This CKA practice question tests your understanding of workloads and scheduling. 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.
You need to implement a PriorityClass named 'high-priority' with value 1000 and mark it as non-preempting. Which YAML field should you set to true?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
spec.preemptionPolicy: Never
Option A is correct because setting `spec.preemptionPolicy: Never` in a PriorityClass definition marks it as non-preempting, meaning pods with this priority will not preempt lower-priority pods even if they have a higher priority value. This field is the only one that controls preemption behavior for a PriorityClass.
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.
✓
spec.preemptionPolicy: Never
Why this is correct
Setting preemptionPolicy to Never prevents pods using this PriorityClass from preempting other pods.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
spec.description: "non-preempting"
Why it's wrong here
Description is just informational, not functional.
✗
spec.globalDefault: true
Why it's wrong here
globalDefault marks this PriorityClass as the default for all pods without a priorityClassName, not related to preemption.
✗
spec.value: 1000
Why it's wrong here
Setting the value does not affect preemption behavior.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CNCF often tests the distinction between `spec.value` (which sets priority) and `spec.preemptionPolicy` (which controls preemption behavior), leading candidates to mistakenly think that a high priority value alone implies preemption or that `spec.globalDefault` affects preemption.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `preemptionPolicy` field in a PriorityClass defaults to `PreemptLowerPriority` if not set; setting it to `Never` ensures that pods with this priority class will not trigger preemption of lower-priority pods, which is useful for critical system pods that should not cause disruption. Under the hood, the Kubernetes scheduler checks this field during pod scheduling to decide whether to evict lower-priority pods to make room. In real-world scenarios, you might use a non-preempting PriorityClass for monitoring or logging daemonsets to avoid cascading failures.
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: spec.preemptionPolicy: Never — Option A is correct because setting `spec.preemptionPolicy: Never` in a PriorityClass definition marks it as non-preempting, meaning pods with this priority will not preempt lower-priority pods even if they have a higher priority value. This field is the only one that controls preemption behavior for a PriorityClass.
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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Question Discussion
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