KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
Which two components are part of the Kubernetes control plane? (Select two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
A common trap is confusing control plane components (etcd, kube-apiserver, kube-controller-manager, kube-scheduler) with node-level components like kubelet, kube-proxy, and the container runtime. Candidates often select kube-proxy or kubelet, which run on every node, instead of the centralized control plane 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
✓
etcd
etcd (A) is correct because it is the control plane's distributed key-value store that persists all cluster state and configuration data, and kube-apiserver (C) is correct because it is the control plane component that exposes the Kubernetes API and serves as the front end through which all other components communicate. The other options are node-level components, not control plane components: kube-proxy (B) maintains network rules for Service traffic on each node, kubelet (D) runs on each node to manage Pods and containers, and the container runtime (E) is the software on each node that actually runs containers.
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 is the control plane's distributed key-value store, holding all cluster state and configuration. The API server reads and writes exclusively to it, making etcd a core control plane component rather than a node-level one.
- ✗
kube-proxy
Why it's wrong here
kube-proxy runs on each worker node, implementing Service networking via iptables or IPVS rules; it is a node component, not control plane. The control plane comprises kube-apiserver, etcd, kube-scheduler and kube-controller-manager. kube-proxy tempts because it is central to cluster networking, yet it executes on nodes.
- ✓
kube-apiserver
Why this is correct
The kube-apiserver is a core control plane component, exposing the Kubernetes API that every cluster operation flows through. It validates and processes REST requests, then persists state to etcd, satisfying the stem's requirement for control plane membership. Worker-node components such as kubelet and kube-proxy are excluded, confirming this selection.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
The kubelet runs on each worker node, registering the node and managing pod lifecycles locally, so it sits outside the control plane. It is tempting because it is a core Kubernetes component and appears in every cluster, but it would be the correct answer only when asked which components run on worker nodes.
- ✗
container runtime
Why it's wrong here
The container runtime (containerd, CRI-O) executes on every worker node to run pods; it is a node component, not control plane. Control plane components are kube-apiserver, etcd, kube-scheduler and kube-controller-manager. The runtime tempts because Kubernetes orchestrates containers, but orchestration logic resides in the control plane.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Services and Network Connectivity
Key term
ReplicaSet and Replication
A ReplicaSet ensures a specified number of identical pod instances are running at all times in Kubernetes, using replication to maintain availability and stability.
Key term
Pods and Containers
Pods are the smallest deployable units in Kubernetes that wrap one or more containers, sharing network and storage resources.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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