KCNA Cloud Native Architecture Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are core principles of the 12-factor app? (Choose 2.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that 'shared state' and 'singleton processes' sound like reasonable architectural choices, but 12-factor explicitly rejects both in favor of stateless, horizontally scalable processes.
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
✓
Dependencies
Option C (Dependencies) is correct because the 12-factor app's Dependencies principle requires applications to explicitly declare and isolate all dependencies via a dependency declaration manifest (e.g., requirements.txt, Gemfile, package.json) and a dependency isolation tool (e.g., virtualenv, Bundler), so the app never relies on implicit system-wide packages. Option E (Config) is correct because the Config principle mandates storing configuration in environment variables rather than in code or checked-in files, keeping config strictly separate from the codebase so the same build can be deployed across environments. The unmarked options do not belong: Shared state (A) contradicts the stateless processes principle, which requires sharing nothing between processes and externalizing state to backing services; Manual deployment (B) contradicts the Build/Release/Run and CI/CD automation principles; and Singleton processes (D) contradicts the concurrency principle, which favors scaling out via multiple stateless processes rather than relying on a single long-lived instance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Shared state
Why it's wrong here
Factor VI requires processes to be stateless and share nothing, persisting data only in backing services; shared state prevents horizontal scaling and breaks rolling deployments. It tempts architects caching sessions locally for speed, which suits single-instance legacy applications rather than the disposable, horizontally scaled processes the methodology assumes.
- ✗
Manual deployment
Why it's wrong here
Factor V mandates strict separation of build, release, and run stages, with deployment automated and repeatable; manual deployment breaks that reproducibility and invites configuration drift. It tempts small teams avoiding pipeline tooling, which works only for throwaway prototypes never promoted between environments.
- ✓
Dependencies
Why this is correct
The dependencies principle requires applications to explicitly declare and isolate dependencies via a manifest, so nothing is assumed present on the host. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a core 12-factor principle, enabling reproducible builds across environments.
- ✗
Singleton processes
Why it's wrong here
The 12-factor model requires processes to be stateless and share-nothing, scaling horizontally via multiple concurrent instances; a singleton process contradicts that and becomes a scaling and resilience bottleneck. It tempts teams needing one coordinated worker, which suits scheduled jobs rather than the stateless web processes the methodology targets.
- ✓
Config
Why this is correct
The config principle requires configuration to be stored in the environment, separate from code, so the same build deploys across environments without modification. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a core 12-factor principle, preventing credentials being committed to source control.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CNCF exam blueprint
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