- A
Service
A Service provides a stable cluster IP and load balancing to pods.
- B
ConfigMap
Why wrong: ConfigMaps store configuration data.
- C
Ingress
Why wrong: Ingress provides HTTP/HTTPS routing to services, not a stable IP directly.
- D
NetworkPolicy
Why wrong: NetworkPolicy controls traffic flow.
Exposing Pods with a Stable IP: Kubernetes Service
This KCNA practice question tests your understanding of container orchestration. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A developer wants to expose a set of pods running a web application on a stable IP address. Which Kubernetes resource should they create?
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 in Kubernetes provides a stable IP address and DNS name to expose a set of pods, abstracting away pod IP changes due to scaling or restarts. It acts as a load balancer across the pods, typically using ClusterIP (default), NodePort, or LoadBalancer types. This directly meets the requirement of exposing pods on a stable IP.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Service
Why this is correct
A Service provides a stable cluster IP and load balancing to pods.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
ConfigMap
Why it's wrong here
ConfigMaps store configuration data.
- ✗
Ingress
Why it's wrong here
Ingress provides HTTP/HTTPS routing to services, not a stable IP directly.
- ✗
NetworkPolicy
Why it's wrong here
NetworkPolicy controls traffic flow.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The CNCF exam often tests the distinction between Ingress and Service, where candidates mistakenly choose Ingress for stable IP exposure, but Ingress only provides host/path-based routing and requires a Service to actually reach pods.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A Service uses a label selector to dynamically identify target pods and creates an EndpointSlice (or legacy Endpoints) object that tracks pod IPs and ports. The stable IP is assigned from the cluster’s service CIDR range and remains constant even if pods are replaced, enabling reliable client access via the service’s DNS name (e.g., <service>.<namespace>.svc.cluster.local). In real-world scenarios, a Service is essential for stateful applications like databases where clients need a fixed endpoint.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the KCNA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this KCNA question test?
Container Orchestration — This question tests Container Orchestration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Service — A Service in Kubernetes provides a stable IP address and DNS name to expose a set of pods, abstracting away pod IP changes due to scaling or restarts. It acts as a load balancer across the pods, typically using ClusterIP (default), NodePort, or LoadBalancer types. This directly meets the requirement of exposing pods on a stable IP.
What should I do if I get this KCNA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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