- A
The 'become' privilege escalation is not configured, so the tasks cannot modify system files.
Why wrong: If become was not working, tasks would fail with permission errors, not report changed=0.
- B
The playbook was run with the '--check' flag, which simulates changes without applying them.
Why wrong: If run with --check, the output would indicate 'check mode' and not actual changes; but the scenario says 'changed=0', which means actual run.
- C
The inventory hostnames for those two servers are incorrect, causing Ansible to connect to different hosts that are already compliant.
Ansible reported changes on the hosts it connected to, but those are not the actual servers needing changes.
- D
The Ansible modules used in the role are not installed on the control node.
Why wrong: If modules were missing, the playbook would fail with an error, not report changed=0.
EX294 Manage automation security and operations Practice Question
This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of manage automation security and operations. 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.
Your team manages a fleet of 200 Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 servers. Security policy requires that all servers have a specific set of security configurations: (1) SELinux must be enforcing, (2) the firewall must allow only SSH and HTTPS, (3) SSH root login must be disabled, and (4) the 'auditd' service must be running and enabled. You have created an Ansible role 'security-hardening' that applies these settings. The role is idempotent and uses the 'lineinfile' module to modify /etc/ssh/sshd_config, the 'firewalld' module to configure firewall rules, the 'selinux' module to set SELinux to enforcing, and the 'service' module to enable and start auditd. You run the playbook against a test group of 10 servers, and it reports 'changed=0' for all tasks, indicating the servers are already compliant. However, a subsequent manual audit reveals that on two servers, SELinux is permissive and SSH root login is still permitted. What is the most likely cause of this discrepancy?
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 choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The inventory hostnames for those two servers are incorrect, causing Ansible to connect to different hosts that are already compliant.
Option C is correct because if the inventory hostnames for the two non-compliant servers are incorrect, Ansible would connect to different hosts that are already compliant, resulting in 'changed=0' for all tasks. The playbook never actually ran against the intended servers, so the manual audit correctly found them non-compliant. This is a common inventory misconfiguration issue where the target hostname does not match the actual server.
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 'become' privilege escalation is not configured, so the tasks cannot modify system files.
Why it's wrong here
If become was not working, tasks would fail with permission errors, not report changed=0.
- ✗
The playbook was run with the '--check' flag, which simulates changes without applying them.
Why it's wrong here
If run with --check, the output would indicate 'check mode' and not actual changes; but the scenario says 'changed=0', which means actual run.
- ✓
The inventory hostnames for those two servers are incorrect, causing Ansible to connect to different hosts that are already compliant.
Why this is correct
Ansible reported changes on the hosts it connected to, but those are not the actual servers needing changes.
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 Ansible modules used in the role are not installed on the control node.
Why it's wrong here
If modules were missing, the playbook would fail with an error, not report changed=0.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume 'changed=0' means the target servers are compliant, but it actually means the tasks were applied to a different set of hosts due to inventory misconfiguration.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
If run with --check, the output would indicate 'check mode' and not actual changes; but the scenario says 'changed=0', which means actual run.
Scenario analysis trap
If run with --check, the output would indicate 'check mode' and not actual changes; but the scenario says 'changed=0', which means actual run.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Ansible's inventory file maps hostnames or IP addresses to group memberships; if a hostname is misspelled or points to a different IP, Ansible connects to the wrong server. The 'changed=0' result indicates the tasks were applied to a compliant host, not that the intended host was checked. This highlights the importance of verifying inventory accuracy, especially in large fleets, and using 'ansible-inventory --graph' or 'ansible all --list-hosts' to confirm target hosts.
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 security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this EX294 question test?
Manage automation security and operations — This question tests Manage automation security and operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The inventory hostnames for those two servers are incorrect, causing Ansible to connect to different hosts that are already compliant. — Option C is correct because if the inventory hostnames for the two non-compliant servers are incorrect, Ansible would connect to different hosts that are already compliant, resulting in 'changed=0' for all tasks. The playbook never actually ran against the intended servers, so the manual audit correctly found them non-compliant. This is a common inventory misconfiguration issue where the target hostname does not match the actual server.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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