PCA Promql Practice Question
When evaluating a rule with offset, such as http_requests_total offset 1h, what exact time does Prometheus query?
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
✓
It evaluates the query at the evaluation timestamp minus 1 hour.
The offset modifier shifts the evaluation time backward by the specified duration relative to the evaluation timestamp.
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 fetches data starting 1 hour in the future.
Why it's wrong here
offset moves backward in time, not forward.
- ✗
It calculates the moving average over the past 1 hour.
Why it's wrong here
offset shifts the evaluation point; it does not compute a moving average.
- ✗
It delays rule evaluation by 1 hour to wait for late-arriving data.
Why it's wrong here
offset is a query modifier, not a rule evaluation delay mechanism.
- ✓
It evaluates the query at the evaluation timestamp minus 1 hour.
Why this is correct
Correct. offset shifts the evaluation window into the past.
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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 PCA 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 PCA exam.