RHCE EX294 Exam Versions: How They Differ and Which One to Take

Quick answer: EX294 is Red Hat's hands-on Ansible exam. Red Hat now titles it the Red Hat Certified Advanced System Administrator in Ansible exam, and passing it (while holding RHCSA) leads to the Red Hat Certified Engineer in Ansible credential. Older articles compared "v8" and "v9", which referred to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux release an exam version was built on. Red Hat states that the objectives are based on the most recent Red Hat product version available, so book the version Red Hat currently sells and practise on that release.

Key takeaways

• EX294 is a hands-on, practical exam that uses Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform playbooks.
• The exam title is now "Red Hat Certified Advanced System Administrator in Ansible". The related credential for RHCSA holders is "Red Hat Certified Engineer in Ansible".
• Exam versions follow Red Hat product releases. The v8 and v9 comparison in older posts is out of date.
• Check the versions available for purchase on Red Hat's exam page before you book.

What is EX294?

EX294 tests whether you can automate Red Hat Enterprise Linux administration with Ansible. You get live systems and a list of tasks, and you complete them by writing and running playbooks. Red Hat's exam page describes it as a hands-on, practical exam that requires you to use Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform playbooks.

Red Hat has renamed parts of this track. The exam page is titled "Red Hat Certified Advanced System Administrator in Ansible Exam | EX294". The credential page for Red Hat Certified Engineer in Ansible says candidates earn it by passing EX294, and that candidates who do not yet hold RHCSA should earn RHCSA first. Many people still call the exam "RHCE EX294", which is why this article keeps that name in the title.

What "v8" and "v9" meant

Red Hat exams are tied to a product version. When this article was first written, EX294 was offered in versions based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, and people called them v8 and v9. Those labels described the operating system and the Ansible packaging shipped with it at the time.

That comparison no longer helps you choose. Red Hat's EX294 page states that the objectives "are based on the most recent Red Hat product version available", and its "Get started" option lists the versions of the exam currently for purchase. For comparison, Red Hat's RHCSA exam page (EX200) now states that it is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.

How exam versions differ in general

When Red Hat moves an exam to a newer product release, the changes usually show up in these places:

• The operating system on the exam systems, with its package versions and default settings.
• The Ansible tooling and content that ship with that release, including which collections are available.
• The published objectives. New objectives can appear and old ones can be dropped.

Most Ansible skills carry across versions: inventories, playbooks, variables, roles and collections. Details such as module options, collection names and system defaults can change, so practise on the release your exam uses and compare your notes with the current objectives.

Current objective areas

At the time of review, the objectives on Red Hat's EX294 page are grouped under these headings:

• Understand core components of Ansible
• Configure Ansible
• Configure Ansible managed nodes
• Create and distribute SSH keys to managed nodes
• Configure privilege escalation on managed nodes
• Deploy files to managed nodes
• Run playbooks
• Perform basic source control operations using Git
• Create Ansible plays and playbooks
• Use roles and Ansible Content Collections
• Manage content

Read the full list on the exam page. Each heading has detailed points under it, and Red Hat updates them when the version changes.

Recommended preparation from Red Hat

Red Hat's exam page recommends that candidates have completed RH124 and RH134 (or RH199), or have comparable experience as a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system administrator. It also recommends Red Hat Enterprise Linux Automation with Ansible (AU294) or comparable experience, and a review of the EX200 objectives.

Which version should you take?

• Open the EX294 page, choose "Get started" and see which versions are listed for purchase.
• If more than one version is listed, pick the one that matches the Red Hat Enterprise Linux release you use or plan to use at work.
• Build your lab on the same release as the exam. Practising on a different release can leave you with habits that do not match the exam systems.
• Re-read the objectives shortly before your exam date in case they have changed.

The Ansible documentation is a good companion while you practise. Red Hat's exam rules forbid sharing exam content, so prepare from the published objectives and your own lab tasks, and avoid "real exam question" lists.

Read more in how to pass RHCE EX294 at the first attempt, the EX294 passing guide and the post on RHCE costs in India.

Next steps

Set up a control node and two managed nodes on the release your exam uses, then write a playbook for each objective. For instructor-led help, see WebAsha's RHCE EX294 course.

References

• Red Hat: Red Hat Certified Advanced System Administrator in Ansible Exam (EX294)
• Red Hat: Red Hat Certified Engineer in Ansible
• Red Hat: Red Hat Certified System Administrator exam (EX200)
• Ansible documentation

Last reviewed: 18 October 2026.