EX294 Deploy Ansible Automation Platform Practice Question
This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of deploy ansible automation platform. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A job template runs successfully on some hosts but fails on others with 'Permission denied' for the same task. The admin has verified that the credential is correct. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The privilege escalation method (become method) differs among hosts.
B is correct because the 'Permission denied' error on a task that runs successfully on some hosts but not others, despite a verified credential, typically indicates a privilege escalation issue. The become method (e.g., sudo, su, pbrun) may be configured differently or unsupported on the failing hosts, causing Ansible to fail when attempting to escalate privileges for the task. Since the credential is correct, the failure occurs during the become process, not authentication.
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.
✗
The package repository is not accessible from those hosts.
Why it's wrong here
The error is about permission, not repository access.
✓
The privilege escalation method (become method) differs among hosts.
Why this is correct
Hosts may have different sudo configurations; the become method in the job template might not work on all hosts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The credential's username is incorrect for some hosts.
Why it's wrong here
The admin verified the credential is correct.
✗
The SSH key is not accepted on some hosts.
Why it's wrong here
The error is 'Permission denied' not 'Authentication failed', and credential uses password.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume 'Permission denied' always means an SSH key or credential issue, overlooking that privilege escalation (become) is a separate step that can fail even when the initial SSH connection succeeds.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Ansible's become mechanism uses methods like sudo, which rely on the target host's sudoers configuration. If a host requires a password for sudo (e.g., 'NOPASSWD' is not set) or uses a different become method (e.g., 'su' instead of 'sudo'), Ansible will fail with 'Permission denied' when trying to execute the task as the become user. The 'become_method' can be set per host in inventory or group_vars, and mismatches cause this intermittent failure.
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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
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.
Deploy Ansible Automation Platform — This question tests Deploy Ansible Automation Platform — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The privilege escalation method (become method) differs among hosts. — B is correct because the 'Permission denied' error on a task that runs successfully on some hosts but not others, despite a verified credential, typically indicates a privilege escalation issue. The become method (e.g., sudo, su, pbrun) may be configured differently or unsupported on the failing hosts, causing Ansible to fail when attempting to escalate privileges for the task. Since the credential is correct, the failure occurs during the become process, not authentication.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.