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ACE Practice Question: A GKE node pool has an autoscaler configured with…
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of a gke node pool has an autoscaler configured with…. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A GKE node pool has an autoscaler configured with min=2, max=10 nodes. After a sustained traffic surge, the cluster scaled to 10 nodes. Traffic drops overnight to its normal level, but the cluster remains at 10 nodes after 4 hours. What is the most likely reason?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Cluster autoscaler only scales down once per day
Cluster autoscaler can scale down multiple times per day — there's no daily-once restriction.
B
Best answer
Pods have a PodDisruptionBudget preventing eviction, or nodes are still within the scale-down cooldown period
Cluster autoscaler delays scale-down to avoid premature removal of needed capacity. PodDisruptionBudgets that prevent Pod eviction also block node removal.
C
Distractor review
The max node count prevents scale-down — setting max=10 locks the cluster at 10 nodes
The `max` value is the upper limit for scale-out — it doesn't prevent scale-down. Scale-in is governed by min and autoscaler heuristics.
D
Distractor review
Cloud Monitoring alerts are pausing the autoscaler to investigate the traffic drop
Monitoring alerts don't interact with the cluster autoscaler — they notify teams but don't pause autoscaling.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Related practice questions
Related ACE practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this ACE question test?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Pods have a PodDisruptionBudget preventing eviction, or nodes are still within the scale-down cooldown period — GKE's cluster autoscaler scales down cautiously to avoid disruption. By default, it has a scale-down delay (15 minutes after a scale-up event or after the last time a node was needed), and it only removes nodes that have been underutilized for 10 minutes with all their Pods safely reschedulable. Pod disruption budgets (PDBs) or non-reschedulable Pods can also block scale-down.
What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?
Identify which ACE exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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This ACE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud 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 ACE exam.