KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
A developer deploys a pod with the following resource specification: ```yaml resources: requests: memory: "256Mi" limits: memory: "512Mi" ``` The pod is killed with OOMKilled. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the distinction between requests and limits, trapping candidates who think exceeding a request causes termination, when in fact only exceeding the limit triggers OOMKilled.
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
✓
The container exceeded the memory limit of 512Mi
The OOMKilled exit code indicates the container was terminated by the Linux kernel's Out-Of-Memory (OOM) killer because it attempted to use more memory than its configured limit of 512Mi. Kubernetes enforces memory limits using cgroups; when the container exceeds the limit, the kernel kills the process, resulting in the OOMKilled status.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The container exceeded the memory request of 256Mi
Why it's wrong here
Requests are used for scheduling; exceeding a request does not cause termination.
- ✗
The node ran out of memory
Why it's wrong here
The node may have memory pressure, but the direct cause is the container exceeding its limit.
- ✗
The CPU limit was too low
Why it's wrong here
CPU throttling does not cause OOMKilled; that is memory-related.
- ✓
The container exceeded the memory limit of 512Mi
Why this is correct
OOMKilled indicates the container exceeded its memory limit.
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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.