This CKA practice question tests your understanding of workloads and scheduling. 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 Job 'backup' uses the default restartPolicy. The pod completes successfully. What is the pod's phase?
Running
Why wrong: The pod completed, so it is not Running.
Succeeded
Job pods that complete successfully enter Succeeded phase.
Completed
Why wrong: 'Completed' is not a pod phase; it is a condition.
Terminated
Why wrong: 'Terminated' is a container state, not a pod phase.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Succeeded
The default restartPolicy for a Job is 'Never'. When a Job pod completes successfully (exit code 0), Kubernetes sets the pod's phase to 'Succeeded'. This is defined in the Kubernetes API, where the pod phase reflects the lifecycle outcome of the container execution.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Running
Why it's wrong here
The pod completed, so it is not Running.
Succeeded
Why this is correct
Job pods that complete successfully enter Succeeded phase.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Completed
Why it's wrong here
'Completed' is not a pod phase; it is a condition.
Terminated
Why it's wrong here
'Terminated' is a container state, not a pod phase.
Common exam traps
CNCF often tests the distinction between pod phases (Pending, Running, Succeeded, Failed, Unknown) and container states (Waiting, Running, Terminated), leading candidates to confuse 'Completed' or 'Terminated' with the correct pod phase 'Succeeded'.
Detailed technical explanation
The Job controller manages pods to run until a specified number of successful completions. When a pod's restartPolicy is 'Never' or 'OnFailure', and the container exits with code 0, the pod phase transitions to 'Succeeded'. This phase is immutable and used by the Job controller to count completions. In contrast, a pod with restartPolicy 'Always' (default for Deployments) would restart the container, never reaching 'Succeeded' unless explicitly terminated.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Workloads and Scheduling — This question tests Workloads and Scheduling — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Succeeded — The default restartPolicy for a Job is 'Never'. When a Job pod completes successfully (exit code 0), Kubernetes sets the pod's phase to 'Succeeded'. This is defined in the Kubernetes API, where the pod phase reflects the lifecycle outcome of the container execution.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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