CKA Storage Practice Question
A cluster administrator manages a PersistentVolume with reclaim policy Retain that was bound to a PersistentVolumeClaim. The application team deletes the PVC, but the administrator later needs to reuse the same underlying storage for a new PVC in the same namespace. After the PVC deletion, the PV shows status Released. Which sequence of actions must the administrator perform to make the PV bindable again?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is believing that a Released PV will automatically rebind to a new PVC with the same name, when the stale claimRef must be manually cleared first.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Edit the PV to remove the claimRef field (or set it to null), then create a new PVC that matches the PV's capacity and access modes.
Under the Retain policy, deleting a PVC leaves the PV in Released state with a claimRef to the deleted claim. To reuse the storage, the administrator must remove the claimRef so the PV becomes Available, then create a new PVC whose capacity and access modes match. Deleting the PV or changing the reclaim policy risks data loss and does not restore bindability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a new PVC with the same name as the deleted PVC and the same capacity; Kubernetes will automatically rebind the Released PV.
Why it's wrong here
A Released PV will not automatically bind even to a PVC with the same name, because the stale claimRef still exists and the PV is not in Available state. Kubernetes does not rebind Released PVs automatically. The administrator must first clear the claimRef to return the PV to Available.
- ✓
Edit the PV to remove the claimRef field (or set it to null), then create a new PVC that matches the PV's capacity and access modes.
Why this is correct
A Released PV retains a claimRef pointing to the deleted PVC, which prevents binding to a new claim. Removing the claimRef field makes the PV Available again, allowing a new PVC with matching capacity and access modes to bind. This is the documented reclaim procedure for Retain policy volumes.
- ✗
Change the PV's reclaim policy to Delete, then delete and recreate the PVC.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the reclaim policy to Delete would cause the underlying storage to be deleted when the PV is released, destroying the data the administrator wants to reuse. Reclaim policy changes do not clear the claimRef or make a Released PV Available. This approach is destructive and does not achieve rebinding.
- ✗
Delete the PV and recreate it with the same storage backend configuration, then create the new PVC.
Why it's wrong here
Deleting and recreating the PV would work only if the backend storage is independently reattachable, but it discards the retained PV object and its claimRef history. The standard documented procedure is to clear the claimRef rather than delete the PV, because the PV still represents valid retained storage. Recreating risks losing the association with the existing data.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
etcd Backup and Restore
Key term
Persistent Volumes
A Persistent Volume is a piece of storage in a Kubernetes cluster that has been provisioned by an administrator and exists independently of any single pod that uses it.
Key term
Storage Classes
A Storage Class in Kubernetes is a template that defines how persistent storage is provisioned automatically, including the type of storage, performance characteristics, and provisioning policies.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CNCF exam blueprint
This CKA practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CKA exam.