KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
A developer has created a Deployment with 3 replicas. The application should be reachable from other Pods within the same cluster. Which Kubernetes resource should be used to provide a stable network endpoint?
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the misconception that an Ingress is required for any network access, but the trap here is that Ingress is only for external (north-south) traffic, while internal Pod-to-Pod communication uses a Service.
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
✓
Service
A Service provides a stable network endpoint (ClusterIP) that load-balances traffic across the Pod replicas, abstracting away Pod IP changes due to restarts or scaling. This allows other Pods within the cluster to reach the application reliably using the Service's DNS name, without needing to track individual Pod IPs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ingress
Why it's wrong here
Ingress exposes HTTP and HTTPS routes from outside the cluster to internal Services, and requires an existing Service plus an ingress controller. Intra-cluster Pod-to-Pod traffic needs a ClusterIP Service, which Ingress itself references as a backend rather than replaces.
- ✓
Service
Why this is correct
A Service supplies a stable virtual IP and DNS name that load-balances across the Deployment's three Pods, satisfying the requirement for reachability from other Pods inside the cluster. Because Pod IPs are ephemeral, only a Service provides the consistent endpoint ClusterIP access demands.
- ✗
PersistentVolumeClaim
Why it's wrong here
A PersistentVolumeClaim requests storage capacity for a Pod; it provides no virtual IP, DNS name or load balancing across the three replicas. PVCs are correct when a workload needs durable data surviving Pod restarts, not when other Pods must reach it over the network.
- ✗
ConfigMap
Why it's wrong here
ConfigMaps hold non-confidential configuration key-value data for Pods to consume; they define no virtual IP, port mapping or endpoint selection, so no stable address is created. A ConfigMap is correct when injecting environment settings or config files into containers.
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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.