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Question 1

Score: 0/0

Which configuration file is the main configuration for the BIND name server (named) on RHEL 9?

/etc/named.conf

/etc/bind/named.conf

/etc/dns/bind.conf

/var/named/named.conf

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: EX358 Exam

210/300

Passing Score

Red Hat

4 hours

Exam Length

Red Hat

Hands-on

Format

Performance-based

RHEL 9 + AAP 2.4

Tested Versions

Red Hat

RHCA-eligible

Counts toward

Red Hat Certified Architect

$400-500

Exam Cost

Red Hat

EX358 is a performance-based hands-on exam (no multiple choice) on live RHEL 9 systems with Ansible Automation Platform 2.4. The passing score is 210/300 (70%). Candidates must configure each service twice — once manually, once via Ansible — covering BIND, dhcpd/Kea, Postfix, Dovecot, NFS, Samba, iSCSI target/initiator, CUPS, vsftpd, MariaDB/PostgreSQL, Apache/nginx, plus firewalld, SELinux booleans, and bonding/bridging. EX358 counts toward Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA).

Sample EX358 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your EX358 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which configuration file is the main configuration for the BIND name server (named) on RHEL 9?

A./etc/named.conf

B./etc/bind/named.conf

C./etc/dns/bind.conf

D./var/named/named.conf

Explanation: On RHEL 9, BIND uses /etc/named.conf as its top-level configuration file. Zone files referenced from this file are stored under /var/named/ by default.

2Which package must be installed to provide the named daemon (BIND server) on RHEL 9?

A.bind

B.bind-utils

C.named-server

D.dnsmasq

Explanation: The bind package provides /usr/sbin/named, /etc/named.conf, and the systemd unit named.service. bind-utils only provides client tools like dig, host, and nslookup.

3Which Ansible module from redhat.rhel_system_roles configures BIND DNS servers via the system role interface?

A.redhat.rhel_system_roles.bind

B.redhat.rhel_system_roles.dns

C.redhat.rhel_system_roles.named

D.redhat.rhel_system_roles.bind9

Explanation: The bind role in redhat.rhel_system_roles deploys and configures BIND. You set bind_zones and bind_acls variables and apply the role to a host.

4In /etc/named.conf, which directive defines the file system path where zone data files are read from by default?

A.directory

B.zone-path

C.datadir

D.rootdir

Explanation: The directory option inside the options { } block sets the working directory for named. Relative file paths in zone statements are resolved against it; on RHEL it defaults to /var/named.

5Which firewalld service should be enabled to allow inbound DNS traffic on a BIND server?

A.dns

B.named

C.bind

D.tcp53

Explanation: firewalld ships a predefined service named dns that opens ports 53/tcp and 53/udp. Enable it with: firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=dns && firewall-cmd --reload.

6Which dnsmasq directive in /etc/dnsmasq.conf restricts the daemon to listen only on the 192.0.2.1 address?

A.listen-address=192.0.2.1

B.bind-address=192.0.2.1

C.interface-address=192.0.2.1

D.address=/listen/192.0.2.1

Explanation: listen-address pins dnsmasq to specific IPs. Combined with bind-interfaces, it ensures dnsmasq only answers on those addresses rather than every interface.

7After editing /etc/named.conf you run named-checkconf. What does this utility verify?

A.Syntactic correctness of named.conf

B.Zone file serial numbers

C.DNSSEC signature validity

D.Network reachability of forwarders

Explanation: named-checkconf parses /etc/named.conf and reports any syntax errors. Use named-checkzone to validate the contents of zone files separately.

8In a BIND zone file the SOA record's serial number must be incremented when which event occurs?

A.Any zone data change

B.Daemon restart

C.DNSSEC key rollover only

D.Glue record addition only

Explanation: Slaves and recursive resolvers compare the SOA serial to detect updates. If you change any record but forget to bump the serial, secondaries will not refresh and caches will keep stale answers.

9Which Ansible module installs RPM packages such as bind on RHEL 9 and is preferred over the legacy yum module?

A.ansible.builtin.dnf

B.ansible.builtin.yum

C.ansible.builtin.rpm

D.community.general.package

Explanation: RHEL 9 uses dnf as its package manager, and ansible.builtin.dnf is the canonical module. ansible.builtin.package will pick dnf automatically, but explicit dnf is recommended on RHEL 9.

10A BIND server should answer recursive queries only from 192.0.2.0/24. Which named.conf options block achieves this?

A.options { allow-recursion { 192.0.2.0/24; }; recursion yes; };

B.options { recursive-clients 192.0.2.0/24; };

C.options { allow-query-cache { any; }; };

D.options { recursion 192.0.2.0/24; };

Explanation: allow-recursion takes an address-match list and limits which clients receive recursive answers. Combine with recursion yes to enable the feature globally.

About the EX358 Exam

EX358 is the Red Hat Certified Specialist in Services Management and Automation exam. It validates hands-on skills with RHEL 9 network services configured both manually and via Ansible Automation Platform: DNS (BIND, dnsmasq), DHCP (dhcpd, Kea), email (Postfix, Dovecot), file services (NFS, Samba), block storage (iSCSI target/initiator), print (CUPS), FTP (vsftpd), database (MariaDB, PostgreSQL), web (Apache httpd, nginx), and link aggregation (bonding, bridging).

