KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
A pod has resource requests of 512Mi memory and 500m CPU, and limits of 1Gi memory and 1 CPU. The node has 4Gi memory and 2 CPU cores. If the pod tries to use 700m CPU, what will happen?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse CPU requests with limits, thinking that exceeding the request triggers throttling or eviction, when in fact throttling only occurs at the limit and eviction is tied to memory or node pressure, not CPU usage below the limit.
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 pod will be allowed to use 700m CPU
The pod's CPU request is 500m, and its CPU limit is 1 CPU (1000m). When the pod attempts to use 700m CPU, it is below the limit of 1000m, so it is allowed to burst up to that amount. Kubernetes uses the CPU request for scheduling and the limit for throttling; since 700m is within the limit, no throttling occurs. The pod is not evicted or terminated because it has not exceeded its memory limit or violated any resource constraints.
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 pod will be throttled to 500m CPU
Why it's wrong here
Throttling occurs only above the limit, not the request.
- ✓
The pod will be allowed to use 700m CPU
Why this is correct
The pod can use up to the CPU limit (1000m) if the node has capacity.
- ✗
The pod will be evicted from the node
Why it's wrong here
Eviction occurs due to memory pressure or disk pressure, not CPU usage.
- ✗
The pod will be terminated for exceeding the limit
Why it's wrong here
CPU is compressible; exceeding CPU limit causes throttling, not termination.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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