KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
Which TWO of the following components are part of the Kubernetes control plane? (Select 2)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse kubelet or kube-proxy (which run on every node) as part of the control plane because they are essential for cluster operation, but they are not control plane components.
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 store cluster state. Option B, kube-apiserver, is correct because it is the central management endpoint that exposes the Kubernetes API, validates and processes REST requests, and is the front end through which all other components communicate. Option D, etcd, is correct because it is the consistent, highly-available key-value store that persists all cluster data, including object specs and state, and is the backing store for the API server. The unmarked options are node-level components, not control plane components: the container runtime (A) executes containers on each node, kubelet (C) is the node agent that manages pods and containers on a node, and kube-proxy (E) implements Service networking rules on each node.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
container runtime
Why it's wrong here
The container runtime executes containers on each node via the CRI, so it is a worker node component, not control plane. It is tempting because the control plane schedules pods that the runtime then runs, but scheduling and execution are separate concerns.
- ✓
kube-apiserver
Why this is correct
kube-apiserver is the control plane component exposing the Kubernetes API; every kubectl request and internal component interaction flows through it, and it validates and persists objects to etcd. It is therefore part of the control plane.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
kubelet runs on every worker node, registering the node and managing pod lifecycles; it is not a control plane component. It is tempting because kubelet is essential to cluster operation and appears in control-plane discussions, and would be correct when listing node components alongside kube-proxy and the container runtime.
- ✓
etcd
Why this is correct
etcd is the control plane's consistent, highly-available key-value store, persisting all cluster state including object definitions, configuration and service discovery data. The API server reads and writes exclusively through it, making it essential to control plane operation. This satisfies the stem's requirement for a control plane component, unlike worker-node-only components such as kubelet or kube-proxy.
- ✗
kube-proxy
Why it's wrong here
kube-proxy runs on each node, implementing Service virtual IPs via iptables or IPVS rules; it is a node component, not control plane. It is tempting because it is central to cluster networking and is often listed alongside control plane services, but it belongs to the data plane.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Pods and Workload Management
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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