This CKA practice question tests your understanding of workloads and scheduling. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 pod has tolerations for a taint with key 'dedicated', value 'gpu', and effect 'NoSchedule'. The pod's nodeSelector is {disktype: ssd}. Which node(s) can this pod be scheduled on? (Assume node1 has taint dedicated=gpu:NoSchedule and label disktype=ssd; node2 has taint dedicated=gpu:NoSchedule and label disktype=hdd; node3 has no taint and label disktype=ssd)
node1 only
Why wrong: node3 also qualifies.
node2 and node3
Why wrong: node2 fails nodeSelector (disktype=hdd).
node1, node2, and node3
Why wrong: node2 fails nodeSelector.
node1 and node3
Correct. node1 satisfies both taint tolerance and nodeSelector; node3 has no taint and satisfies nodeSelector.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
node1 and node3
The pod has a toleration for the taint dedicated=gpu:NoSchedule, so it can tolerate that taint on any node. However, the pod also has a nodeSelector requiring disktype=ssd. Node1 has both the tolerated taint and the required label, so it qualifies. Node3 has no taint and the required label, so it also qualifies. Node2 has the tolerated taint but its label is disktype=hdd, which does not match the nodeSelector, so it is excluded. Therefore, only node1 and node3 can schedule the pod.
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.
node1 only
Why it's wrong here
node3 also qualifies.
node2 and node3
Why it's wrong here
node2 fails nodeSelector (disktype=hdd).
node1, node2, and node3
Why it's wrong here
node2 fails nodeSelector.
node1 and node3
Why this is correct
Correct. node1 satisfies both taint tolerance and nodeSelector; node3 has no taint and satisfies nodeSelector.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often think tolerations are required to match taints on all nodes, forgetting that a node without the taint is also eligible, and they may overlook that nodeSelector is a separate, mandatory constraint that can exclude nodes even if they are tolerated.
Detailed technical explanation
Tolerations allow a pod to be scheduled on nodes with matching taints, but they do not force scheduling; nodeSelector and node affinity are hard constraints that must be satisfied. In Kubernetes, a node must satisfy all scheduling constraints (nodeSelector, node affinity, tolerations, resource requests, etc.) for a pod to be placed. This scenario demonstrates that tolerations only relax taint restrictions, while nodeSelector is a strict match on node labels.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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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FAQ
Workloads and Scheduling — This question tests Workloads and Scheduling — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: node1 and node3 — The pod has a toleration for the taint dedicated=gpu:NoSchedule, so it can tolerate that taint on any node. However, the pod also has a nodeSelector requiring disktype=ssd. Node1 has both the tolerated taint and the required label, so it qualifies. Node3 has no taint and the required label, so it also qualifies. Node2 has the tolerated taint but its label is disktype=hdd, which does not match the nodeSelector, so it is excluded. Therefore, only node1 and node3 can schedule the pod.
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 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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