KCNA kube-controller-manager Practice Question
Which two of the following are Kubernetes controllers that run inside the kube-controller-manager? (Select TWO)
⚠ Common exam trap
The exam often tests the distinction between control plane components (kube-controller-manager, kube-scheduler, etcd) and node agents (kubelet). Many candidates mistakenly think kubelet is a controller because it manages pods locally, but it runs on each node as a separate binary, not inside the kube-controller-manager.
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
✓
Replication controller
The Replication controller (B) is correct because it is a built-in controller that runs within the kube-controller-manager process, continuously reconciling the desired number of pod replicas with the actual state by creating or deleting pods. The Node controller (D) is also correct because it is another controller embedded in the kube-controller-manager, responsible for monitoring node health, applying taints like node.kubernetes.io/not-ready, and evicting pods from unreachable nodes. The kubelet (A) is not part of the kube-controller-manager; it is a node-level agent that runs on each worker node and manages pod lifecycle via the container runtime. etcd (C) is the distributed key-value store that persists cluster state, not a controller, and it runs as a separate process. The kube-scheduler (E) is a separate control-plane component that assigns pods to nodes and runs independently of the kube-controller-manager.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
The kubelet is a node agent that runs on each worker node and manages pod lifecycle there; it is not a controller inside the kube-controller-manager. It is tempting because it is a core Kubernetes component, but its placement on nodes, not in the control-plane controller manager, rules it out.
- ✓
Replication controller
Why this is correct
The replication controller is a legacy control loop bundled inside kube-controller-manager, which maintains the desired pod replica count for its selector. It satisfies the stem's requirement of running within that manager rather than as a standalone control plane component, unlike the scheduler or kubelet.
- ✗
etcd
Why it's wrong here
etcd is the distributed key-value store holding cluster state, running as its own process rather than as a controller within the kube-controller-manager. It is tempting because it is a control-plane component, but it provides storage, not the reconciliation loops the question asks about.
- ✓
Node controller
Why this is correct
The node controller runs within the kube-controller-manager binary, monitoring node health and evicting pods from unreachable nodes. This satisfies the stem's constraint that the controller executes inside kube-controller-manager, rather than as a separate standalone control plane component such as the scheduler or kubelet.
- ✗
kube-scheduler
Why it's wrong here
The kube-scheduler is a separate control-plane process that binds pods to nodes; it does not run inside the kube-controller-manager. It is tempting because it is a control-plane component, but its distinct binary and scheduling role place it outside the controller manager's embedded controllers.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Container Orchestration Essentials
Key term
Pod Lifecycle
The Pod Lifecycle describes the sequence of states a Kubernetes pod passes through from creation to termination, including pending, running, succeeded, failed, and unknown conditions.
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.
About these practice questions
This KCNA question is part of Courseiva's 930-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.