules and plugins available. Option D (Python interpreter and dependencies) is correct because Ansible runs on Python, and the environment must include the Python interpreter plus any Python libraries the modules and collections depend on. Option B (Ansible Navigator) is not included; it is a separate command-line tool used to build, run, and inspect execution environments, not a component inside them. Option E (Ansible Tower/AWX) is not included either, since AWX and Tower are automation controller platforms that consume execution environments rather than being packaged within one.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Base OS image
Why this is correct
Every execution environment is built FROM a base OS image, which supplies the filesystem, package manager and libraries upon which the Ansible runtime and Python dependencies are layered. It forms the foundational layer of the container definition.
- ✗
Ansible Navigator
Why it's wrong here
Ansible Navigator is a command-line tool for running and inspecting execution environments, not a component contained within one. It is tempting because Navigator interacts directly with execution environments, but the image itself comprises ansible-core, Python libraries and Ansible collections.
- ✓
Ansible Core and collections
Why this is correct
Ansible Core plus the collections required by the playbooks are installed into the image, providing the modules, roles and plugins needed at runtime. This is the component that distinguishes an execution environment from a plain container.
- ✓
Python interpreter and dependencies
Why this is correct
An execution environment bundles the Python interpreter with the collections and dependencies that automation content requires, ensuring consistent runtime behaviour across control and managed nodes. This directly satisfies the stem's expectation that the interpreter and its supporting libraries ship together, isolating content from host-installed packages.
- ✗
Ansible Tower/AWX
Why it's wrong here
Ansible Tower/AWX is a separate automation controller product, not a component packaged inside an execution environment. It is tempting because Tower runs playbooks, but an execution environment bundles only the container image, Python dependencies, collections and the ansible-core runtime.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.