This CKS practice question tests your understanding of cluster setup and hardening. 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.
Which flag must be set on the API server to enable audit logging?
--audit-log-maxage=30
Why wrong: This sets log retention, not enables logging.
--audit-log-format=json
Why wrong: This sets the log format, not enables logging.
--audit-log-path=/var/log/audit.log
This flag enables audit logging by specifying the log file path.
--audit-policy-file=/etc/kubernetes/audit-policy.yaml
Why wrong: This flag specifies the policy file but does not by itself enable logging; --audit-log-path is also required.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
--audit-log-path=/var/log/audit.log
Option C is correct because the `--audit-log-path` flag is the mandatory parameter that enables audit logging in the kube-apiserver. Without specifying a file path for the audit log, the API server will not write any audit events, even if other audit-related flags are set. This flag tells the API server where to persist the audit log entries, effectively activating the audit logging feature.
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.
--audit-log-maxage=30
Why it's wrong here
This sets log retention, not enables logging.
--audit-log-format=json
Why it's wrong here
This sets the log format, not enables logging.
--audit-log-path=/var/log/audit.log
Why this is correct
This flag enables audit logging by specifying the log file path.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
--audit-policy-file=/etc/kubernetes/audit-policy.yaml
Why it's wrong here
This flag specifies the policy file but does not by itself enable logging; --audit-log-path is also required.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often assume setting the audit policy file (`--audit-policy-file`) alone enables auditing, but without `--audit-log-path` the API server does not write any audit logs, making the policy effectively useless.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the kube-apiserver's audit subsystem is initialized only when `--audit-log-path` is set; this flag triggers the creation of an audit backend that writes to the specified file. The audit policy file (`--audit-policy-file`) is then used to filter events, but the backend must be active first. In a real-world scenario, if you set only `--audit-policy-file` without `--audit-log-path`, the API server will silently ignore the policy because no audit backend is configured, leading to a false sense of security.
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.
What to study next
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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: --audit-log-path=/var/log/audit.log — Option C is correct because the `--audit-log-path` flag is the mandatory parameter that enables audit logging in the kube-apiserver. Without specifying a file path for the audit log, the API server will not write any audit events, even if other audit-related flags are set. This flag tells the API server where to persist the audit log entries, effectively activating the audit logging feature.
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 24, 2026
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