KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
Which three components are part of the Kubernetes control plane? (Select THREE)
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the distinction between control plane and worker node components, and the trap here is that candidates confuse kube-proxy or kubelet as control plane components because they are essential to cluster operation, but they actually run on every node and are not part of the control plane.
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
✓
etcd
etcd is a consistent and highly-available key-value store used as Kubernetes' backing store for all cluster data. It stores the entire cluster state, including configuration, secrets, and metadata, and is a core component of the control plane because the API server reads from and writes to it to maintain cluster integrity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
etcd
Why this is correct
etcd stores cluster state.
- ✓
kube-apiserver
Why this is correct
The API server is the front-end of the control plane.
- ✗
kube-proxy
Why it's wrong here
kube-proxy runs on worker nodes.
- ✓
kube-controller-manager
Why this is correct
The controller manager runs control loop controllers.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
kubelet is a worker node component.
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Same concept, more angles
8 more ways this is tested on KCNA
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO components are part of the Kubernetes control plane? (Select exactly two.)
medium- A.kube-proxy
- B.kubelet
- C.container runtime
- ✓ D.kube-apiserver
- ✓ E.kube-scheduler
Why D: The kube-apiserver is the front-end of the Kubernetes control plane, exposing the Kubernetes API for all cluster operations. The kube-scheduler is responsible for assigning newly created pods to nodes based on resource availability and policy constraints. Both are essential control plane components that manage cluster state and scheduling decisions.
Variation 2. Which TWO of the following components are part of the Kubernetes control plane? (Select 2)
medium- A.container runtime
- ✓ B.kube-apiserver
- C.kubelet
- ✓ D.etcd
- E.kube-proxy
Why B: The Kubernetes control plane is responsible for maintaining the desired state of the cluster and making global decisions. The kube-apiserver is the front-end for the control plane, exposing the Kubernetes API, and etcd is the consistent and highly-available key-value store used as the backing store for all cluster data. Both are essential control plane components.
Variation 3. Which TWO of the following are Kubernetes control plane components?
medium- ✓ A.kube-apiserver
- B.container runtime
- ✓ C.etcd
- D.kube-proxy
- E.kubelet
Why A: The kube-apiserver is the front-end of the Kubernetes control plane, exposing the Kubernetes API. It validates and processes RESTful requests (using JSON/YAML over HTTP/HTTPS) that create, update, or delete cluster resources, and it is the only component that communicates directly with etcd. Without the API server, no control plane operations can be performed.
Variation 4. Which TWO of the following are control plane components? (Select TWO)
medium- ✓ A.etcd
- ✓ B.kube-apiserver
- C.kube-proxy
- D.kubelet
- E.Container runtime
Why A: etcd is a distributed key-value store that holds the cluster's state and configuration data, making it a core control plane component. The kube-apiserver is the front-end for the Kubernetes control plane, exposing the Kubernetes API and handling all RESTful requests to manage the cluster. Both are essential for cluster management and orchestration, not for running application workloads.
Variation 5. Which two components are part of the Kubernetes control plane? (Select TWO.)
medium- ✓ A.kube-apiserver
- B.container runtime
- C.kube-proxy
- D.kubelet
- ✓ E.etcd
Why A: The Kubernetes control plane manages the cluster and makes global decisions. kube-apiserver is the front-end for the control plane, exposing the Kubernetes API for all interactions. etcd is a consistent and highly-available key-value store used as Kubernetes' backing store for all cluster data, making it a core control plane component.
Variation 6. Which two components are part of the Kubernetes control plane? (Select two.)
medium- ✓ A.etcd
- B.kube-proxy
- ✓ C.kube-apiserver
- D.kubelet
- E.container runtime
Why A: etcd is a distributed key-value store that serves as the cluster's source of truth, storing all configuration data, state, and metadata. The kube-apiserver is the front-end of the control plane, exposing the Kubernetes API and handling all RESTful requests for cluster operations. Both are essential control plane components that manage and orchestrate the cluster's overall state.
Variation 7. Which three components are part of the Kubernetes control plane?
hard- ✓ A.kube-controller-manager
- B.kube-proxy
- ✓ C.kube-scheduler
- ✓ D.kube-apiserver
- E.kubelet
Why A: The Kubernetes control plane is responsible for maintaining the desired state of the cluster. The kube-controller-manager runs controller processes that handle routine tasks such as node management, replication, and endpoint management, making it a core control plane component.
Variation 8. Which TWO components are part of the Kubernetes control plane?
easy- A.container runtime
- B.kubelet
- ✓ C.kube-apiserver
- ✓ D.etcd
- E.kube-proxy
Why C: The Kubernetes control plane manages the cluster's state and scheduling decisions. The kube-apiserver (C) is the front-end for the control plane, exposing the Kubernetes API, while etcd (D) is the distributed key-value store that holds all cluster data, including configuration and state. Both are essential control plane components.
JA
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.