KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
Which TWO components are part of the Kubernetes control plane?
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the misconception that kubelet or kube-proxy are control plane components because they are essential for node operation, but they actually run on worker nodes and are considered node-level services.
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
✓
kube-apiserver
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.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
container runtime
Why it's wrong here
Container runtime (e.g., containerd) runs on worker nodes to run containers.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
kubelet runs on each worker node, not in the control plane.
- ✓
kube-apiserver
Why this is correct
The kube-apiserver exposes the Kubernetes API, serving as the front-end for the control plane by validating and processing RESTful requests to etcd. This satisfies the stem’s constraint of being a control-plane component, as it orchestrates cluster state changes and authentication, distinct from worker-node agents like kubelet.
- ✓
etcd
Why this is correct
etcd is the consistent and highly-available key-value store used as Kubernetes' backing store for all cluster data.
- ✗
kube-proxy
Why it's wrong here
kube-proxy is a network proxy that runs on each node, implementing part of the Kubernetes Service concept.
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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.