CKAD Application Observability and Maintenance Practice Question
This CKAD practice question tests your understanding of application observability and maintenance. 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.
You have a Deployment called 'web-deploy' with 3 replicas. One of the pods is not receiving traffic, but it shows 'Running' and passes its liveness probe. The readiness probe is configured as a TCP socket check on port 8080. You verify that the application is listening on port 8080. What is a likely reason the pod is not receiving traffic?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The readiness probe is succeeding even though the application is not truly ready, because TCP check only verifies the port is open
If the readiness probe passes, the pod should be in service endpoints. But if the probe passes incorrectly (e.g., TCP socket check succeeds even if app is not fully ready), the pod might be marked ready but not actually serve traffic. However, the question says readiness probe is TCP on 8080 and app listens on 8080, so it should work. Another possibility: the pod might have a misconfigured service selector or the pod's labels do not match. But from the options, the most plausible is that the readiness probe is not properly checking application health.
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 service is configured to use a different port
Why it's wrong here
The port mismatch would cause traffic not to reach any pod.
✗
The pod's node is cordoned
Why it's wrong here
If node is cordoned, new pods won't be scheduled but existing pods remain.
✗
The liveness probe is failing and restarting the container
Why it's wrong here
Liveness probe passes; pod is Running.
✓
The readiness probe is succeeding even though the application is not truly ready, because TCP check only verifies the port is open
Why this is correct
Correct. A TCP socket check only confirms the port is open, not that the application is ready to serve HTTP traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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.
Identify which CKAD exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Application Observability and Maintenance — This question tests Application Observability and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The readiness probe is succeeding even though the application is not truly ready, because TCP check only verifies the port is open — If the readiness probe passes, the pod should be in service endpoints. But if the probe passes incorrectly (e.g., TCP socket check succeeds even if app is not fully ready), the pod might be marked ready but not actually serve traffic. However, the question says readiness probe is TCP on 8080 and app listens on 8080, so it should work. Another possibility: the pod might have a misconfigured service selector or the pod's labels do not match. But from the options, the most plausible is that the readiness probe is not properly checking application health.
What should I do if I get this CKAD question wrong?
Identify which CKAD exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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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