Learn Ansible: A Comprehensive Guide to Courses, Certifications, and Exams (2026 Update)
-
Gineesh Madapparambath
- Ansible, Ansible resources, Automation
- July 6, 2026
Introduction
Ansible is one of the most widely used open-source automation tools, letting teams automate everything from Linux and Windows servers to network devices, cloud platforms, and container environments. If you’re trying to learn Ansible in 2026, the landscape has actually shifted quite a bit since we first published this guide. Red Hat restructured its entire certification program in May 2026, several older exams have been retired, and new specialist paths have opened up.
Table of Contents
This guide walks through the current, active path to Ansible certification, plus the free and third-party courses worth your time.
Check our free Ansible for Absolute Beginners series to get hands-on before diving into anything formal.
Either follow a beginner-level course or a certification track designed for Ansible certification. Whichever direction you go, the fundamentals here haven’t changed: Ansible rewards practice far more than memorizing exam objectives.
Disclaimer: The views expressed and the content shared are those of the author and do not reflect the views of the author’s employer.
Info
Red Hat announced a major certification restructure on May 11, 2026. Exam content, pricing, format, and the 3-year validity period are unchanged, but the organizational framework is new: certifications are now grouped into five specialization tracks (Enterprise Linux, Ansible, OpenShift, Cloud-native applications, and AI), each with five progressive levels (Technologist, Systems Administrator/Developer, Engineer, Specialist, Architect). If you already hold Red Hat credentials, nothing you earned is invalidated, but the path to new certifications is organized differently now.
The Current Ansible Certification Track (2026)
Here’s how the Ansible track is structured today, from entry point to the top:
| Level | Certification | Exam(s) Required |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) | EX200 |
| 3 | Red Hat Certified Engineer in Ansible | EX200 + EX294 |
| 4 | Ansible Specialist (choose any) | EX374, EX417, EX457, or EX467 |
| 5 | Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) in Ansible | EX200 + EX294 + any 3 of the Level 4 specialist exams |
A few important notes on what changed:
- EX294 is still very much alive. It’s now officially titled “Red Hat Certified Advanced System Administrator in Ansible,” but it remains the core Level 3 exam and the foundation for RHCE in Ansible. If you were prepping under the old RHCE branding, your study plan is still valid.
- RHCA is now track-specific. You can no longer mix specialist exams from different domains to earn a single generic RHCA. Earning RHCA in Ansible means combining EX200, EX294, and three of the four current Ansible specialist exams within the Ansible track itself.
- EX407 (Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Ansible Automation) is retired and was replaced by EX294 some time ago. If you see this listed anywhere, treat it as historical.
- DO447 (Advanced Automation: Ansible Best Practices) and its exam EX447 are also retired. These pages still exist on Red Hat’s site for historical reference, but you cannot take this exam anymore. If you’re looking for that “next step” after EX294, look at the four active Level 4 specialist exams below instead.
- EX358 (Services Management and Automation), which used to appear as an Ansible-adjacent option, is now categorized under the Enterprise Linux specialist track rather than Ansible. It’s still relevant if you automate services like DNS, DHCP, NFS, or HAProxy with Ansible, just filed differently in Red Hat’s system.
Course - Ansible Basics: Automation Technical Overview (DO007) - FREE
DO007 is still a free series of on-demand videos that gives you a working understanding of Ansible and Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. You’ll cover configuration management, provisioning, deployment, playbooks, roles, and an introduction to automation controller, all at no cost.
Check DO007 for the full video list and course content.
Want to go deeper into practical Ansible use cases? Check book Ansible for Real Life Automation, available on Packt and Amazon.
Course - Red Hat Enterprise Linux Automation with Ansible (RH294)
This course is designed for Linux system administrators and developers who want to manage and automate system operations, configurations, deployment, and orchestration. It’s based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform (RHAAP), and it’s the standard prep course for EX294.
It’s recommended to complete the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) exam (EX200) before this course, or you can skip it if you already have equivalent RHEL knowledge and experience.
Check RH294 for course content and details.
