Match each Kubernetes component to its role in the control plane.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Exposes the Kubernetes API and acts as the front-end
Runs controller processes like Node and Replication controllers
Assigns pods to nodes based on resource availability
Consistent and highly-available key-value store for all cluster data
Interacts with underlying cloud provider's APIs
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
API Server: The central component that exposes the Kubernetes API, handling all RESTful interactions.
The core control plane components are: API Server (central API gateway), etcd (distributed store), and Scheduler (pod-to-node assignment). Common confusions include mixing roles of etcd and the API Server or Scheduler.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
API Server: The central component that exposes the Kubernetes API, handling all RESTful interactions.
Why this is correct
The API Server is the front-end of the control plane, processing API requests and validating configurations.
etcd: A distributed key-value store used as Kubernetes' backing store for all cluster data.
Why this is correct
etcd stores the entire cluster state consistently, and it is the only stateful component in the control plane.
Scheduler: Watches for newly created pods and assigns them to nodes.
Why this is correct
The Scheduler selects nodes for pods based on resource availability and constraints.
API Server: A distributed key-value store used as Kubernetes' backing store.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect — this role belongs to etcd, not the API Server.
etcd: Watches for newly created pods and assigns them to nodes.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect — this role belongs to the Scheduler, not etcd.
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About these practice questions
This KCNA question is part of Courseiva's 833-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.