KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
Which TWO components are part of the Kubernetes control plane? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that kube-proxy and kubelet sound like 'control' components but are actually node-level services, while the container runtime is often mistakenly thought of as part of the control plane due to its critical role.
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 consists of components that make global cluster decisions and manage cluster state, and kube-apiserver (C) is the central control plane component that exposes the Kubernetes API and is the front end through which all other components communicate. kube-controller-manager (D) is also a control plane component; it runs the built-in controllers (such as node, replication, endpoints, and service account controllers) that continuously reconcile the desired state stored in etcd with the actual cluster state. By contrast, kube-proxy (A) is a node-level component that maintains network rules (iptables/IPVS) for Service load balancing, the container runtime (B) is node software like containerd or CRI-O that actually runs containers, and kubelet (E) is the node agent that registers the node and manages pods on it — all three run on worker nodes rather than as part of the control plane.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kube-proxy
Why it's wrong here
kube-proxy is a per-node network proxy implementing Service virtual IPs; it runs on every worker node, not in the control plane. It tempts because it is a ubiquitous Kubernetes component mentioned alongside control-plane services, but the control plane comprises kube-apiserver, etcd, kube-scheduler and kube-controller-manager.
- ✗
container runtime
Why it's wrong here
The container runtime runs on each worker node, executing container images for pods; it is not a control-plane component. It is tempting because kubelet and the runtime are essential to cluster operation, but they sit in the data plane. The control plane comprises the API server, etcd, scheduler and controller manager.
- ✓
kube-apiserver
Why this is correct
The kube-apiserver runs on control-plane nodes and exposes the Kubernetes API, validating and persisting every object to etcd. It is a core control-plane component, satisfying the stem's requirement to identify two control-plane parts rather than worker-node agents like kubelet.
- ✓
kube-controller-manager
Why this is correct
The kube-controller-manager runs the built-in controllers on control-plane nodes, reconciling actual cluster state with desired state. It is a core control-plane component, satisfying the stem's requirement to identify two control-plane parts rather than worker-node agents such as kube-proxy.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
The kubelet is a per-node agent that registers the node and manages its pods; it runs on every worker node, not in the control plane. It tempts because it is a core Kubernetes component that appears in most cluster diagrams, but the control plane comprises kube-apiserver, etcd, kube-scheduler and kube-controller-manager.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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