KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
A developer creates a Deployment with 'replicas: 3'. After applying the manifest, only 2 pods are running. Which command would help identify why the third pod was not created?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates choose `kubectl get events` (Option C) thinking it shows all cluster events, but they overlook that `kubectl describe deployment` already includes relevant events for that specific resource, making it the most targeted and efficient diagnostic tool for replica count discrepancies.
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
✓
kubectl describe deployment my-deployment
`kubectl describe deployment my-deployment` provides a detailed status of the Deployment, including the ReplicaSet events, pod template, and any conditions (e.g., `Available`, `Progressing`) that explain why the desired 3 replicas are not met. It surfaces errors like insufficient resources, failed scheduling, or image pull failures that prevent the third pod from being created.
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 logs deployment/my-deployment
Why it's wrong here
Deployments do not have logs; pods do.
- ✗
kubectl get pods -o wide
Why it's wrong here
This shows pod status but not the reason for missing replicas.
- ✗
kubectl get events --all-namespaces
Why it's wrong here
This shows cluster-wide events but is less targeted.
- ✓
kubectl describe deployment my-deployment
Why this is correct
This command shows deployment events and status that reveal issues.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This KCNA question is part of Courseiva's 930-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on KCNA
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A user creates a Deployment with 'replicas: 3'. After applying the manifest, only 2 pods are running. What is the most likely cause?
medium- A.The Deployment's YAML had a syntax error
- ✓ B.There is insufficient node capacity to schedule the third pod
- C.The container image name is misspelled
- D.The ReplicaSet controller is not running
Why B: The most likely cause is insufficient node capacity, as the scheduler cannot place the third pod due to resource constraints (CPU, memory, or other limits). The Deployment controller creates a ReplicaSet, which instructs the scheduler to place pods; if nodes lack sufficient allocatable resources, pods remain in Pending state. This is a common scenario when cluster resources are exhausted.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This KCNA 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 KCNA exam.