Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →Question 882 of 1,005
Quick Answer
The correct answer is to create a Role in the 'monitoring' namespace with 'get' and 'list' verbs on pods, then a RoleBinding in the same namespace to the 'monitor-sa' ServiceAccount. This configuration is appropriate because namespace-scoped ServiceAccount permissions require a Role to define what actions are allowed on specific resources, and a RoleBinding to attach that Role to a ServiceAccount within the same namespace. On the Certified Kubernetes Administrator CKA exam, this scenario tests your understanding of Kubernetes RBAC scoping—a common trap is using a ClusterRole and ClusterRoleBinding, which would grant permissions cluster-wide, violating least privilege. Instead, remember that Role and RoleBinding are namespace-scoped, while ClusterRole and ClusterRoleBinding are cluster-scoped. A helpful memory tip: "Role and RoleBinding stay in their namespace—like a guard at a specific building door, not the whole city."
CKA Practice Question: Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration
This CKA practice question tests your understanding of cluster architecture, installation and 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.
A ServiceAccount 'monitor-sa' needs to be able to list Pods in namespace 'monitoring'. Which RBAC configuration is appropriate?
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
✓
Create a Role in namespace 'monitoring' with 'get' and 'list' verbs on pods, then a RoleBinding in 'monitoring' to monitor-sa
Option D is correct because a Role in the 'monitoring' namespace with 'get' and 'list' verbs on pods, combined with a RoleBinding in the same namespace to the 'monitor-sa' ServiceAccount, grants the exact permissions required within the scope of that namespace. This follows the principle of least privilege by scoping permissions to the specific namespace where the pods reside.
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
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the scope of Roles versus ClusterRoles, mistakenly using a ClusterRole when a namespace-scoped Role is sufficient, or creating a Role in the wrong namespace and assuming a RoleBinding can bridge namespaces.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Kubernetes RBAC enforces authorization by evaluating the verb, resource, and namespace scope of a request. A Role is namespace-scoped, meaning its permissions apply only within the namespace where it is defined, while a ClusterRole can be used for cluster-scoped resources or bound across namespaces via a RoleBinding. When a RoleBinding references a Role in a different namespace, the binding is invalid because the Role's scope is tied to its own namespace; the API server rejects such configurations at creation time.
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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
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: Create a Role in namespace 'monitoring' with 'get' and 'list' verbs on pods, then a RoleBinding in 'monitoring' to monitor-sa — Option D is correct because a Role in the 'monitoring' namespace with 'get' and 'list' verbs on pods, combined with a RoleBinding in the same namespace to the 'monitor-sa' ServiceAccount, grants the exact permissions required within the scope of that namespace. This follows the principle of least privilege by scoping permissions to the specific namespace where the pods reside.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on CKA
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You want to grant a user read-only access to all pods in the 'development' namespace. Which RBAC resource should you create?
medium- A.ClusterRoleBinding with get, list, watch on pods
- ✓ B.Role in the development namespace with get, list, watch on pods
- C.ClusterRole with get, list, watch on pods
- D.RoleBinding referencing a ClusterRole that has get, list, watch on pods
Why B: A Role in the 'development' namespace with get, list, watch on pods is correct because RBAC Roles are namespace-scoped and grant permissions only within that namespace. Since the requirement is read-only access to pods in a specific namespace, a Role is the appropriate resource to define these permissions.
Variation 2. You need to create a RoleBinding that grants a user access to read Pods in the 'dev' namespace. Which YAML manifest is correct?
medium- A.apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1 kind: RoleBinding metadata: namespace: dev ... subjects: - kind: ServiceAccount name: dev-user roleRef: kind: Role name: pod-reader
- B.apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1 kind: RoleBinding ... subjects: - kind: User name: dev-user roleRef: kind: ClusterRole name: pod-reader
- C.apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1 kind: ClusterRoleBinding ... subjects: - kind: User name: dev-user roleRef: kind: ClusterRole name: pod-reader
- ✓ D.apiVersion: rbac.authorization.k8s.io/v1 kind: RoleBinding metadata: namespace: dev ... subjects: - kind: User name: dev-user roleRef: kind: Role name: pod-reader
Why D: Option D is correct because it defines a RoleBinding in the 'dev' namespace that binds a User named 'dev-user' to a Role named 'pod-reader'. This grants the user read access to Pods within that specific namespace, which is exactly what the question requires. RoleBindings are namespace-scoped and must specify the target namespace in metadata.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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