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Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Network Automation exam (EX457) practice questions are available now; exam metadata is being verified.
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2026 Statistics
Key Facts: EX457 Exam
$400
Exam fee per attempt
Red Hat
210/300
Required passing score (70%)
Red Hat
4 hours
Exam duration — longest Red Hat specialist exam
Red Hat
3 years
Certification validity before recertification
Red Hat
3
Network vendor collections tested: Cisco IOS, Arista EOS, Juniper JunOS
Red Hat exam objectives
6
Resource module states: merged, replaced, deleted, gathered, rendered, parsed
Ansible documentation
EX457 is a 4-hour hands-on Ansible network automation exam. Candidates write playbooks to configure real network devices using cisco.ios, arista.eos, and junipernetworks.junos resource modules. Pass with 210/300 to earn RHCA credit.
Sample EX457 Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your EX457 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Which Ansible module is used to run commands on a network device that supports only CLI access and does not have a Python interpreter?
A.ansible.netcommon.cli_command
B.ansible.builtin.command
C.network.base.cli_run
D.ansible.netcommon.net_command
Explanation: `ansible.netcommon.cli_command` sends CLI commands to network devices over SSH using connection plugins like `network_cli`. It works with devices (routers, switches) that only support CLI access without an installed Python interpreter. It returns structured or raw output depending on the platform's parser support.
2In an Ansible inventory for network automation, which connection plugin should be specified for Cisco IOS devices accessed via SSH CLI?
A.ansible_connection: network_cli
B.ansible_connection: ssh
C.ansible_connection: paramiko
D.ansible_connection: local
Explanation: `ansible_connection: network_cli` is the correct connection plugin for managing network devices via SSH CLI. It handles SSH sessions, terminal pagination (sending `terminal length 0`), privilege escalation (enable mode), and proper connection teardown. Combined with `ansible_network_os: ios`, it provides full Cisco IOS management.
3Which variable must be set in the Ansible inventory to specify that a network device is running Juniper Junos?
A.ansible_network_os: junos
B.ansible_platform: junos
C.ansible_os_type: juniper.junos
D.network_device_os: junos
Explanation: `ansible_network_os: junos` tells Ansible which network OS-specific modules and terminal plugins to use. For Juniper devices with NETCONF, combine this with `ansible_connection: netconf`. For CLI access, use `ansible_connection: network_cli`. The value `junos` maps to the `junipernetworks.junos` collection's platform support.
4Which Ansible module configures static routes on Cisco IOS devices and is part of the `cisco.ios` collection?
A.cisco.ios.ios_static_routes
B.cisco.ios.ios_routing
C.ansible.netcommon.net_routes
D.cisco.ios.ios_ip_route
Explanation: `cisco.ios.ios_static_routes` is the idempotent resource module for managing static routes on Cisco IOS/IOS-XE devices. It uses the resource module pattern with `state: merged`, `replaced`, `overridden`, `deleted`, or `gathered` operations. This is part of the `cisco.ios` Ansible collection available from Ansible Galaxy.
5When running an Ansible playbook against network devices, which task attribute prevents accidental changes by only showing what would change without actually applying it?
A.Running the playbook with the --check flag (ansible-playbook --check)
B.Setting check_mode: true on individual tasks
C.Using the diff: true flag in the play
D.Setting gather_facts: false and running normally
Explanation: Running `ansible-playbook --check` executes the playbook in dry-run (check) mode. Modules that support check mode will report what changes they would make without actually applying them. Network resource modules like `cisco.ios.ios_vlans` support check mode. This is essential for validating playbooks before applying them to production network infrastructure.
6Which Ansible connection plugin is used when managing Juniper JunOS devices via NETCONF over SSH?
A.ansible_connection: netconf
B.ansible_connection: network_cli
C.ansible_connection: junos_netconf
D.ansible_connection: xmlrpc
Explanation: `ansible_connection: netconf` enables Ansible to communicate with network devices using the NETCONF protocol (RFC 6241) over SSH on port 830. NETCONF provides structured XML-based configuration management and is the preferred method for Juniper JunOS, enabling atomic configuration commits and rollback support.
7In Ansible network automation, what does the `state: gathered` parameter do in a resource module like `cisco.ios.ios_interfaces`?
A.Reads the current device configuration and returns it as Ansible facts without making any changes
B.Applies the provided configuration to the device
C.Collects interface statistics like traffic counters and error rates
D.Gathers all configurations across all network devices in the inventory
Explanation: `state: gathered` in network resource modules reads the current device configuration and parses it into structured data (Ansible facts under `ansible_network_resources`). No changes are made to the device. This is useful for auditing, generating documentation, or using the gathered data as input for subsequent plays.
8Which Ansible module configures VLANs on Arista EOS switches as part of the `arista.eos` collection?
A.arista.eos.eos_vlans
B.arista.eos.eos_vlan_config
C.ansible.netcommon.net_vlans
D.arista.eos.eos_switchport
Explanation: `arista.eos.eos_vlans` is the resource module for managing VLANs on Arista EOS devices. It supports `state: merged` (add/update), `replaced` (replace for specified VLANs), `overridden` (replace all), `deleted` (remove), and `gathered`. Part of the `arista.eos` collection installed via `ansible-galaxy collection install arista.eos`.
9In Ansible, what is the purpose of `host_vars/` and `group_vars/` directories in network automation projects?
A.They store variable files specific to individual hosts or host groups, keeping device-specific configurations separate from playbooks
B.They define Ansible roles that run on specific hosts or groups
C.They contain Jinja2 templates for generating device-specific configurations
D.They store inventory files for different environments (dev, staging, production)
Explanation: `host_vars/<hostname>/` stores variables for individual network devices (like specific interface IPs, OSPF router IDs). `group_vars/<group>/` stores shared variables for device groups (like the NTP server or default BGP community). This separation keeps playbooks generic and reusable while all device-specific data stays in the variable files.
10Which Ansible module sends a list of raw CLI commands to a Cisco IOS device and returns the output?
A.cisco.ios.ios_command
B.cisco.ios.ios_cli
C.ansible.netcommon.cli_command
D.cisco.ios.ios_exec
Explanation: `cisco.ios.ios_command` sends one or more CLI commands to a Cisco IOS device and returns the output. Unlike `cli_command` (which sends a single command), `ios_command` supports a list of commands and includes a `wait_for` parameter that blocks until specific output patterns appear in the response — useful for waiting for interface states.
About the EX457 Practice Questions
Verified exam format metadata for Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Network Automation exam (EX457) is pending. The practice questions above remain available while official exam length, timing, passing score, fee, and administrator details are reviewed.