CKAD Application Deployment Practice Question
Which of the following is the correct way to scale a Deployment named 'api' to 5 replicas using kubectl?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse `kubectl scale` with other imperative commands like `kubectl set` or incorrectly assume positional arguments work for the replica count, leading them to choose options that resemble valid but non-existent syntax.
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
✓
kubectl scale deployment api --replicas=5
`kubectl scale deployment api --replicas=5` is the standard kubectl command to change the replica count of a Deployment. The `scale` subcommand directly modifies the `.spec.replicas` field in the Deployment's manifest, instructing the ReplicaSet controller to adjust the number of Pods to match the desired count.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
kubectl scale deployment api --replicas=5
Why this is correct
The `kubectl scale` command is the canonical Kubernetes imperative operation for altering the desired replica count of a resource. Using `deployment api --replicas=5` explicitly identifies the resource type and name while supplying the target count through the mandatory `--replicas` flag. This triggers the scale subresource of the Deployment, updating its `spec.replicas`, and the corresponding ReplicaSet controller then adjusts pods to match. This syntax is correct because every required argument is provided and no invalid flags are used.
- ✗
kubectl scale deploy api 5
Why it's wrong here
While `deploy` is an accepted short form for `deployment`, this command is invalid because the replica target is passed as a positional argument (`5`) rather than through the `--replicas` flag. `kubectl scale` requires the desired number of replicas to be explicitly specified with `--replicas`; without it, the command cannot determine the new scale and will fail with a usage error. The correct invocation would be `kubectl scale deploy api --replicas=5`. Thus, this option is wrong solely because the replica count is misplaced, even though the resource type shorthand is valid.
- ✗
kubectl update deployment api --replicas=5
Why it's wrong here
`kubectl update` is not a recognized kubectl subcommand at all, so this entire command is invalid. The `kubectl` CLI does not provide a generic `update` verb; mutating an existing resource imperatively is done via `kubectl scale`, `kubectl set`, `kubectl edit`, `kubectl patch`, or `kubectl apply`. Even if a similar command existed, scaling requires the `scale` subcommand rather than a generic update verb, and the target count would still need `--replicas`. Consequently, executing this results in an unknown-command error, not a scale operation.
- ✗
kubectl set replicas deployment api 5
Why it's wrong here
Although `kubectl set` is a valid command, it has no `replicas` subcommand; its available subcommands are limited to `env`, `image`, `resources`, `selector`, `serviceaccount`, and `subject`. Scaling is performed exclusively with `kubectl scale`, not with `kubectl set`. Additionally, even if a `replicas` subcommand existed, passing `5` positionally would be incorrect because the target count must be supplied via the `--replicas` flag. This option fails both because the subcommand is nonexistent and because the argument syntax does not match kubectl's imperative scaling interface.
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