- A
--enable-admission-plugins=PodSecurity
The PodSecurity plugin is enabled by adding it to the --enable-admission-plugins flag.
- B
--admission-control=PodSecurity
Why wrong: The flag is --enable-admission-plugins, not --admission-control (deprecated).
- C
--feature-gates=PodSecurity=true
Why wrong: PodSecurity is not a feature gate; it's an admission plugin.
- D
--pod-security-policy=true
Why wrong: This flag does not exist; PodSecurityPolicy (deprecated) used a different mechanism.
Question 637 of 997
Enable PodSecurity Admission Plugin
This CKS practice question tests your understanding of minimize microservice vulnerabilities. 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.
Which flag enables the PodSecurity admission plugin in kube-apiserver?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
--enable-admission-plugins=PodSecurity
Option A is correct because the PodSecurity admission plugin is enabled in kube-apiserver by passing the `--enable-admission-plugins=PodSecurity` flag. This flag activates the built-in Pod Security Admission (PSA) controller, which replaced the deprecated PodSecurityPolicy (PSP) in Kubernetes v1.25. The plugin enforces the Pod Security Standards (baseline, restricted, privileged) at the namespace level based on labels.
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.
- ✓
--enable-admission-plugins=PodSecurity
Why this is correct
The PodSecurity plugin is enabled by adding it to the --enable-admission-plugins flag.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
--admission-control=PodSecurity
Why it's wrong here
The flag is --enable-admission-plugins, not --admission-control (deprecated).
- ✗
--feature-gates=PodSecurity=true
Why it's wrong here
PodSecurity is not a feature gate; it's an admission plugin.
- ✗
--pod-security-policy=true
Why it's wrong here
This flag does not exist; PodSecurityPolicy (deprecated) used a different mechanism.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Candidates often confuse enabling a feature gate with enabling an admission plugin; the trap here is that candidates confuse `--feature-gates=PodSecurity=true` (which only makes the plugin available) with `--enable-admission-plugins=PodSecurity` (which actually activates it), or they mistakenly use the deprecated `--admission-control` flag.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The PodSecurity admission plugin works by evaluating pods against the three Pod Security Standard profiles (privileged, baseline, restricted) based on the `pod-security.kubernetes.io/enforce`, `audit`, and `warn` labels on the namespace. Under the hood, the plugin intercepts pod creation requests and checks the pod's security context (e.g., `securityContext.privileged`, `allowPrivilegeEscalation`, `capabilities`) against the configured profile, rejecting or warning accordingly. A real-world scenario is migrating from PSP to PSA: you must enable the PodSecurity feature gate (in older clusters) and add the plugin to `--enable-admission-plugins`, then label namespaces to enforce the desired standard.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CKS question test?
Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities — This question tests Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: --enable-admission-plugins=PodSecurity — Option A is correct because the PodSecurity admission plugin is enabled in kube-apiserver by passing the `--enable-admission-plugins=PodSecurity` flag. This flag activates the built-in Pod Security Admission (PSA) controller, which replaced the deprecated PodSecurityPolicy (PSP) in Kubernetes v1.25. The plugin enforces the Pod Security Standards (baseline, restricted, privileged) at the namespace level based on labels.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 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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