KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
A team is designing a Kubernetes cluster for a production workload that requires high availability. They have three worker nodes in different availability zones. Which statement about scheduling Pods is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
The KCNA exam often tests the distinction between mechanisms that merely allow placement (tolerations, nodeSelector) versus those that enforce distribution (topology spread constraints), leading candidates to confuse permission with active scheduling policy.
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
✓
Define a Pod topology spread constraint with topologyKey: topology.kubernetes.io/zone.
A Pod topology spread constraint with `topologyKey: topology.kubernetes.io/zone` explicitly instructs the scheduler to distribute Pods evenly across the specified failure domains (availability zones). This ensures that if one zone fails, the remaining zones still have running Pods, achieving high availability for the production workload.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use nodeSelector to assign Pods to nodes in different zones.
Why it's wrong here
nodeSelector only matches labels; it does not ensure spreading across zones.
- ✗
Add tolerations for the zone taint.
Why it's wrong here
Tolerations allow scheduling on tainted nodes but do not spread Pods.
- ✗
Use podAntiAffinity with a requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution rule.
Why it's wrong here
Anti-affinity ensures Pods are not on the same node, but does not guarantee zone distribution.
- ✓
Define a Pod topology spread constraint with topologyKey: topology.kubernetes.io/zone.
Why this is correct
Topology spread constraints explicitly spread Pods across zones for high availability.
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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.