This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of transform data with filters and plugins. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 Ansible playbook needs to dynamically include a set of variables based on the environment (dev/staging/prod). The developer wants to use a variable from a lookup plugin that returns a YAML file path. Which lookup plugin is most appropriate for fetching a file’s contents?
env
Why wrong: env returns environment variables.
pipe
Why wrong: pipe runs a command on the controller.
file
Lookup plugin 'file' reads a file's content as a string.
template
Why wrong: Template lookup processes a Jinja2 template, not just reads a file.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
file
The `file` lookup plugin is the most appropriate for fetching the contents of a file from the control node, as it reads the entire file and returns its content as a string. This is ideal for dynamically including variable files based on environment (e.g., `{{ lookup('file', 'vars/{{ env }}.yml') }}`), allowing the playbook to load environment-specific YAML data.
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.
env
Why it's wrong here
env returns environment variables.
pipe
Why it's wrong here
pipe runs a command on the controller.
file
Why this is correct
Lookup plugin 'file' reads a file's content as a string.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
template
Why it's wrong here
Template lookup processes a Jinja2 template, not just reads a file.
Common exam traps
Red Hat often tests the distinction between lookup plugins that read from the control node vs. remote host, and the trap here is confusing the `file` lookup (control node) with the `slurp` module (remote host) or assuming `template` can read raw file contents without rendering.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
pipe runs a command on the controller.
Detailed technical explanation
The `file` lookup plugin reads the file from the Ansible control node's filesystem, not the remote host, making it suitable for loading local variable files. Under the hood, it uses Python's `open()` function and returns the raw content as a string, which can then be parsed by Ansible's variable loading mechanism (e.g., using `include_vars` with `{{ lookup('file', ...) | from_yaml }}`). A subtle behavior is that the `file` lookup does not support globbing or directory traversal; it requires an exact path.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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: file — The `file` lookup plugin is the most appropriate for fetching the contents of a file from the control node, as it reads the entire file and returns its content as a string. This is ideal for dynamically including variable files based on environment (e.g., `{{ lookup('file', 'vars/{{ env }}.yml') }}`), allowing the playbook to load environment-specific YAML data.
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 30, 2026
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