This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of transform data with filters and plugins. 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.
A playbook has a dictionary `config` that maps service names to ports. The team wants to iterate over both keys and values in a task. Which filter should be used to convert the dictionary into a list of key-value pairs?
dict2items
Transforms dict to list of {key:..., value:...}.
items2dict
Why wrong: items2dict does the reverse.
flatten
Why wrong: flatten reduces nesting, does not convert dict.
json_query
Why wrong: Possible but not the intended filter for this task.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
dict2items
The `dict2items` filter is the correct choice because it converts a dictionary into a list of key-value pairs, each represented as a dictionary with `key` and `value` keys. This is the standard Ansible filter for iterating over both keys and values in a `loop` within a task, enabling access to `item.key` and `item.value`.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
dict2items
Why this is correct
Transforms dict to list of {key:..., value:...}.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
items2dict
Why it's wrong here
items2dict does the reverse.
flatten
Why it's wrong here
flatten reduces nesting, does not convert dict.
json_query
Why it's wrong here
Possible but not the intended filter for this task.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `dict2items` with `items2dict` due to their similar names, or mistakenly think `flatten` or `json_query` can perform the conversion, when only `dict2items` is designed for this specific transformation.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, `dict2items` iterates over each key in the dictionary and creates a list of dictionaries with `key` and `value` attributes, preserving the original data types. This filter is especially useful when you need to loop over a dictionary in a task and access both the key and value, such as when configuring multiple services with their respective ports. A subtle behavior is that the order of items in the resulting list follows the dictionary's insertion order in Python 3.7+, which is important for idempotent playbooks.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Transform data with filters and plugins — This question tests Transform data with filters and plugins — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: dict2items — The `dict2items` filter is the correct choice because it converts a dictionary into a list of key-value pairs, each represented as a dictionary with `key` and `value` keys. This is the standard Ansible filter for iterating over both keys and values in a `loop` within a task, enabling access to `item.key` and `item.value`.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 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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