KCSA Kubernetes Cluster Component Security Practice Question
Which component in the Kubernetes control plane is directly responsible for interacting with etcd to persist and retrieve cluster state?
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 kube-apiserver is the only control plane component that communicates directly with etcd.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kube-controller-manager
Why it's wrong here
Controllers interact with the API server, not directly with etcd.
- ✗
kube-scheduler
Why it's wrong here
The scheduler places pods by making API calls to the kube-apiserver.
- ✓
kube-apiserver
Why this is correct
The API server acts as the frontend and is the sole component permitted to query and modify etcd.
- ✗
kubelet
Why it's wrong here
Kubelet communicates with the API server to manage pods on its node.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every KCSA question from scratch — 319 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official CNCF / Linux Foundation exam blueprint
This KCSA practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF / Linux Foundation 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 KCSA exam.