KCNA kubectl logs Practice Question
You want to view the logs of a container named 'app' inside a pod named 'web-pod-7d4f8'. Which kubectl command should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
In the KCNA exam, candidates often confuse 'kubectl logs' with 'kubectl exec' or use incorrect flag syntax (e.g., '--container' vs '-c'). Option C is the only correct syntax because 'kubectl logs' requires the pod name and optionally '-c' for container name.
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
✓
kubectl logs web-pod-7d4f8 -c app
The `kubectl logs` command is the standard way to retrieve container logs in Kubernetes. The `-c` flag specifies the container name within the pod, which is necessary when a pod contains multiple containers. Here, the container is named 'app' inside the pod 'web-pod-7d4f8', so `kubectl logs web-pod-7d4f8 -c app` correctly fetches its logs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kubectl exec web-pod-7d4f8 -c app -- logs
Why it's wrong here
kubectl exec is for running commands inside a container, not for fetching logs.
- ✗
kubectl log web-pod-7d4f8 --container app
Why it's wrong here
The command is 'kubectl logs', not 'kubectl log'.
- ✓
kubectl logs web-pod-7d4f8 -c app
Why this is correct
This is the correct command to view logs of a specific container in a pod.
- ✗
kubectl logs web-pod-7d4f8 app
Why it's wrong here
The correct syntax requires the -c flag before the container name: 'kubectl logs web-pod-7d4f8 -c app'.
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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.