- A
Upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node, upgrade control plane components, then drain and upgrade each worker node by upgrading kubelet and kubectl.
This follows the official upgrade sequence: upgrade kubeadm, then control plane, then worker nodes one by one after draining.
- B
Upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node, then upgrade kubelet and kubectl on worker nodes, then upgrade kubelet and kubectl on control plane node.
Why wrong: This sequence incorrectly upgrades worker nodes before control plane components and does not drain nodes.
- C
Drain all nodes, upgrade kubelet and kubectl on all nodes, then upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node.
Why wrong: Draining all nodes at once is not recommended; control plane components must be upgraded before worker nodes.
- D
Upgrade kubelet and kubectl on all nodes first, then upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node.
Why wrong: kubeadm must be upgraded before other components; upgrading kubelet first can cause version mismatches.
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.
You have a cluster with multiple worker nodes. You need to upgrade the cluster from v1.28.0 to v1.29.0 using kubeadm. What is the correct sequence of steps?
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
Upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node, upgrade control plane components, then drain and upgrade each worker node by upgrading kubelet and kubectl.
Option A is correct because the official kubeadm upgrade workflow requires upgrading kubeadm first on the control plane node, then using `kubeadm upgrade apply` to upgrade control plane components, and finally draining and upgrading each worker node by updating kubelet and kubectl. This sequence ensures the cluster's management plane is updated before worker nodes, maintaining control plane stability and API compatibility during the rolling upgrade.
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.
- ✓
Upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node, upgrade control plane components, then drain and upgrade each worker node by upgrading kubelet and kubectl.
Why this is correct
This follows the official upgrade sequence: upgrade kubeadm, then control plane, then worker nodes one by one after draining.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node, then upgrade kubelet and kubectl on worker nodes, then upgrade kubelet and kubectl on control plane node.
Why it's wrong here
This sequence incorrectly upgrades worker nodes before control plane components and does not drain nodes.
- ✗
Drain all nodes, upgrade kubelet and kubectl on all nodes, then upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node.
Why it's wrong here
Draining all nodes at once is not recommended; control plane components must be upgraded before worker nodes.
- ✗
Upgrade kubelet and kubectl on all nodes first, then upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node.
Why it's wrong here
kubeadm must be upgraded before other components; upgrading kubelet first can cause version mismatches.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often think upgrading kubelet and kubectl first is safe, but the CKA tests the understanding that kubeadm and control plane components must be upgraded before worker node binaries to maintain version compatibility and cluster stability.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, `kubeadm upgrade apply` uses the Kubernetes version skew policy, which allows kubelet to be up to two minor versions older than kube-apiserver, but the upgrade process must start with the control plane to avoid API version mismatches. A real-world scenario where this matters is during a multi-node cluster upgrade, where upgrading worker nodes first could cause them to register with an older API server, leading to pod scheduling failures or node status issues.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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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: Upgrade kubeadm on the control plane node, upgrade control plane components, then drain and upgrade each worker node by upgrading kubelet and kubectl. — Option A is correct because the official kubeadm upgrade workflow requires upgrading kubeadm first on the control plane node, then using `kubeadm upgrade apply` to upgrade control plane components, and finally draining and upgrading each worker node by updating kubelet and kubectl. This sequence ensures the cluster's management plane is updated before worker nodes, maintaining control plane stability and API compatibility during the rolling upgrade.
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 24, 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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