EX294 Manage inventories and credentials Practice Question
This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of manage inventories and credentials. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 system administrator maintains a dynamic inventory script that queries a cloud provider API to build host lists. The script returns valid JSON, but after importing into Ansible Tower, the inventory shows zero hosts. The script is executable and placed in the expected project directory. 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 script has not been added as an inventory script in Ansible Tower's inventory scripts settings.
Option C is correct because Ansible Tower requires that a dynamic inventory script be explicitly registered as an inventory script in the Tower UI under 'Inventories' → 'Scripts'. Even if the script is executable and returns valid JSON, Tower will not execute it unless it is configured as a custom inventory script source. The script must be added via the 'Add' button in the Inventory Scripts section, where Tower will then use it to populate the inventory.
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 script does not output JSON in the correct format expected by Ansible Tower.
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume making a script executable and placing it in the project directory is sufficient, but Ansible Tower requires explicit registration of the script as an inventory source, unlike standalone Ansible which can use the script directly via the '-i' flag.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Tower supports any executable that outputs JSON.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Ansible Tower's inventory script mechanism works by executing the script with no arguments and capturing its stdout, which must be a JSON object conforming to the dynamic inventory schema (e.g., {'group': {'hosts': ['host1'], 'vars': {...}}}). The script must be registered in Tower's database via the API or UI; simply placing it in the project directory does not trigger execution. A common real-world mistake is forgetting to add the script in Tower's 'Inventory Scripts' list, leading to zero hosts even when the script works perfectly from the command line.
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 inventories and credentials — This question tests Manage inventories and credentials — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The script has not been added as an inventory script in Ansible Tower's inventory scripts settings. — Option C is correct because Ansible Tower requires that a dynamic inventory script be explicitly registered as an inventory script in the Tower UI under 'Inventories' → 'Scripts'. Even if the script is executable and returns valid JSON, Tower will not execute it unless it is configured as a custom inventory script source. The script must be added via the 'Add' button in the Inventory Scripts section, where Tower will then use it to populate the inventory.
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.
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Question Discussion
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