This CKAD practice question tests your understanding of application observability and maintenance. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 want to collect logs from a pod that has multiple containers. Which TWO approaches allow you to view logs from a specific container?
kubectl logs pod-name -c container-name
Correct syntax to specify container.
kubectl logs pod-name --container container-name
Why wrong: Duplicated; but correct.
kubectl logs pod-name --all-containers
Why wrong: Shows logs from all containers, not a specific one.
kubectl logs pod-name --container container-name
'--container' is an alias for '-c'.
kubectl logs pod-name
Why wrong: Without flags, only shows logs from the first container.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
kubectl logs pod-name -c container-name
Option A is correct because the `kubectl logs` command with the `-c` flag allows you to specify a container name within a multi-container pod. This is the standard shorthand for `--container` and is explicitly supported in the Kubernetes CLI for targeting logs from a specific container.
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.
kubectl logs pod-name -c container-name
Why this is correct
Correct syntax to specify container.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
kubectl logs pod-name --container container-name
Why it's wrong here
Duplicated; but correct.
kubectl logs pod-name --all-containers
Why it's wrong here
Shows logs from all containers, not a specific one.
kubectl logs pod-name --container container-name
Why this is correct
'--container' is an alias for '-c'.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
kubectl logs pod-name
Why it's wrong here
Without flags, only shows logs from the first container.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may think `--all-containers` is a valid way to view logs from a specific container, but it actually streams logs from all containers, which is not what the question asks; also, the duplicate options A and D are both correct, but candidates might overlook that both are valid and pick only one.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Shows logs from all containers, not a specific one.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, `kubectl logs` communicates with the kubelet API to retrieve logs from the container runtime (e.g., containerd or CRI-O). When a pod has multiple containers, the kubelet requires a container name to disambiguate log streams; the `-c` flag passes this as a query parameter to the `/logs` endpoint. In real-world scenarios, such as sidecar proxies (e.g., Envoy) or logging agents, you often need to isolate logs from the main application container versus the sidecar for debugging.
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: kubectl logs pod-name -c container-name — Option A is correct because the `kubectl logs` command with the `-c` flag allows you to specify a container name within a multi-container pod. This is the standard shorthand for `--container` and is explicitly supported in the Kubernetes CLI for targeting logs from a specific container.
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 11, 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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