This CKS practice question tests your understanding of cluster setup and hardening. 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.
An administrator runs 'kubectl auth can-i --list --as=system:serviceaccount:ns1:my-sa' and sees that the service account has 'create pods' permission via a RoleBinding. Which command can be used to delete that RoleBinding?
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.
kubectl delete serviceaccount my-sa -n ns1
Why wrong: This deletes the service account, not the RoleBinding.
kubectl delete role <role-name> -n ns1
Why wrong: This deletes the Role, not the RoleBinding.
kubectl delete rolebinding <binding-name> -n ns1
This deletes the RoleBinding in the specified namespace.
kubectl delete clusterrolebinding <binding-name>
Why wrong: If it's a RoleBinding, not ClusterRoleBinding, this won't work.
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 delete rolebinding <binding-name> -n ns1
The `kubectl auth can-i --list` output shows that the service account `my-sa` has `create pods` permission via a RoleBinding. To remove that permission, you must delete the RoleBinding object itself, not the service account or the role (unless the role is exclusively used by this binding). Option C correctly uses `kubectl delete rolebinding` with the specific binding name and namespace to revoke the RBAC grant.
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 delete serviceaccount my-sa -n ns1
Why it's wrong here
This deletes the service account, not the RoleBinding.
kubectl delete role <role-name> -n ns1
Why it's wrong here
This deletes the Role, not the RoleBinding.
kubectl delete rolebinding <binding-name> -n ns1
Why this is correct
This deletes the RoleBinding in the specified namespace.
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 delete clusterrolebinding <binding-name>
Why it's wrong here
If it's a RoleBinding, not ClusterRoleBinding, this won't work.
Common exam traps
CNCF often tests the misconception that deleting the role or the service account is equivalent to removing the permission, but the correct action is to delete the RoleBinding that grants the permission.
Detailed technical explanation
RBAC in Kubernetes uses RoleBinding objects to bind a Role (or ClusterRole) to a subject (user, group, or service account) within a namespace. Deleting a RoleBinding removes the association between the subject and the role, effectively revoking the permissions. It is a best practice to delete the binding rather than the role or subject, as roles and subjects may be reused by other bindings. The `kubectl auth can-i --list` command checks the effective permissions by evaluating all RoleBindings and ClusterRoleBindings; removing the binding directly updates the authorization policy.
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 CKS 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
Cluster Setup and Hardening — This question tests Cluster Setup and Hardening — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: kubectl delete rolebinding <binding-name> -n ns1 — The `kubectl auth can-i --list` output shows that the service account `my-sa` has `create pods` permission via a RoleBinding. To remove that permission, you must delete the RoleBinding object itself, not the service account or the role (unless the role is exclusively used by this binding). Option C correctly uses `kubectl delete rolebinding` with the specific binding name and namespace to revoke the RBAC grant.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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