CKAD Application Observability and Maintenance Practice Question
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 view the resource usage of all pods running on a node named 'node01'. Which command should you use?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
kubectl top pods --all-namespaces --field-selector spec.nodeName=node01
Option C is correct because `kubectl top pods` retrieves real-time CPU and memory usage metrics for pods, and the `--field-selector spec.nodeName=node01` filter restricts the output to only pods scheduled on the specified node. This directly answers the requirement to view resource usage of all pods on 'node01'.
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 top nodes node01
Why it's wrong here
This shows node-level resource usage, not per-pod.
✗
kubectl get pods -o wide --all-namespaces --field-selector spec.nodeName=node01
Why it's wrong here
This lists pods on the node but does not show resource usage.
✓
kubectl top pods --all-namespaces --field-selector spec.nodeName=node01
Why this is correct
This command shows pod resource usage for all pods scheduled on node01.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
kubectl describe node node01 | grep -A 10 'Non-terminated Pods'
Why it's wrong here
This shows pod names and statuses, but not resource usage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing `kubectl top pods` (which shows live resource usage) with `kubectl get pods` (which shows static pod metadata) or `kubectl describe node` (which shows node-level resource allocation, not per-pod usage).
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
This shows node-level resource usage, not per-pod.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, `kubectl top` relies on the Metrics Server, which collects resource metrics from the kubelet's cAdvisor via the Summary API. The `--field-selector` uses the Kubernetes API's field-based filtering to match pods by `spec.nodeName`, which is set by the scheduler when binding a pod to a node. In a real-world scenario, this command is essential for identifying resource-hungry pods on a specific node during troubleshooting or capacity planning.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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: kubectl top pods --all-namespaces --field-selector spec.nodeName=node01 — Option C is correct because `kubectl top pods` retrieves real-time CPU and memory usage metrics for pods, and the `--field-selector spec.nodeName=node01` filter restricts the output to only pods scheduled on the specified node. This directly answers the requirement to view resource usage of all pods on 'node01'.
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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