The answer is BestEffort pods first, then this Burstable pod, then Guaranteed pods last. Kubernetes evicts pods in order of their Quality of Service (QoS) class when a node experiences memory pressure, because the kubelet uses these classes to prioritize which workloads to terminate. A pod with `requests.memory: 256Mi` and `limits.memory: 512Mi` is classified as Burstable since its requests are less than its limits, placing it in the middle of the eviction order. On the CKAD exam, this concept tests your understanding of how resource specifications directly determine QoS class and eviction priority—a common trap is assuming that any pod with limits is Guaranteed, but Guaranteed requires requests to equal limits for all resources. Remember the mnemonic: Bags Empty First (BestEffort), then Bags Partially Full (Burstable), then Bags Full Last (Guaranteed).
CKAD Practice Question: Application Environment, Configuration and Security
This CKAD practice question tests your understanding of application environment, configuration and security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 Deployment is configured with 'resources.requests.memory: 256Mi' and 'resources.limits.memory: 512Mi'. The node runs out of memory. Which pods will be the first to be evicted?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
BestEffort pods first, then this Burstable pod, then Guaranteed pods last
C is correct because Kubernetes evicts pods based on their Quality of Service (QoS) class when a node runs out of memory. BestEffort pods (no requests/limits) are evicted first, followed by Burstable pods (requests < limits, as in this case), and Guaranteed pods (requests == limits) are evicted last. This ensures that pods with stricter resource guarantees are more protected during memory pressure.
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.
✗
The node will not evict pods if limits are set
Why it's wrong here
The kubelet will evict pods to reclaim memory when the node is under memory pressure.
✗
This pod will be evicted first because it has a memory limit
Why it's wrong here
Having a limit does not cause eviction first; it determines QoS class.
✓
BestEffort pods first, then this Burstable pod, then Guaranteed pods last
Why this is correct
QoS classes determine eviction order: BestEffort first, then Burstable, then Guaranteed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CNCF often tests the misconception that setting a memory limit alone protects a pod from eviction, but the key factor is the QoS class derived from the relationship between requests and limits, not just the presence of limits.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the kubelet's eviction manager uses the `memory.available` threshold and the `--eviction-hard` flag (default: `memory.available<100Mi`) to trigger eviction. The QoS class is determined by comparing `resources.requests` and `resources.limits`: if both are unset, it's BestEffort; if requests are set but less than limits, it's Burstable; if requests equal limits, it's Guaranteed. In real-world scenarios, a single misconfigured BestEffort pod can cause cascading evictions of other pods if memory pressure is severe.
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 CKAD 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 CKAD question in full detail.
Application Environment, Configuration and Security — This question tests Application Environment, Configuration and Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: BestEffort pods first, then this Burstable pod, then Guaranteed pods last — C is correct because Kubernetes evicts pods based on their Quality of Service (QoS) class when a node runs out of memory. BestEffort pods (no requests/limits) are evicted first, followed by Burstable pods (requests < limits, as in this case), and Guaranteed pods (requests == limits) are evicted last. This ensures that pods with stricter resource guarantees are more protected during memory pressure.
What should I do if I get this CKAD question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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