CKAD Application Deployment Practice Question
You have a Helm release named 'my-app' that you want to revert to revision 3. Which command accomplishes this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse `helm rollback` with other verbs like `undo` or `revert` that exist in other tools (e.g., Git), or assume `helm upgrade` can target a specific revision, when in fact only `helm rollback` is the correct command for this operation.
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
✓
helm rollback my-app 3
The correct command to revert a Helm release to a previous revision is `helm rollback <release-name> <revision>`. In this case, `helm rollback my-app 3` will roll back the 'my-app' release to revision 3, restoring the Kubernetes resources to the state defined in that revision's chart and values.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
helm undo my-app --revision 3
Why it's wrong here
The Helm CLI does not expose an `undo` subcommand, so `helm undo my-app --revision 3` is invalid on every count: the verb is wrong, the flag syntax is wrong, and the action you want is `rollback`. If a revision must be restored, the only accepted form is `helm rollback RELEASE [REVISION]`, where the revision is given as a positional argument (e.g., `helm rollback my-app 3`). Attempting to invent an `undo` command will cause Helm to exit with a "unknown command" error, so this cannot affect the release.
- ✓
helm rollback my-app 3
Why this is correct
The `helm rollback my-app 3` command is the valid way to revert the release to revision 3. Helm will take the chart manifest and values stored at revision 3, apply them to the cluster, and then record a new revision number (for example, revision 5 if the current is 4) to preserve the ability to later roll forward or back. This is the canonical command for undoing a bad upgrade and it works exactly as written, with the release name and target revision as positional arguments.
- ✗
helm revert my-app 3
Why it's wrong here
`helm revert` is not a registered Helm subcommand; the Helm CLI uses `rollback` as the standard term for moving a release to an older revision. While the positional syntax `my-app 3` happens to match Helm's expectations, the unknown verb will trigger Helm's "unknown command" error before any state change can occur. In the Helm ecosystem, `revert` is a synonym from version-control tools (like `git revert`), but Helm deliberately differs by naming the operation `rollback`.
- ✗
helm upgrade my-app --revision 3
Why it's wrong here
The `helm upgrade` command is used to install a new chart version or apply updated values, and it does not accept a `--revision` flag; if you pass it, Helm will report an error for an unknown flag. Furthermore, upgrading would not restore an old revision—it would layer a new chart or configuration on top of the current release, possibly compounding the problem. The only way to select an existing historic revision is with the positional revision argument on `helm rollback`, not on `upgrade`.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.