PCA Promql Practice Question
When should you use the 'absent()' function?
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
✓
To alert when a metric has no data points in a given range.
absent() returns a time series if the input vector is empty, useful for alerting on missing metrics.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
To alert when a metric has no data points in a given range.
Why this is correct
absent() is standard for 'missing metric' alerts.
- ✗
To reset a counter.
Why it's wrong here
Counters are reset at the application level.
- ✗
To ignore null values in a calculation.
Why it's wrong here
Prometheus doesn't have 'null' values in the same way as SQL.
- ✗
To handle missing labels in a join.
Why it's wrong here
That is not the function of absent().
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.