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 StatefulSet 'db' has 3 replicas. You scale it down to 1. In what order are the pods deleted?
db-0, db-1, db-2
Why wrong: This is the order for scaling up, not down.
Random order
Why wrong: StatefulSets have ordered pod management.
All pods are deleted simultaneously
Why wrong: StatefulSets delete one at a time in reverse order.
db-2, db-1, db-0
Pods are deleted from highest ordinal to lowest.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
db-2, db-1, db-0
When a StatefulSet is scaled down, pods are deleted in reverse ordinal order, starting from the highest index. This ensures that the StatefulSet's ordinal and identity guarantees are maintained, as each pod has a unique, stable identity. For a StatefulSet with 3 replicas (db-0, db-1, db-2), scaling to 1 deletes db-2 first, then db-1, leaving db-0 running.
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.
db-0, db-1, db-2
Why it's wrong here
This is the order for scaling up, not down.
Random order
Why it's wrong here
StatefulSets have ordered pod management.
All pods are deleted simultaneously
Why it's wrong here
StatefulSets delete one at a time in reverse order.
db-2, db-1, db-0
Why this is correct
Pods are deleted from highest ordinal to lowest.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse StatefulSet scaling behavior with Deployment scaling, where pods are deleted in random order or simultaneously, leading them to incorrectly choose options A, B, or C instead of the reverse ordinal deletion required by StatefulSet.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the StatefulSet controller uses a pod management policy (OrderedReady by default) that enforces sequential deletion from the highest ordinal to the lowest, as defined in the Kubernetes StatefulSet API. This behavior is critical for stateful workloads like databases (e.g., Cassandra, ZooKeeper) where each pod has a unique identity and persistent storage; deleting in reverse order ensures that the last pod in the set is removed first, preventing split-brain scenarios. The controller also waits for each pod to be fully terminated (status.phase == 'Succeeded' or 'Failed') before deleting the next, which is enforced via the .spec.podManagementPolicy field.
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: db-2, db-1, db-0 — When a StatefulSet is scaled down, pods are deleted in reverse ordinal order, starting from the highest index. This ensures that the StatefulSet's ordinal and identity guarantees are maintained, as each pod has a unique, stable identity. For a StatefulSet with 3 replicas (db-0, db-1, db-2), scaling to 1 deletes db-2 first, then db-1, leaving db-0 running.
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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