KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
A developer needs to provide a pod with a persistent volume that must be mounted by multiple pods simultaneously for read-write access. The underlying storage system supports concurrent writes from multiple nodes. Which volume type should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse ReadWriteOnce with ReadWriteMany, or assuming that ReadWriteOncePod allows multiple pods, when it actually restricts to a single pod.
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
✓
ReadWriteMany (RWX)
The access mode ReadWriteMany (RWX) allows a persistent volume to be mounted as read-write by multiple nodes, enabling multiple pods to write concurrently. This is essential for shared storage scenarios like a shared database or file server. The underlying storage plugin must support RWX; not all storage systems do. ReadWriteOnce and ReadWriteOncePod are limited to a single node or pod, respectively, and ReadOnlyMany is read-only.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ReadWriteOncePod (RWOP)
Why it's wrong here
ReadWriteOncePod restricts the volume to a single pod, not just a single node. It ensures that only one pod in the entire cluster can mount the volume read-write. This is even more restrictive than RWO and cannot support multiple pods. Therefore, it does not satisfy the requirement for concurrent access by multiple pods.
- ✓
ReadWriteMany (RWX)
Why this is correct
ReadWriteMany allows a volume to be mounted as read-write by many nodes simultaneously. This matches the requirement of multiple pods needing read-write access. The underlying storage must support RWX, such as NFS, CephFS, or cloud file storage. This is the correct access mode for shared read-write persistent volumes.
- ✗
ReadOnlyMany (ROX)
Why it's wrong here
ReadOnlyMany allows multiple nodes to mount the volume read-only. The scenario requires read-write access for multiple pods, so ROX does not meet the requirement. It is used for sharing static data that should not be modified, such as configuration files or reference datasets.
- ✗
ReadWriteOnce (RWO)
Why it's wrong here
ReadWriteOnce means the volume can be mounted as read-write by a single node. It does not allow multiple nodes to mount it simultaneously, even if multiple pods on the same node can share it. Since the requirement specifies multiple pods with read-write access across nodes, RWO is not suitable.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CNCF exam blueprint
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