Questions

100 scored questions

Time Limit

4 hours

Passing Score

210/300 (70%)

Exam Fee

$400-500 USD (Red Hat)

EX358 Exam Content Outline

12%

DNS Services (BIND and dnsmasq)

named.conf, zones, allow-recursion, views, dnsmasq, redhat.rhel_system_roles.bind

10%

DHCP Services (dhcpd and Kea)

subnet/range/host, Kea JSON config, ddns-update-style, firewalld dhcp service

12%

Email (Postfix and Dovecot)

main.cf, mynetworks, smtpd restrictions, dovecot.conf, mail_location, postfix role

Print Services (CUPS)

cupsd.conf, lpadmin, lpstat, Browsing, sharing, ACLs

FTP Services (vsftpd)

vsftpd.conf, local/anonymous_enable, ftp_home_dir, firewalld ftp service

14%

File Services (NFS and Samba)

/etc/exports, exportfs, NFSv4, smb.conf, testparm, samba_enable_home_dirs, AD via SSSD

iSCSI (target and initiator)

targetcli, /etc/target/saveconfig.json, iscsiadm discovery/login, _netdev

Database (MariaDB and PostgreSQL)

postgresql-setup --initdb, pg_hba.conf, community.mysql/postgresql modules

10%

Web (Apache httpd and nginx)

VirtualHost, SSLCertificateFile, nginx listen 443 ssl, httpd role

Networking (bonding/bridging)

nmcli bonds and bridges, NetworkManager keyfiles, network role

Cross-cutting Ansible

playbooks, handlers, FQCN, ansible.posix.firewalld, ansible.posix.seboolean

How to Pass the EX358 Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 210/300 (70%)
Exam length: 100 questions
Time limit: 4 hours
Exam fee: $400-500 USD

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

EX358 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Build a real lab: at least three RHEL 9 hosts (one Ansible control node, two service nodes) plus an AD/Windows machine for trust and Samba tests

2For every service, practice the configuration twice — once with manual edits to /etc/<service> files and once with redhat.rhel_system_roles or community.* modules

3Memorize key file paths: /etc/named.conf, /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf, /etc/postfix/main.cf, /etc/dovecot/dovecot.conf, /etc/samba/smb.conf, /etc/exports, /etc/cups/cupsd.conf, /etc/target/saveconfig.json

4Drill firewalld services and SELinux booleans: dns, dhcp, ftp, http/https, samba, samba-client, nfs, iscsi-target — and ftp_home_dir, samba_enable_home_dirs, httpd_can_network_connect

5Practice nmcli bonds and bridges from scratch — RHEL 9 deprecates teaming, so bonding is the expected solution

6Get fluent with redhat.rhel_system_roles: bind, dhcpd, postfix, network, firewall, selinux, certificate, httpd, nfs, sshd

7Run named-checkconf, named-checkzone, postfix check, testparm, exportfs -v, smbstatus, and lpstat after every change to verify

8Master ansible-playbook --syntax-check, --check (dry-run), --diff, and the handler pattern with notify

9Practice configuring iSCSI with targetcli (backstores, iscsi targets, TPG, acls, portals) and initiator-side iscsiadm -m discovery and -m node -L all

10Time yourself: a 4-hour exam goes fast — practice working under pressure with no internet access

Frequently Asked Questions

What does EX358 cover?

EX358 tests configuration of RHEL 9 network services both by hand and via Ansible Automation Platform 2.4. Covered services include BIND/dnsmasq DNS, dhcpd/Kea DHCP, Postfix/Dovecot email, NFS, Samba, iSCSI target and initiator, CUPS print, vsftpd FTP, MariaDB/PostgreSQL databases, and Apache httpd/nginx web. firewalld, SELinux booleans, bonding, and bridging are tested across services.

What is the EX358 exam format?

EX358 is performance-based: there are no multiple-choice questions. You receive a list of tasks to complete on live RHEL 9 systems within the time limit. Passing requires 210 of 300 points (70%). Each task is graded on whether the resulting system state meets the specification.

How long is the EX358 exam?

EX358 is approximately a 4-hour single-session performance-based exam. Red Hat administers it at training centers, partner sites, and via individual remote exam (proctored). Time management is critical because each lab task can be verified independently.

What is the EX358 cost?

Red Hat lists the standard exam fee around $400-500 USD depending on region, often included in the Red Hat Learning Subscription. Individual exam vouchers are also available. Always confirm the current fee on the official EX358 page before scheduling.

Does EX358 require RHCE?

Red Hat strongly recommends current RHCE before EX358 because the exam includes Ansible-based service configuration. RHCE is also required to retain the Specialist credential, and EX358 plus four other Specialist exams (with current RHCE) qualifies for Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA).

How long should I study for EX358?

Plan for 80-120 hours of focused, hands-on study over 8-12 weeks. Set up a lab with at least three RHEL 9 systems, an Ansible control node, and a Windows/AD member or trust target. Practice every objective in the official content guide both manually and via redhat.rhel_system_roles, and time yourself.

Is EX358 valid for life?

No. Specialist credentials follow Red Hat's general 3-year recertification cycle and require a current RHCE to remain valid. You can re-pass EX358 or earn a higher Red Hat credential to keep it active.