KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
Which command would you use to get the logs of a pod named 'backend' in the 'production' namespace?
⚠ Common exam trap
Common mistakes include using `kubectl get logs` (invalid), using the singular `kubectl log`, or omitting the namespace flag. Note that the `pod/` prefix is optional and valid but not required.
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
✓
kubectl logs -n production pod/backend
Both option C (`kubectl logs -n production pod/backend`) and option D (`kubectl logs backend --namespace=production`) are valid and functionally equivalent. kubectl accepts the pod name with or without the `pod/` prefix, and flags can appear before or after the resource argument. Options A (`kubectl log`, singular) and B (`kubectl get logs`) are invalid commands. Since two options are correct, the question is ambiguous as written.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kubectl log pod backend -n production
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The subcommand is `logs`, not `log`.
- ✗
kubectl get logs backend -n production
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The command is `kubectl logs`, not `kubectl get logs`.
- ✓
kubectl logs -n production pod/backend
Why this is correct
Correct. This command correctly uses `kubectl logs` with the namespace flag and the pod name, optionally prefixed with `pod/`.
- ✓
kubectl logs backend --namespace=production
Why this is correct
Correct. This is another valid syntax using `--namespace` flag.
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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.