Free RedHat EX380 Exam Actual Questions & Explanations

Last updated on: Jul 15, 2026
Author: Eli Kim (RedHat Certified Instructor & OpenShift Automation Specialist)

The EX380 exam validates your ability to automate and integrate workloads on Red Hat OpenShift platforms. This certification, formally known as Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Automation and Integration, is designed for platform engineers and DevOps professionals who manage production OpenShift environments. This landing page outlines the exam syllabus, question formats, and practical preparation strategies to help you build confidence and competency across all tested domains.

EX380 Exam Syllabus & Core Topics

Use this topic map to guide your study for RedHat EX380 (Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Automation and Integration) within the Red Hat Openshift Certifications path.

  • Configure and manage OpenShift Authentication and Identities: Set up identity providers, configure role-based access control (RBAC), and manage user and service account permissions to enforce least-privilege access in production clusters.
  • Back up and restore applications with OpenShift API for Data Protection (OADP): Deploy and configure OADP, create backup schedules, test restore procedures, and validate data integrity across stateful and stateless workloads.
  • Manage workloads with cluster partitioning: Use node selectors, taints, and tolerations to isolate workloads, enforce resource boundaries, and optimize cluster utilization across multiple teams or applications.
  • Manage workloads with pod scheduling: Apply pod affinity and anti-affinity rules, configure resource requests and limits, and use advanced scheduling policies to ensure optimal pod placement and performance.
  • Implement OpenShift GitOps: Deploy and configure Argo CD or equivalent GitOps tools, manage application declarative configurations, synchronize state, and automate deployment pipelines through version-controlled repositories.
  • Manage cluster monitoring and metrics: Configure Prometheus and Grafana, create custom alerts, interpret performance metrics, and troubleshoot cluster health issues using built-in monitoring stacks.
  • Provision and inspect cluster logging: Deploy and configure OpenShift Logging (ELK stack), aggregate logs from applications and infrastructure, query logs for troubleshooting, and manage log retention policies.

Question Formats & What They Test

The EX380 exam combines multiple question types to assess both theoretical knowledge and practical decision-making in real-world scenarios. Questions progress in difficulty and require you to apply concepts across authentication, backup, scheduling, GitOps, monitoring, and logging domains.

  • Multiple choice: Test your understanding of core concepts, feature behavior, API objects, and configuration best practices. These questions verify foundational knowledge of OpenShift components and terminology.
  • Scenario-based items: Present realistic operational challenges such as configuring secure access for a multi-tenant cluster, designing a backup strategy for critical applications, or troubleshooting pod scheduling conflicts. You select the best approach based on requirements and constraints.
  • Configuration and troubleshooting tasks: Require hands-on reasoning about YAML manifests, kubectl commands, and cluster state inspection. You may analyze logs, interpret metrics, or explain how to fix a misconfigured identity provider or GitOps workflow.

Preparation Guidance

An effective study plan breaks the seven core topics into manageable weekly goals, combines hands-on practice with conceptual review, and includes timed assessments to build exam readiness. Allocate time proportionally to your weaker areas while reinforcing connections between authentication, data protection, scheduling, and observability features.

  • Map each topic (Configure and manage OpenShift Authentication and Identities, Back up and restore applications with OpenShift API for Data Protection (OADP), Manage workloads with cluster partitioning, Manage workloads with pod scheduling, Implement OpenShift GitOps, Manage cluster monitoring and metrics, Provision and inspect cluster logging) to weekly study blocks and track progress against learning objectives.
  • Work through practice question sets, review detailed explanations for both correct and incorrect answers, and identify patterns in your weak areas.
  • Connect features across domains: for example, understand how RBAC integrates with GitOps deployments, or how monitoring alerts inform backup timing decisions.
  • Complete a timed practice test under exam conditions to build pacing confidence and reduce test-day anxiety.
  • In the final week, focus on high-weight topics and review command syntax, API object fields, and common configuration mistakes.

Explore other RedHat certifications: view all RedHat exams.

Get the PDF & Practice Test

Strengthen your preparation with up-to-date resources from validexamdumps.com. These materials align to EX380 and cover practical scenarios with clear explanations.

  • Q&A PDF with explanations: Topic-mapped questions that clarify why correct options are right and others aren't, helping you build deep understanding of each domain.
  • Practice Test: Realistic items, timed and untimed modes, progress tracking, and detailed review to simulate exam conditions.
  • Focused coverage: Aligned to Configure and manage OpenShift Authentication and Identities, Back up and restore applications with OpenShift API for Data Protection (OADP), Manage workloads with cluster partitioning, Manage workloads with pod scheduling, Implement OpenShift GitOps, Manage cluster monitoring and metrics, and Provision and inspect cluster logging so you study what matters most.
  • Regular reviews: Content refreshes that reflect syllabus and product changes, keeping your study materials current.

Visit the exam page to download the PDF, Online Practice Test, or get a Bundle Discount offer for both formats: Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Automation and Integration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which topics carry the most weight on the EX380 exam?

OpenShift Authentication and Identities, GitOps implementation, and cluster monitoring typically represent a significant portion of the exam. However, all seven domains are tested, so a balanced study approach is essential. Focus extra effort on topics where you have less hands-on experience.

How do authentication, backup, and scheduling connect in real OpenShift projects?

In production environments, RBAC controls who can trigger backups and restore operations, scheduling policies determine which nodes run backup agents, and monitoring alerts notify teams when backup jobs fail. Understanding these interdependencies helps you design secure, resilient systems rather than treating each topic in isolation.

