PCA Prometheus Fundamentals Practice Question
You observe data gaps in your Prometheus graph after increasing the scrape interval. What is the most likely cause?
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 scrape_timeout is shorter than the time taken to fetch metrics
If the scrape interval is too long, the 'scrape_duration' may exceed the interval or cause stale data handling issues.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
TSDB block corruption
Why it's wrong here
Block corruption usually leads to missing data in queries, not gaps related to interval changes.
- ✗
Stale markers not being processed
Why it's wrong here
Stale markers are generated by the server, not by changing the scrape interval.
- ✓
The scrape_timeout is shorter than the time taken to fetch metrics
Why this is correct
If the scrape takes longer than the timeout, the scrape fails, resulting in gaps.
- ✗
Too many labels on the metric
Why it's wrong here
High cardinality slows down performance but does not cause gaps based on interval changes.
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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.