This CKAD practice question tests your understanding of application observability and maintenance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Which TWO of the following are valid types of probes in Kubernetes? (Select 2)
Readiness probe
Correct: readiness is a probe type.
HTTP probe
Why wrong: HTTP is a handler type, not a probe type.
Liveness probe
Correct: liveness is a probe type.
Exec probe
Why wrong: Exec is a handler type, not a probe type.
TCP probe
Why wrong: TCP is a handler type, not a probe type.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Readiness probe
A is correct because a Readiness probe determines whether a Pod is ready to serve traffic. If the probe fails, the Pod is removed from the Service's endpoints, preventing traffic from being routed to an unready container. This is essential for rolling updates and graceful shutdowns.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Readiness probe
Why this is correct
Correct: readiness is a probe type.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
HTTP probe
Why it's wrong here
HTTP is a handler type, not a probe type.
Liveness probe
Why this is correct
Correct: liveness is a probe type.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Exec probe
Why it's wrong here
Exec is a handler type, not a probe type.
TCP probe
Why it's wrong here
TCP is a handler type, not a probe type.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse the probe types (liveness, readiness, startup) with the handler mechanisms (HTTP, TCP, exec), leading them to select handler names as if they were probe types.
Detailed technical explanation
Kubernetes defines exactly three probe types: liveness, readiness, and startup. Each probe can use one of three handlers: HTTP GET, TCP socket, or exec (command). The startup probe is used for slow-starting containers, delaying liveness and readiness checks until the container is fully initialized. In practice, a misconfigured liveness probe can cause a restart loop, while a missing readiness probe can route traffic to an unresponsive Pod.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
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
Application Observability and Maintenance — This question tests Application Observability and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Readiness probe — A is correct because a Readiness probe determines whether a Pod is ready to serve traffic. If the probe fails, the Pod is removed from the Service's endpoints, preventing traffic from being routed to an unready container. This is essential for rolling updates and graceful shutdowns.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 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.
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