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.
Which TWO statements about Kubernetes resource requests and limits are correct? (Select 2)
Limits can be set independently for CPU and memory.
You can set CPU limit without memory limit and vice versa.
B
Memory requests and limits are both compressible.
Why wrong: Memory is not compressible; exceeding the limit kills the container.
C
If a container exceeds its memory limit, it is throttled.
Why wrong: Exceeding memory limit results in OOMKill, not throttling.
D
CPU requests are used for scheduling decisions.
Scheduler uses requests to determine node capacity.
E
If no limits are specified, the pod can use unlimited resources.
Why wrong: Without limits, the pod can use up to node capacity, but it is not unlimited in the sense of infinite; it can use all available resources on the node.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Limits can be set independently for CPU and memory.
Option A is correct because Kubernetes allows CPU and memory limits to be set independently via the `resources.limits` field in a container spec. CPU limits are defined in millicores (e.g., 500m) and memory limits in bytes (e.g., 256Mi), and they are not coupled — you can set a CPU limit without a memory limit and vice versa. This independence gives administrators fine-grained control over resource allocation per container.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Limits can be set independently for CPU and memory.
Why this is correct
You can set CPU limit without memory limit and vice versa.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Memory requests and limits are both compressible.
Why it's wrong here
Memory is not compressible; exceeding the limit kills the container.
✗
If a container exceeds its memory limit, it is throttled.
Why it's wrong here
Exceeding memory limit results in OOMKill, not throttling.
✓
CPU requests are used for scheduling decisions.
Why this is correct
Scheduler uses requests to determine node capacity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
If no limits are specified, the pod can use unlimited resources.
Why it's wrong here
Without limits, the pod can use up to node capacity, but it is not unlimited in the sense of infinite; it can use all available resources on the node.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing compressible (CPU) and incompressible (memory) resources — candidates often think memory can be throttled like CPU, but exceeding memory limits always results in termination, not throttling.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CPU limits are enforced via the Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS) quota in the Linux kernel, which throttles the container's CPU time when it exceeds the limit. Memory limits rely on the cgroup memory controller, which triggers the OOM killer when the container exceeds its memory limit — this is a hard enforcement, not a soft throttle. In real-world scenarios, setting CPU requests without limits can lead to noisy neighbor issues, while setting memory limits too low causes frequent OOM kills, making it critical to monitor actual usage with tools like `kubectl top`.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CKA question in full detail.
Workloads and Scheduling — This question tests Workloads and Scheduling — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Limits can be set independently for CPU and memory. — Option A is correct because Kubernetes allows CPU and memory limits to be set independently via the `resources.limits` field in a container spec. CPU limits are defined in millicores (e.g., 500m) and memory limits in bytes (e.g., 256Mi), and they are not coupled — you can set a CPU limit without a memory limit and vice versa. This independence gives administrators fine-grained control over resource allocation per container.
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.
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