PCA Promql Practice Question
When executing a subquery in PromQL, such as 'max_over_time(rate(http_request_total[5m])[30m:1m])', what does the resolution parameter ('1m') specify?
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
✓
The evaluation step size at which the inner expression is run across the subquery window.
The resolution inside subquery brackets specifies the evaluation step size at which the inner expression is evaluated within the subquery range.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The smoothing factor applied to eliminate high-frequency noise.
Why it's wrong here
It defines resolution/step, not a smoothing algorithm.
- ✗
The time-to-live for cached subquery results in Prometheus storage.
Why it's wrong here
It has nothing to do with cache TTL.
- ✓
The evaluation step size at which the inner expression is run across the subquery window.
Why this is correct
The step parameter defines the resolution at which the inner expression is evaluated over the historical window.
- ✗
The minimum scrape interval of the target exporter.
Why it's wrong here
Scrape intervals are configured in Prometheus scrape configs, not query subqueries.
About these practice questions
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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.