This CKA practice question tests your understanding of storage. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 PersistentVolume (PV) reclaim policies are correct?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Retain: The PV remains in the cluster and must be manually reclaimed.
Option A is correct because the Retain reclaim policy leaves the PersistentVolume (PV) in the cluster in a 'Released' state after the PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC) is deleted. The underlying storage asset (e.g., an EBS volume or NFS export) is not touched by Kubernetes, and the administrator must manually delete the PV object and then handle the storage asset (e.g., reuse or delete it) outside of Kubernetes.
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.
✓
Retain: The PV remains in the cluster and must be manually reclaimed.
Why this is correct
Retain keeps the PV; admin must manually delete or reuse it.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Retain: The underlying storage asset is automatically deleted.
Why it's wrong here
Retain does not delete the storage asset.
✗
Recycle: The PV is automatically cleaned and made available for a new claim.
Why it's wrong here
Recycle is deprecated and not recommended.
✗
Delete: The PV must be manually deleted by the administrator.
Why it's wrong here
Delete is automatic; no manual action needed.
✓
Delete: The PV and the associated storage asset are automatically deleted.
Why this is correct
Delete policy triggers automatic cleanup of both PV and storage asset.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Retain with automatic cleanup or think Recycle is still a valid, active policy, when in fact it has been deprecated and removed in recent Kubernetes versions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the reclaim policy is set in the PV's `spec.persistentVolumeReclaimPolicy` field. For Retain, the PV transitions to 'Released' but still holds the `claimRef` to the deleted PVC, preventing automatic reuse. For Delete, Kubernetes triggers the volume plugin's `DeleteVolume` operation (e.g., via the CSI driver's `DeleteVolume` RPC or in-tree cloud provider logic), which removes the storage asset from the cloud provider. A real-world scenario: if you accidentally delete a PVC with a Retain PV, you can recover data by creating a new PVC that manually binds to the existing PV after clearing the `claimRef`.
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.
Storage — This question tests Storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Retain: The PV remains in the cluster and must be manually reclaimed. — Option A is correct because the Retain reclaim policy leaves the PersistentVolume (PV) in the cluster in a 'Released' state after the PersistentVolumeClaim (PVC) is deleted. The underlying storage asset (e.g., an EBS volume or NFS export) is not touched by Kubernetes, and the administrator must manually delete the PV object and then handle the storage asset (e.g., reuse or delete it) outside of Kubernetes.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.