Exam - Red Hat Certified Advanced System Administrator in Ansible (EX294)
This is the performance-based Level 3 exam that tests your skill in writing playbooks to manage systems and execute common system administration tasks using Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform. Passing it earns you the Red Hat Certified Engineer in Ansible credential (combined with EX200) and counts toward Red Hat Certified Architect in Ansible.
Pro tip: this exam is entirely hands-on. You’re given live systems and asked to complete real automation tasks, not answer multiple-choice questions. Practice in an actual RHEL environment matters far more than reading objectives.
You should have either completed RH294 or have comparable real-world experience with RHEL and Ansible before attempting it.
Check EX294 to see current exam objectives and prerequisites.
Ansible Specialist Exams (Level 4)
These are the four active specialist exams. Passing any one of them earns you an Ansible specialist credential, and passing three (alongside EX200 and EX294) earns you RHCA in Ansible.
Course and Exam - Developing Automation with Ansible Automation Platform (DO374 / EX374)
DO374 covers the architecture of Ansible Automation Platform (formerly Ansible Tower), Automation Controller, Execution Environments, Automation Hub, and efficient development methods for building automation content at scale.
Check DO374 for the course, and EX374 for the exam details.
Course and Exam - Microsoft Windows Automation with Ansible (DO417 / EX417)
DO417 focuses on managing Windows server operations with Ansible, including inventory management for Windows machines, PowerShell integration, and common Windows administration tasks.
Check DO417 for the course, and EX417 for the exam.
Course and Exam - Ansible Network Automation (DO457 / EX457)
DO457 is built for network and infrastructure administrators who want to automate network device management using Ansible.
Check DO457 for the course, and EX457 for the exam.
Course and Exam - Managing Automation with Ansible Automation Platform (DO467 / EX467)
DO467 is an advanced course for experienced automation engineers and DevOps practitioners who need to deploy and manage centralized automation execution at scale, including automation mesh.
Check DO467 for the course, and EX467 for the exam.
Course - Red Hat Services Management and Automation (RH358)
If you’re looking to automate advanced services in Red Hat Enterprise Linux such as DNS, DHCP, DHCPv6, print service, NFS, SMB, SQL (MariaDB), HTTPD, and HAProxy, check RH358. Under the 2026 restructure this course now sits in the Enterprise Linux track rather than the Ansible track, but it’s still built around using Ansible to automate these services, so it’s worth knowing about if your work spans both.
Check RH358 for course details.
Exam - Red Hat Certified Specialist in Services Management and Automation (EX358)
EX358 tests your skill in service management automation using Ansible. It’s recommended to complete RH358, or have adequate equivalent experience, before attempting it.
Check EX358 for exam details.
Other Notable Courses
Introduction to Event-Driven Ansible (DO274)
DO274 covers how to set up, deploy, and configure Event-Driven Ansible to trigger automation in response to events from your IT infrastructure, a growing area as teams move from scheduled automation to reactive, event-based workflows.
Check DO274 for details.
Red Hat Ansible Automation for SAP (RH045) - FREE
A free course covering the basics of SAP automation using Ansible.
Check RH045 for details.
Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform Bootcamp (DO710)
An immersive bootcamp for Linux administrators and developers covering how to automate system administration tasks at scale, manage complex automation workflows, and evaluate automation performance.
Check DO710 for details.
Retired Courses and Exams (For Reference)
If you come across any of these while researching, know that they’re no longer available to take:
- DO407 - Automation with Ansible: the old foundational Ansible specialist course, retired.
- EX407 - Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Ansible Automation: the old specialist exam, replaced by EX294.
- DO447 - Advanced Automation: Ansible Best Practices: retired course.
- EX447 - Red Hat Certified Specialist in Advanced Automation: Ansible Best Practices: retired exam, with no direct replacement. Its content is now spread across the four Level 4 specialist exams above.
You can still attend Red Hat exams remotely; check the Red Hat Remote Exam Guide for details.
