This CKS practice question tests your understanding of cluster setup. 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.
A security team wants to ensure that all communication between the kubelet and the API server is encrypted. Which flag must be set on the kubelet to enforce this?
--tls-cert-file
Why wrong: This is for serving certificates, not for client connections.
--node-status-update-frequency
Why wrong: This controls update frequency, not encryption.
--kubeconfig
The kubeconfig file contains the API server address with HTTPS.
--require-kubeconfig
Why wrong: This flag is deprecated.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
--kubeconfig
Option C is correct because the `--kubeconfig` flag on the kubelet specifies the path to a kubeconfig file that contains the credentials and server address for the API server. When this flag is set, the kubelet uses TLS to authenticate and encrypt all communication with the API server, as the kubeconfig file typically references an HTTPS endpoint and includes client certificates or tokens. Without this flag, the kubelet may fall back to insecure or unencrypted connections, violating the requirement for encrypted communication.
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.
--tls-cert-file
Why it's wrong here
This is for serving certificates, not for client connections.
--node-status-update-frequency
Why it's wrong here
This controls update frequency, not encryption.
--kubeconfig
Why this is correct
The kubeconfig file contains the API server address with HTTPS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
--require-kubeconfig
Why it's wrong here
This flag is deprecated.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `--tls-cert-file` (which secures the kubelet's own server) with the flag that secures outbound kubelet-to-API-server communication, leading them to pick Option A instead of the correct `--kubeconfig`.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the kubelet uses the kubeconfig file to establish a TLS connection to the API server, typically over HTTPS (port 6443). The kubeconfig contains the `certificate-authority-data` to verify the server's certificate, and optionally client certificates or bearer tokens for mutual TLS. In a real-world scenario, if `--kubeconfig` is omitted, the kubelet may use an insecure local port (e.g., 10250) without encryption, which is a common misconfiguration that the CKS exam expects you to identify.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
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FAQ
Cluster Setup — This question tests Cluster Setup — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: --kubeconfig — Option C is correct because the `--kubeconfig` flag on the kubelet specifies the path to a kubeconfig file that contains the credentials and server address for the API server. When this flag is set, the kubelet uses TLS to authenticate and encrypt all communication with the API server, as the kubeconfig file typically references an HTTPS endpoint and includes client certificates or tokens. Without this flag, the kubelet may fall back to insecure or unencrypted connections, violating the requirement for encrypted communication.
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 CKS 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 CKS exam.
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