Question 1hardmulti select
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Quick Answer
The answer is kube-apiserver, kube-controller-manager, and kube-scheduler. These three components are required for a high-availability control plane because they are the only control plane components that can be scaled horizontally and must use leader election to ensure only one active instance performs work at a time, preventing duplicate operations. On the Certified Kubernetes Administrator CKA exam, this concept tests your understanding of how control plane resilience works—a common trap is assuming etcd or kubelet are part of the HA control plane, but etcd is a separate data store and kubelet runs on worker nodes. The kube-controller-manager and kube-scheduler each elect a single leader among multiple replicas using endpoints or lease objects, while the kube-apiserver is stateless and can run multiple active instances behind a load balancer. A helpful memory tip: think of the three HA components as the "ALS" trio—API server, Leader-elected controllers, and Leader-elected scheduler.
CKA Practice Question: Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration
This CKA practice question tests your understanding of cluster architecture, installation and configuration. 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.
Which THREE components must be present in a high-availability control plane setup?
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
✓
kube-controller-manager
The kube-controller-manager is a core control plane component that runs controller processes to regulate the state of the cluster, such as the node controller, replication controller, and endpoints controller. In a high-availability setup, multiple instances of the kube-controller-manager run concurrently, but only one active leader performs work at a time, using leader election via endpoints or leases to ensure no duplicate actions occur.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CNCF often tests the distinction between control plane components and node-level agents, so candidates mistakenly include kubelet or kube-proxy as part of the control plane because they are essential to cluster operation, but they are not part of the control plane's high-availability architecture.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a high-availability control plane, the kube-controller-manager uses the `--leader-elect` flag (default true) to perform leader election via a Lease object in the `kube-system` namespace, with a lease duration of 15 seconds by default. If the leader fails, a new leader is elected within the lease renewal period, ensuring continuous operation of controllers like the node-lifecycle controller, which monitors node heartbeats and taints nodes as `NodeReady` status changes.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Questions learners often ask
What does this CKA question test?
Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration — This question tests Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: kube-controller-manager — The kube-controller-manager is a core control plane component that runs controller processes to regulate the state of the cluster, such as the node controller, replication controller, and endpoints controller. In a high-availability setup, multiple instances of the kube-controller-manager run concurrently, but only one active leader performs work at a time, using leader election via endpoints or leases to ensure no duplicate actions occur.
What should I do if I get this CKA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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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