Other Ansible Courses
Ansible real-life use cases by techbeatly
This is a video series hosted by techbeatly where different experts share their knowledge and experience on Ansible through real use cases and demonstrations. Also check the iamgini/ansible-real-life repository for the playbooks and sample references related to this series.
Want to learn more about Ansible practical use cases? Check the author’s book, available on Packt and Amazon.
Ansible for Absolute Beginners - free course by techbeatly
Another free Ansible course and video series by techbeatly to learn Ansible from scratch, covering core concepts, setting up an Ansible home lab, and practical use cases.
Learn Ansible Basics - Beginners Course by KodeKloud
A basic course from KodeKloud covering Ansible’s core concepts and architecture.
Get the course: KodeKloud | Udemy
Ansible Advanced - Hands-On DevOps by KodeKloud
The second course in KodeKloud’s Ansible series, focused on advanced concepts. You’ll also cover some Ansible real-life use cases.
Get the course from Udemy.
Dive Into Ansible - From Beginner to Expert by James Spurin
A solid course for beginners who want to progress from zero to an expert level in Ansible.
Get the course from Udemy.
Mastering Ansible by Chris Lunsford
A more detailed course covering advanced Ansible concepts such as pipelining, debugging, and optimization.
Get the course from Udemy.
Ansible for Network Engineers: Quick Start GNS3 & Ansible by David Bombal
Ideal if you want to learn network automation with Ansible. Covers setting up a network automation lab with GNS3 and connecting Ansible to network appliances.
Get the course from Udemy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. EX294 is active and remains the Level 3 exam in Red Hat’s Ansible track. It’s now officially titled “Red Hat Certified Advanced System Administrator in Ansible,” but the exam itself, its objectives, and its role in earning RHCE in Ansible haven’t changed.
EX407, the old Red Hat Certificate of Expertise in Ansible Automation, is retired. It was replaced by EX294, which has been the standard Ansible engineer-level exam for several years now.
No. Both the DO447 course and the EX447 exam (Advanced Automation: Ansible Best Practices) are retired with no direct one-to-one replacement. Their content is now covered across the four active Ansible specialist exams: EX374, EX417, EX457, and EX467.
You need EX200 (RHCSA), EX294, and any three of the four Level 4 specialist exams: EX374, EX417, EX457, or EX467. RHCA is now track-specific, so specialist exams from other tracks no longer count toward it.
Start with DO007 (Ansible Basics: Automation Technical Overview), a free video series from Red Hat, or techbeatly’s own free Ansible for Absolute Beginners series.
Conclusion
The Ansible learning curve is still quite smooth, and the community support around it remains huge. What matters most is identifying and practicing real Ansible use cases from your own workplace or side projects, rather than just chasing exam objectives.
With Red Hat’s 2026 restructure, the path is arguably clearer than before: RHCSA gets you in the door, EX294 makes you an Ansible engineer, and any three of the four active specialist exams gets you to RHCA in Ansible. If you’re picking up an old study plan built around EX407, DO447, or generic RHCA advice, it’s worth spending ten minutes confirming your target exam is still active before you commit weeks of prep to it.
There are people in the community ready to help guide you through learning Ansible. You can always join and ask questions in community chat groups such as techbeatly or Ansible on Telegram.
Gineesh Madapparambath
Gineesh Madapparambath is the founder of techbeatly. He is the co-author of The Kubernetes Bible, Second Edition and the author of Ansible for Real Life Automation. He has worked as a Systems Engineer, Automation Specialist, and content author. His primary focus is on Ansible Automation, Containerisation (OpenShift & Kubernetes), and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform). (Read more: iamgini.com)
Note
Disclaimer: The views expressed and the content shared in all published articles on this website are solely those of the respective authors, and they do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s employer or the platform. We strive to ensure the accuracy and validity of the content published on our website. However, we cannot guarantee the absolute correctness or completeness of the information provided. It is the responsibility of the readers and users of this website to verify the accuracy and appropriateness of any information or opinions expressed within the articles. If you come across any content that you believe to be incorrect or invalid, please contact us immediately so that we can address the issue promptly.
