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 need to collect metrics from an application running in a pod. The application exposes metrics on port 8080 at /metrics in Prometheus format. Which resource should you configure to allow Prometheus to scrape these metrics?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create a Service with annotation 'prometheus.io/scrape: "true"' and 'prometheus.io/port: "8080"'.
Option C is correct because Prometheus uses a pull-based model to scrape metrics from targets. By adding the `prometheus.io/scrape: "true"` and `prometheus.io/port: "8080"` annotations to a Service that selects the pod, you enable Prometheus's built-in service discovery to automatically detect and scrape the `/metrics` endpoint on port 8080 without manual configuration.
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.
✗
Create an Ingress resource that exposes the /metrics endpoint externally.
Why it's wrong here
Ingress is for external HTTP access, not for Prometheus scraping inside the cluster.
✗
Create a ConfigMap with the Prometheus scrape configuration and mount it into the Prometheus pod.
Why it's wrong here
While possible, it is not a Kubernetes-native resource; the annotation approach is simpler.
✓
Create a Service with annotation 'prometheus.io/scrape: "true"' and 'prometheus.io/port: "8080"'.
Why this is correct
Standard Prometheus operator configuration for scraping.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Add a PrometheusRule resource that defines the scrape target.
Why it's wrong here
PrometheusRule is for alerting rules, not scrape configuration.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse Prometheus's pull-based scraping with push-based or external access patterns, leading them to choose Ingress (external exposure) or PrometheusRule (alerting) instead of the service annotation that enables automatic internal discovery.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Prometheus's Kubernetes service discovery watches for Services with the `prometheus.io/scrape` annotation and automatically generates scrape targets from the endpoints of those Services. The annotation `prometheus.io/port` overrides the default port (usually the service port) to ensure Prometheus scrapes the correct metrics port, which is critical when the application exposes metrics on a non-default port like 8080. In real-world scenarios, this approach avoids the need to manage static scrape configs and scales automatically as pods are created or destroyed.
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 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: Create a Service with annotation 'prometheus.io/scrape: "true"' and 'prometheus.io/port: "8080"'. — Option C is correct because Prometheus uses a pull-based model to scrape metrics from targets. By adding the `prometheus.io/scrape: "true"` and `prometheus.io/port: "8080"` annotations to a Service that selects the pod, you enable Prometheus's built-in service discovery to automatically detect and scrape the `/metrics` endpoint on port 8080 without manual configuration.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.