This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of manage inventories and credentials. 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.
# inventory file [web] web1 ansible_host=192.168.1.10 ansible_user=admin web2 ansible_host=192.168.1.11 [web:vars] ansible_user=deploy
Refer to the exhibit. A playbook runs against the `web` group. What username will be used for host web2?
# inventory file [web] web1 ansible_host=192.168.1.10 ansible_user=admin web2 ansible_host=192.168.1.11 [web:vars] ansible_user=deploy
deploy
web2 inherits from group vars.
undetermined
Why wrong: Username is determined as deploy.
admin
Why wrong: admin is set only for web1, not web2.
root
Why wrong: No indication of root user.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
deploy
Option A is correct because the playbook runs against the `web` group, and host `web2` inherits the `ansible_user` variable from the group-level inventory definition. In Ansible, the `ansible_user` variable determines the SSH username for the connection. Since the exhibit (not shown here but implied) sets `ansible_user: deploy` for the `web` group, all hosts in that group, including `web2`, will use `deploy` as the SSH username unless overridden at the host level.
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.
deploy
Why this is correct
web2 inherits from group vars.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
undetermined
Why it's wrong here
Username is determined as deploy.
admin
Why it's wrong here
admin is set only for web1, not web2.
root
Why it's wrong here
No indication of root user.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates assume the default SSH user `root` is always used, forgetting that group-level `ansible_user` variables in the inventory explicitly override that default.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Ansible’s variable precedence dictates that group-level variables (from `group_vars/` or inline in the inventory) override the default `ansible_user` of `root`. This is defined in the Ansible variable precedence order (e.g., group vars > inventory host vars > play vars > defaults). In real-world scenarios, using a non-root user like `deploy` is common for security, with privilege escalation via `become: yes` to execute tasks requiring root.
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
Manage inventories and credentials — This question tests Manage inventories and credentials — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: deploy — Option A is correct because the playbook runs against the `web` group, and host `web2` inherits the `ansible_user` variable from the group-level inventory definition. In Ansible, the `ansible_user` variable determines the SSH username for the connection. Since the exhibit (not shown here but implied) sets `ansible_user: deploy` for the `web` group, all hosts in that group, including `web2`, will use `deploy` as the SSH username unless overridden at the host level.
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
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