This KCNA practice question tests your understanding of kubernetes fundamentals. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
You create a Deployment with replicas: 3. You then scale the Deployment to 5 replicas. What is the order of operations that the Deployment controller follows?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
It updates the existing ReplicaSet's replica count to 5, and the ReplicaSet creates the new pods
When you scale a Deployment, the Deployment controller updates the replica count on the existing ReplicaSet that matches the pod template. The ReplicaSet controller then observes the desired count and creates the additional pods to reach the new target. This ensures that the Deployment's rollout history and rollback capabilities remain intact.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
It creates a new ReplicaSet with 5 replicas and deletes the old one
Why it's wrong here
That would be a rolling update, not a scale up.
✗
It directly creates 2 new pods without using a ReplicaSet
Why it's wrong here
Pods are always managed by a ReplicaSet in a Deployment.
✓
It updates the existing ReplicaSet's replica count to 5, and the ReplicaSet creates the new pods
Why this is correct
The Deployment controller updates the ReplicaSet's .spec.replicas, and the ReplicaSet controller creates the pods.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
It creates 2 new pods immediately without modifying the existing ReplicaSet
Why it's wrong here
The Deployment updates the ReplicaSet's replica count.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse scaling with a rolling update, assuming a new ReplicaSet is created, when in fact scaling only modifies the existing ReplicaSet's replica count without changing the pod template.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Deployment controller uses a ReplicaSet as a child resource to manage pod replicas. When scaling, it updates the ReplicaSet's `spec.replicas` field, and the ReplicaSet controller reconciles by creating or deleting pods via the Kubernetes API. This two-layer architecture allows the Deployment to support rolling updates and rollbacks by tracking multiple ReplicaSets in its revision history.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the KCNA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this KCNA question in full detail.
Kubernetes Fundamentals — This question tests Kubernetes Fundamentals — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: It updates the existing ReplicaSet's replica count to 5, and the ReplicaSet creates the new pods — When you scale a Deployment, the Deployment controller updates the replica count on the existing ReplicaSet that matches the pod template. The ReplicaSet controller then observes the desired count and creates the additional pods to reach the new target. This ensures that the Deployment's rollout history and rollback capabilities remain intact.
What should I do if I get this KCNA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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