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.
Which kube-apiserver flag enables audit logging?
--audit-log-path
This flag enables audit logging to a file.
--audit-log-dir
Why wrong: Not a valid flag.
--enable-audit
Why wrong: Not a valid flag.
--audit-policy-file
Why wrong: This flag defines the audit policy but does not enable logging alone.
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
The `--audit-log-path` flag is the correct kube-apiserver flag to enable audit logging because it specifies the file path where audit logs are written. When this flag is set, the API server starts recording audit events to the designated file, effectively enabling the audit logging feature. Without this flag, audit logging is disabled by default, even if other audit-related flags like `--audit-policy-file` are provided.
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-path
Why this is correct
This flag enables audit logging to a file.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
--audit-log-dir
Why it's wrong here
Not a valid flag.
--enable-audit
Why it's wrong here
Not a valid flag.
--audit-policy-file
Why it's wrong here
This flag defines the audit policy but does not enable logging alone.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `--audit-policy-file` (which defines what to log) with the flag that actually enables logging, or they assume a non-existent `--enable-audit` flag exists because other Kubernetes components use similar enable flags.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, the kube-apiserver uses a multi-stage audit pipeline: the policy stage (controlled by `--audit-policy-file`) filters events, and the backend stage (controlled by `--audit-log-path`) writes them to a file. If `--audit-log-path` is omitted, the backend is not initialized, so no logs are written regardless of the policy. In real-world scenarios, you must also configure log rotation via `--audit-log-maxage`, `--audit-log-maxbackup`, and `--audit-log-maxsize` to prevent disk exhaustion, as the default behavior is to write indefinitely to the same file.
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 — The `--audit-log-path` flag is the correct kube-apiserver flag to enable audit logging because it specifies the file path where audit logs are written. When this flag is set, the API server starts recording audit events to the designated file, effectively enabling the audit logging feature. Without this flag, audit logging is disabled by default, even if other audit-related flags like `--audit-policy-file` are provided.
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
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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