How much hands-on lab experience do I need before attempting EX380?

You should have at least 6-12 months of practical OpenShift experience, including cluster administration and application deployment. Prioritize labs that involve configuring identity providers, deploying OADP, setting up GitOps pipelines, and interpreting monitoring dashboards. Hands-on practice with kubectl, YAML editing, and troubleshooting is far more valuable than memorization.

What common mistakes lead to lost points on this exam?

Candidates often confuse RBAC role types, miss the importance of resource requests in pod scheduling, or overlook OADP prerequisites like storage backend configuration. Another frequent error is not reading scenario questions carefully enough to identify all constraints before selecting an answer. Take time to understand the "why" behind each configuration, not just the "how."

What is a smart review strategy for the final week before the exam?

Focus on weak topic areas identified in your practice tests, review command syntax and API object fields for common tasks, and do a final timed practice test. Avoid cramming new material; instead, reinforce concepts you already understand and clarify any lingering confusion. Get adequate sleep and manage stress so you enter the exam rested and confident.

Question No. 1

SIMULATION

Task SIMULATION 24

Recover a NotReady worker node (basic remediation workflow)

Task Information: Diagnose a NotReady worker node and restore it to Ready state using standard OpenShift admin workflow.

Show Answer Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A

Identify failing node and status

oc get nodes

Confirms which node is NotReady.

Inspect node conditions and events

oc describe node <worker>

Shows kubelet condition issues (network, disk pressure, runtime, etc.).

Check MachineConfigPool state

oc get mcp

oc describe mcp worker

If MCP is degraded, node may be stuck applying a config.

Check node logs (kubelet)

oc adm node-logs <worker> --path=kubelet.log

Often reveals why node isn't reporting Ready.

Remediate based on symptom

Examples:

If out of disk: free space, then verify kubelet recovers.

If stuck MCO: investigate current/desired config and fix broken MachineConfig.

If node cordoned/drained incorrectly: uncordon after remediation.

oc adm uncordon <worker>

Confirm node returns Ready

oc get node <worker>

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Question No. 2

SIMULATION

Task SIMULATION 27

Configure log forwarding to an external endpoint

Task Information: Configure Cluster Logging to forward application logs to an external output using ClusterLogForwarder.

Show Answer Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A

Verify logging namespace and resources

oc get ns openshift-logging

oc -n openshift-logging get clusterlogforwarder

ClusterLogForwarder configures pipelines and outputs.

Create/Edit ClusterLogForwarder (example structure)

Define an output (external system) and pipeline selecting application logs.

Apply via YAML:

oc -n openshift-logging apply -f clusterlogforwarder.yaml

Validate collector pods are healthy

oc -n openshift-logging get pods

Forwarding relies on collectors (vector/fluentd depending config).

Generate a test log line

oc -n openshift-logging run logger --image=busybox --restart=Never -- /bin/sh -c 'echo hello-forwarding; sleep 5'

This creates a known message to search in the external endpoint.

Confirm logs arrive at destination

Use your external system's query/search to confirm hello-forwarding.

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Question No. 3

SIMULATION

Task SIMULATION 1

Node Management -- Remove Taint on Worker Node

Show Answer Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A

Step 1: Log in to the OpenShift web console with an account that has sufficient cluster administrative privileges.

This Task is performed from the GUI, not the CLI. The lab hint explicitly places this under the worker node details page in the console.

Step 2: Navigate to Compute.

This area contains node-level resources, including control plane and worker nodes.

Step 3: Open Nodes.

Here you can view all nodes currently registered in the cluster.

Step 4: Select the required worker node.

Choose the exact worker node referenced by the lab Task SIMULATION.

Step 5: Open the Details tab.

The taint configuration is managed from the selected node's details view.

Step 6: Locate the Taints section and click Edit.

A taint is used to control pod scheduling. If a worker has a taint, pods without matching tolerations may not schedule there.

Step 7: Remove the unwanted taint entry.

Removing the taint makes the worker eligible again for normal scheduling behavior, depending on the rest of the cluster policy.

Step 8: Click Save.

This commits the change so the node is updated and the scheduler can evaluate it without that taint.

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Question No. 4

SIMULATION

Task SIMULATION 19

Add tolerations to a deployment

Task Information: Update payments/api deployment to tolerate dedicated=payments:NoSchedule.

Show Answer Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A

Patch deployment with toleration

oc -n payments patch deploy api --type=merge -p '{

'spec':{'template':{'spec':{'tolerations':[

{'key':'dedicated','operator':'Equal','value':'payments','effect':'NoSchedule'}

]}}}

}'

Toleration allows pods to schedule onto tainted nodes.

Verify scheduling

oc -n payments get pods -o wide

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Question No. 5

SIMULATION

Task SIMULATION 18

Prevent workloads from running on dedicated nodes (taints)

Task Information: Apply a taint to dedicated nodes so only pods with tolerations can run there.

Show Answer Hide Answer
Correct Answer: A

Taint nodes

oc adm taint nodes worker-1 dedicated=payments:NoSchedule

oc adm taint nodes worker-2 dedicated=payments:NoSchedule

NoSchedule blocks new pods that do not tolerate the taint.

Confirm taints

oc describe node worker-1 | grep -i taints -A2

Ensures taints are present.

Validate effect

A normal deployment without tolerations will remain Pending if it can only land on those tainted nodes.

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