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 wants to ensure that no service account in the 'development' namespace has cluster-admin privileges. Which command should be used to identify such bindings?
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 get clusterrolebindings -o yaml | grep -B 10 namespace: development
Option B is correct because `ClusterRoleBindings` are cluster-scoped resources that grant permissions across all namespaces, including the `development` namespace. By piping the YAML output through `grep -B 10 namespace: development`, you can identify which `ClusterRoleBinding` references a service account in the `development` namespace, revealing any binding that could grant cluster-admin privileges to that namespace's service accounts.
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 get serviceaccounts -n development
Why it's wrong here
This only lists service accounts, not bindings.
✓
kubectl get clusterrolebindings -o yaml | grep -B 10 namespace: development
Why this is correct
This searches for cluster role bindings that include subjects from the development 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 get rolebindings -n development --all-namespaces
Why it's wrong here
RoleBindings are namespaced and cannot grant cluster-admin.
✗
kubectl describe clusterrole cluster-admin
Why it's wrong here
Describing the cluster-admin role does not show who is bound to it.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `RoleBindings` (namespace-scoped) with `ClusterRoleBindings` (cluster-scoped), assuming that `RoleBindings` can grant cluster-admin privileges, or they mistakenly think listing service accounts or describing the ClusterRole itself will reveal the bindings.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Describing the cluster-admin role does not show who is bound to it.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, `ClusterRoleBindings` bind a `ClusterRole` (like `cluster-admin`) to subjects (service accounts, users, or groups) cluster-wide, meaning a service account in the `development` namespace bound to `cluster-admin` via a `ClusterRoleBinding` can perform any action on any resource in any namespace. A real-world scenario is a misconfigured CI/CD pipeline that inadvertently creates a `ClusterRoleBinding` for a service account, granting excessive privileges; auditing with `kubectl get clusterrolebindings -o yaml | grep -B 10 namespace: development` is a quick way to detect such misconfigurations.
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 CKS question in full detail.
Cluster Setup and Hardening — This question tests Cluster Setup and Hardening — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: kubectl get clusterrolebindings -o yaml | grep -B 10 namespace: development — Option B is correct because `ClusterRoleBindings` are cluster-scoped resources that grant permissions across all namespaces, including the `development` namespace. By piping the YAML output through `grep -B 10 namespace: development`, you can identify which `ClusterRoleBinding` references a service account in the `development` namespace, revealing any binding that could grant cluster-admin privileges to that namespace's service accounts.
What should I do if I get this CKS 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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