CKAD Practice Question: Application Environment, Configuration and Security
This CKAD practice question tests your understanding of application environment, configuration and security. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 enforce a Pod Security Standard of 'restricted' in a namespace. Which command applies the correct label?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Option B is correct because Pod Security Standards are enforced by applying a label with the key `pod-security.kubernetes.io/enforce` to a namespace. The value `restricted` sets the most restrictive Pod Security Standard, which prevents pods from running with privileged access or insecure capabilities. This label is part of the built-in Pod Security Admission (PSA) controller, which replaced PodSecurityPolicy in Kubernetes v1.23+.
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.
✗
kubectl label namespace my-ns psp=restricted
Why it's wrong here
PSP is deprecated; the correct label is pod-security.kubernetes.io/enforce.
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the deprecated PodSecurityPolicy (PSP) label key `psp` with the correct Pod Security Admission label key `pod-security.kubernetes.io/enforce`, or they mistakenly use `annotate` instead of `label` because both commands can attach metadata to resources.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The Pod Security Admission controller evaluates pods against three levels (privileged, baseline, restricted) based on labels on the namespace. The `enforce` label rejects non-compliant pods at admission time, while `audit` and `warn` labels only log or warn. The restricted level enforces the most stringent constraints, such as disallowing `hostNetwork`, `hostPID`, and requiring `runAsNonRoot: true`, which aligns with the Kubernetes Pod Security Standards defined in the API.
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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this CKAD question in full detail.
Application Environment, Configuration and Security — This question tests Application Environment, Configuration and Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: kubectl label namespace my-ns pod-security.kubernetes.io/enforce=restricted — Option B is correct because Pod Security Standards are enforced by applying a label with the key `pod-security.kubernetes.io/enforce` to a namespace. The value `restricted` sets the most restrictive Pod Security Standard, which prevents pods from running with privileged access or insecure capabilities. This label is part of the built-in Pod Security Admission (PSA) controller, which replaced PodSecurityPolicy in Kubernetes v1.23+.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
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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