CKA Practice Question: Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration
Which command is used to mark a node as unschedulable and evict its pods?
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the distinction between `cordon` (only prevents scheduling) and `drain` (prevents scheduling AND evicts pods), and candidates frequently pick `cordon` because they forget that eviction is required for the node to be truly empty for maintenance.
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
✓
kubectl drain node-name --ignore-daemonsets
`kubectl drain` marks a node as unschedulable (similar to `cordon`) and then evicts all pods from the node, respecting PodDisruptionBudgets. The `--ignore-daemonsets` flag is required because DaemonSet pods cannot be evicted via drain (they are managed by the DaemonSet controller and would be immediately rescheduled on the same node), so the command would fail without this flag.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kubectl delete node node-name
Why it's wrong here
This command completely removes the node object from the Kubernetes API server's registry. It does not perform a graceful eviction of running pods, which can lead to abrupt service disruption as the kubelet stops reporting status and the control plane eventually reschedules the workloads after a timeout.
- ✗
kubectl cordon node-name
Why it's wrong here
Running this command marks the node as unschedulable by setting its spec.unschedulable field to true, preventing the scheduler from assigning new pods to it. However, it does not evict or migrate any of the existing pods currently running on the node, leaving them active until manually terminated or rescheduled.
- ✓
kubectl drain node-name --ignore-daemonsets
Why this is correct
This is the correct command because it first cordons the node to prevent new scheduling and then safely evicts all active pods to other nodes in the cluster. The --ignore-daemonsets flag is required because DaemonSet-managed pods cannot be rescheduled elsewhere and would otherwise block the drain operation from completing.
- ✗
kubectl taint node node-name key=value:NoSchedule
Why it's wrong here
Applying a NoSchedule taint prevents the Kubernetes scheduler from placing any new pods on this node unless they possess a matching toleration. It does not affect or evict any workloads that are already running on the node, making it insufficient for safely emptying a node for maintenance.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Troubleshooting Cluster and Node Issues
Key term
DaemonSets
A DaemonSet is a Kubernetes object that ensures a copy of a specific pod runs on every node in a cluster, or on a subset of nodes.
Key term
kubectl Command Reference
kubectl is the command-line tool used to interact with and manage Kubernetes clusters by sending commands to the Kubernetes API.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.