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CKA Practice Question: Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration
This CKA practice question tests your understanding of cluster architecture, installation and configuration. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 is creating a Deployment with a single container that should restart only if the process exits with non-zero. Which restartPolicy should be used?
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
✓
Always
In Kubernetes, the `restartPolicy` for a Pod controls whether the kubelet restarts the container when it exits. The `Always` policy (the default for Deployments) restarts the container regardless of the exit code, which is required for a Deployment to maintain the desired number of replicas. Since the developer wants the container to restart only on non-zero exit, `Always` is the correct choice because it restarts on any exit, including non-zero.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the `restartPolicy` behavior with the desired behavior of a Job, where `OnFailure` is appropriate, but for a Deployment, `Always` is the only valid policy and it still restarts on non-zero exits, making it the correct choice despite the wording 'only if the process exits with non-zero'.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `restartPolicy` is a Pod-level field, not a container-level field, and applies to all containers in the Pod. For Deployments, the `restartPolicy` must be set to `Always` because the ReplicaSet controller relies on the kubelet to restart containers to maintain the desired replica count; `OnFailure` is typically used for Jobs or CronJobs where a completed Pod should not be restarted. Under the hood, the kubelet uses the exit code from the container runtime (e.g., containerd) to determine the restart action based on the policy, and `Always` triggers a restart even on a successful exit (exit code 0), which is why it satisfies the requirement of restarting on non-zero exits.
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.
What to study next
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Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CKA question test?
Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration — This question tests Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Always — In Kubernetes, the `restartPolicy` for a Pod controls whether the kubelet restarts the container when it exits. The `Always` policy (the default for Deployments) restarts the container regardless of the exit code, which is required for a Deployment to maintain the desired number of replicas. Since the developer wants the container to restart only on non-zero exit, `Always` is the correct choice because it restarts on any exit, including non-zero.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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.
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