This CKAD practice question tests your understanding of services and networking. 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.
A NetworkPolicy named 'default-deny-all' is applied to a namespace. It has no rules. Which statement is true?
All ingress and egress traffic is denied for pods matching the selector
Default deny all pattern.
Only ingress traffic is denied; egress is allowed by default
Why wrong: If the NetworkPolicy has no rules, both ingress and egress are denied for the selected pods.
Only traffic from pods in the same namespace is allowed
Why wrong: No traffic is allowed.
Traffic is allowed because no rules are defined
Why wrong: Empty rules deny all traffic.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
All ingress and egress traffic is denied for pods matching the selector
Option D is correct. A NetworkPolicy with no rules (empty spec) effectively denies all ingress and egress traffic to pods selected by the policy (if podSelector is empty, it applies to all pods in the namespace). Option A is wrong because egress is also denied. Option B is wrong because empty rules deny all. Option C is wrong because no traffic is allowed.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
All ingress and egress traffic is denied for pods matching the selector
Why this is correct
Default deny all pattern.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Only ingress traffic is denied; egress is allowed by default
Why it's wrong here
If the NetworkPolicy has no rules, both ingress and egress are denied for the selected pods.
Only traffic from pods in the same namespace is allowed
Why it's wrong here
No traffic is allowed.
Traffic is allowed because no rules are defined
Why it's wrong here
Empty rules deny all traffic.
Common exam traps
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Real-world example
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related CKAD ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Services and Networking — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Services and Networking practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All CKAD questions
991 questions across all exam domains
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer CKAD study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
CKAD practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise CKAD questions linked to Application Design and Build.
Practise CKAD questions linked to Application Deployment.
Practise CKAD questions linked to Application Environment, Configuration and Security.
Practise CKAD questions linked to Application Observability and Maintenance.
Practise CKAD questions linked to Services and Networking.
Practise CKAD questions linked to CKAD fundamentals.
Practise CKAD questions linked to CKAD scenario.
Practise CKAD questions linked to CKAD troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Services and Networking — This question tests Services and Networking — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
The correct answer is: All ingress and egress traffic is denied for pods matching the selector — Option D is correct. A NetworkPolicy with no rules (empty spec) effectively denies all ingress and egress traffic to pods selected by the policy (if podSelector is empty, it applies to all pods in the namespace). Option A is wrong because egress is also denied. Option B is wrong because empty rules deny all. Option C is wrong because no traffic is allowed.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related CKAD ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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 21, 2026
This CKAD 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 CKAD 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.