CKA Workloads and Scheduling Practice Question
A pod has resource requests: cpu: 250m, memory: 128Mi. The node has 2 CPU cores and 4Gi memory. What is the maximum number of such pods that can fit on this node based solely on CPU requests?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may incorrectly convert 2 CPU cores to 2000m (which is correct) but then misapply the division, or confuse milliCPU with memory units (e.g., thinking 128Mi memory limits CPU count), leading to answers like 16 or 32.
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
✓
8
The node has 2 CPU cores, which equals 2000m (2000 milliCPU). Each pod requests 250m CPU. Dividing 2000m by 250m gives 8 pods. This calculation assumes no other pods or system overhead, and only considers CPU requests, not limits or other resources.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
32
Why it's wrong here
32 pods would demand 32 × 250m = 8000m CPU, which is four times the node's 2000m allocatable capacity. The Kubernetes scheduler rejects this because the total CPU request exceeds the node's remaining allocatable resources, and requests are hard guarantees that cannot be overcommitted at admission time. Even if memory were ignored, this many pods simply cannot be placed on a single node with only 2000m CPU.
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16
Why it's wrong here
16 pods require 16 × 250m = 4000m CPU, which is double the node's 2000m available. This would overcommit the CPU request pool, and the scheduler will not admit the full set because the sum of requests must be less than or equal to node allocatable. You would need at least another 2000m CPU (or a second node) to run all 16 while honoring their guaranteed CPU requests.
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4
Why it's wrong here
4 pods use only 1000m CPU, leaving 1000m of the node's 2000m idle. This is a valid but non-maximal placement; the scheduler could fit more pods because the remaining CPU allows up to four additional pods at 250m each. To maximize pod density, you would keep adding pods until the next 250m request would exceed the remaining capacity, so 4 is unnecessarily conservative.
- ✓
8
Why this is correct
8 pods each requesting 250m CPU sum to exactly 2000m, matching the node's allocatable CPU. The scheduler can place all 8 because the total request does not exceed capacity, and CPU requests are not burstable at this level—every pod is guaranteed its full 250m. This is the maximum number that can be scheduled based on CPU alone, since adding one more 250m request would require 2250m > 2000m.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.