This CKA practice question tests your understanding of cluster architecture, installation & configuration. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An administrator needs to initialize a new Kubernetes control plane node using kubeadm. Which of the following is the correct command to initialize the control plane with a specific pod network CIDR of 10.244.0.0/16?
kubeadm init --pod-network-cidr=10.244.0.0/16
This is the correct flag and value.
kubeadm init --cidr=10.244.0.0/16
Why wrong: The flag --cidr does not exist; the correct flag is --pod-network-cidr.
kubeadm init --network-cidr=10.244.0.0/16
Why wrong: This is not a valid kubeadm flag.
kubeadm init --service-cidr=10.244.0.0/16
Why wrong: This sets the service CIDR, not the pod network CIDR.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
kubeadm init --pod-network-cidr=10.244.0.0/16
Option A is correct because `kubeadm init` uses the `--pod-network-cidr` flag to specify the CIDR range for the pod network, which is required by many CNI plugins (e.g., Flannel defaults to 10.244.0.0/16). This flag tells kubeadm to configure the control plane components (like the controller manager) to allocate pod IPs from this range.
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.
kubeadm init --pod-network-cidr=10.244.0.0/16
Why this is correct
This is the correct flag and value.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
kubeadm init --cidr=10.244.0.0/16
Why it's wrong here
The flag --cidr does not exist; the correct flag is --pod-network-cidr.
kubeadm init --network-cidr=10.244.0.0/16
Why it's wrong here
This is not a valid kubeadm flag.
kubeadm init --service-cidr=10.244.0.0/16
Why it's wrong here
This sets the service CIDR, not the pod network CIDR.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing `--pod-network-cidr` with `--service-cidr` or inventing flags like `--cidr` or `--network-cidr`, leading candidates to pick options that either do not exist or configure the wrong network range.
Detailed technical explanation
The `--pod-network-cidr` flag sets the `--cluster-cidr` parameter in the kube-controller-manager, which is used by the node controller to assign pod subnets to nodes via the `Node.Spec.PodCIDR` field. This CIDR must match the range expected by the CNI plugin; for example, Flannel expects 10.244.0.0/16 by default, and a mismatch can cause pods to fail to obtain IPs or cross-node communication to break.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
What to study next
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FAQ
Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration — This question tests Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: kubeadm init --pod-network-cidr=10.244.0.0/16 — Option A is correct because `kubeadm init` uses the `--pod-network-cidr` flag to specify the CIDR range for the pod network, which is required by many CNI plugins (e.g., Flannel defaults to 10.244.0.0/16). This flag tells kubeadm to configure the control plane components (like the controller manager) to allocate pod IPs from this range.
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 11, 2026
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