This CKA practice question tests your understanding of workloads & scheduling. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A developer deployed a Pod that is stuck in Pending state. The cluster has one worker node with taint 'node.kubernetes.io/disk-pressure:NoSchedule'. The Pod does not specify any tolerations. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The node has a taint that the Pod does not tolerate.
A Pod stuck in Pending state indicates the scheduler cannot find a suitable node. The cluster has a worker node with the taint 'node.kubernetes.io/disk-pressure:NoSchedule', and the Pod has no tolerations. Since taints with effect NoSchedule prevent scheduling of Pods that do not tolerate them, the Pod cannot be placed on that node, leaving it in Pending.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The Pod was evicted due to resource pressure.
Why it's wrong here
Eviction would result in Terminating state, not Pending.
✗
The Pod requests more CPU than available on the node.
Why it's wrong here
Resource requests would show as insufficient resources, but the node has disk pressure taint.
✗
The scheduler failed to communicate with the API server.
Why it's wrong here
Scheduler communication issues would affect all Pods.
✓
The node has a taint that the Pod does not tolerate.
Why this is correct
The Pod lacks toleration for the disk-pressure taint.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CNCF often tests the distinction between taints/tolerations and resource constraints, so the trap here is that candidates may confuse a taint-based scheduling block with a resource shortage, especially when the taint name includes 'disk-pressure' which sounds like a resource issue.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Resource requests would show as insufficient resources, but the node has disk pressure taint.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Taints and tolerations work by the scheduler filtering nodes: a node with a taint of effect NoSchedule will reject any Pod that does not have a matching toleration. The 'node.kubernetes.io/disk-pressure' taint is automatically added by the kubelet when disk usage exceeds a threshold (typically 85% or 90% of capacity), and it is removed when pressure subsides. In a real-world scenario, if a cluster has only one node and it is tainted, all Pods without tolerations will remain Pending until the taint is removed or tolerations are added.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CKA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CKA question in full detail.
Workloads & Scheduling — This question tests Workloads & Scheduling — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The node has a taint that the Pod does not tolerate. — A Pod stuck in Pending state indicates the scheduler cannot find a suitable node. The cluster has a worker node with the taint 'node.kubernetes.io/disk-pressure:NoSchedule', and the Pod has no tolerations. Since taints with effect NoSchedule prevent scheduling of Pods that do not tolerate them, the Pod cannot be placed on that node, leaving it in Pending.
What should I do if I get this CKA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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