KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
Which two components are part of the Kubernetes control plane? (Select TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the distinction between control plane and worker node components, and the trap here is that candidates confuse kubelet or kube-proxy (which run on every node) with control plane components because they are essential to cluster operation but are not part of the control plane itself.
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 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.
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-apiserver
Why this is correct
API server is a control plane component.
- ✗
container runtime
Why it's wrong here
Container runtime runs on worker nodes.
- ✗
kube-proxy
Why it's wrong here
kube-proxy runs on worker nodes.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
kubelet runs on worker nodes.
- ✓
etcd
Why this is correct
etcd is the control plane store.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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