KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
You have a ConfigMap named 'app-config' and a Secret named 'db-password'. You want to mount them into a pod. Which statement is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the misconception that Secrets and ConfigMaps have different mounting capabilities, when in fact both support volume mounts and environment variable injection, with the key difference being that Secrets are base64-encoded and intended for sensitive data.
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
✓
Both ConfigMaps and Secrets can be mounted as volumes
Both ConfigMaps and Secrets are Kubernetes API objects designed to decouple configuration data from container images. They can be mounted as volumes into pods, allowing files to be created in the container's filesystem with the data from the ConfigMap or Secret. This is a core feature for managing configuration and sensitive data in Kubernetes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Secrets can be mounted as volumes, but ConfigMaps cannot
Why it's wrong here
ConfigMaps can also be mounted as volumes.
- ✓
Both ConfigMaps and Secrets can be mounted as volumes
Why this is correct
Both resource types support volume mounting and environment variable injection.
- ✗
ConfigMaps can be mounted as volumes, but Secrets cannot
Why it's wrong here
Secrets can also be mounted as volumes.
- ✗
ConfigMaps and Secrets can only be exposed as environment variables
Why it's wrong here
They can also be mounted as volumes.
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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.