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 of the following is the correct flag to enable audit logging on the kube-apiserver?
--audit-file
Why wrong: This flag does not exist.
--audit-log-path
This flag specifies the path for audit log output.
--audit-policy-file
Why wrong: This flag specifies the audit policy file, not the log path.
--audit-log-file
Why wrong: The correct flag is --audit-log-path.
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
Option B is correct because `--audit-log-path` is the flag used to specify the file path where the kube-apiserver writes audit log entries. This flag is defined in the Kubernetes API server component and is required to enable audit logging; without it, no audit logs are written.
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-file
Why it's wrong here
This flag does not exist.
--audit-log-path
Why this is correct
This flag specifies the path for audit log output.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
--audit-policy-file
Why it's wrong here
This flag specifies the audit policy file, not the log path.
--audit-log-file
Why it's wrong here
The correct flag is --audit-log-path.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse `--audit-policy-file` (which defines what to log) with the flag that actually enables logging, or misremember the exact flag name as `--audit-log-file` instead of the correct `--audit-log-path`.
Detailed technical explanation
When `--audit-log-path` is set, the kube-apiserver writes audit events in JSON format to the specified file, rotating logs based on `--audit-log-maxsize`, `--audit-log-maxbackup`, and `--audit-log-maxage` flags. Under the hood, the audit backend uses a buffered writer to batch writes, and the policy file (`--audit-policy-file`) controls the verbosity and stages of events logged, but the log path flag is the actual enabler of persistent audit output.
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 — Option B is correct because `--audit-log-path` is the flag used to specify the file path where the kube-apiserver writes audit log entries. This flag is defined in the Kubernetes API server component and is required to enable audit logging; without it, no audit logs are written.
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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