Kubernetes · Core interview questions

63 real Kubernetes · Core questions from the DevOps & SRE bank, as asked in Indian campus drives and tech interviews. Every question has a verified answer and an AI-tutor explanation on placd — free to start.

1. What is Pod?

Junior
  1. A.a worker machine, VM or physical, that runs pods in a cluster
  2. B.the node agent that ensures containers described in PodSpecs are running and healthy
  3. C.a plugin that intercepts API requests to validate or mutate objects before persistence
  4. D.the smallest deployable unit, wrapping one or more containers that share network and storage
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3. Which statement is correct?

Junior
  1. A.Pod — a worker machine, VM or physical, that runs pods in a cluster
  2. B.Pod — the smallest deployable unit, wrapping one or more containers that share network and storage
  3. C.Pod — a control-plane process running reconciliation loops that drive actual state toward desired state
  4. D.Pod — a custom controller that encodes operational knowledge to manage a stateful application
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4. What is Node?

Junior
  1. A.a custom controller that encodes operational knowledge to manage a stateful application
  2. B.a worker machine, VM or physical, that runs pods in a cluster
  3. C.a query over labels used to identify and group a set of objects
  4. D.the node agent that ensures containers described in PodSpecs are running and healthy
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6. Which statement is correct?

Junior
  1. A.Node — the consistent key-value store that holds all cluster state
  2. B.Node — a custom controller that encodes operational knowledge to manage a stateful application
  3. C.Node — a worker machine, VM or physical, that runs pods in a cluster
  4. D.Node — an extension mechanism that adds new API object types to a cluster
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7. What is Namespace?

Junior
  1. A.the control-plane front end that validates and serves the Kubernetes REST API
  2. B.a virtual cluster partition that scopes and isolates groups of resources
  3. C.the control-plane component that assigns newly created pods to suitable nodes
  4. D.a control-plane process running reconciliation loops that drive actual state toward desired state
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9. Which statement is correct?

Junior
  1. A.Namespace — a virtual cluster partition that scopes and isolates groups of resources
  2. B.Namespace — the continuous process of comparing desired and current state and acting to close the gap
  3. C.Namespace — a plugin that intercepts API requests to validate or mutate objects before persistence
  4. D.Namespace — a control-plane process running reconciliation loops that drive actual state toward desired state
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10. What is kubelet?

Junior
  1. A.the node agent that ensures containers described in PodSpecs are running and healthy
  2. B.the control-plane component that assigns newly created pods to suitable nodes
  3. C.a control-plane process running reconciliation loops that drive actual state toward desired state
  4. D.a query over labels used to identify and group a set of objects
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12. Which statement is correct?

Junior
  1. A.kubelet — a virtual cluster partition that scopes and isolates groups of resources
  2. B.kubelet — a plugin that intercepts API requests to validate or mutate objects before persistence
  3. C.kubelet — the node agent that ensures containers described in PodSpecs are running and healthy
  4. D.kubelet — the consistent key-value store that holds all cluster state
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13. What is etcd?

Junior
  1. A.a custom controller that encodes operational knowledge to manage a stateful application
  2. B.a control-plane process running reconciliation loops that drive actual state toward desired state
  3. C.the continuous process of comparing desired and current state and acting to close the gap
  4. D.the consistent key-value store that holds all cluster state
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15. Which statement is correct?

Junior
  1. A.etcd — the control-plane front end that validates and serves the Kubernetes REST API
  2. B.etcd — the consistent key-value store that holds all cluster state
  3. C.etcd — a plugin that intercepts API requests to validate or mutate objects before persistence
  4. D.etcd — the control-plane component that assigns newly created pods to suitable nodes
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16. What is API server?

Junior
  1. A.a control-plane process running reconciliation loops that drive actual state toward desired state
  2. B.the smallest deployable unit, wrapping one or more containers that share network and storage
  3. C.the control-plane front end that validates and serves the Kubernetes REST API
  4. D.a query over labels used to identify and group a set of objects
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18. Which statement is correct?

Junior
  1. A.API server — the consistent key-value store that holds all cluster state
  2. B.API server — a worker machine, VM or physical, that runs pods in a cluster
  3. C.API server — the control-plane front end that validates and serves the Kubernetes REST API
  4. D.API server — a control-plane process running reconciliation loops that drive actual state toward desired state
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19. What is Controller manager?

Mid
  1. A.a worker machine, VM or physical, that runs pods in a cluster
  2. B.the consistent key-value store that holds all cluster state
  3. C.a control-plane process running reconciliation loops that drive actual state toward desired state
  4. D.a custom controller that encodes operational knowledge to manage a stateful application
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21. Which statement is correct?

Mid
  1. A.Controller manager — an extension mechanism that adds new API object types to a cluster
  2. B.Controller manager — a control-plane process running reconciliation loops that drive actual state toward desired state
  3. C.Controller manager — a query over labels used to identify and group a set of objects
  4. D.Controller manager — the control-plane front end that validates and serves the Kubernetes REST API
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22. What is Scheduler?

Mid
  1. A.the control-plane component that assigns newly created pods to suitable nodes
  2. B.an extension mechanism that adds new API object types to a cluster
  3. C.a worker machine, VM or physical, that runs pods in a cluster
  4. D.the control-plane front end that validates and serves the Kubernetes REST API
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24. Which statement is correct?

Mid
  1. A.Scheduler — the node agent that ensures containers described in PodSpecs are running and healthy
  2. B.Scheduler — a virtual cluster partition that scopes and isolates groups of resources
  3. C.Scheduler — the control-plane component that assigns newly created pods to suitable nodes
  4. D.Scheduler — the smallest deployable unit, wrapping one or more containers that share network and storage
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25. What is Label selector?

Mid
  1. A.a custom controller that encodes operational knowledge to manage a stateful application
  2. B.a plugin that intercepts API requests to validate or mutate objects before persistence
  3. C.the node agent that ensures containers described in PodSpecs are running and healthy
  4. D.a query over labels used to identify and group a set of objects
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27. Which statement is correct?

Mid
  1. A.Label selector — the control-plane front end that validates and serves the Kubernetes REST API
  2. B.Label selector — a query over labels used to identify and group a set of objects
  3. C.Label selector — the control-plane component that assigns newly created pods to suitable nodes
  4. D.Label selector — the consistent key-value store that holds all cluster state
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28. What is Reconciliation loop?

Mid
  1. A.a virtual cluster partition that scopes and isolates groups of resources
  2. B.the consistent key-value store that holds all cluster state
  3. C.the node agent that ensures containers described in PodSpecs are running and healthy
  4. D.the continuous process of comparing desired and current state and acting to close the gap
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30. Which statement is correct?

Mid
  1. A.Reconciliation loop — the continuous process of comparing desired and current state and acting to close the gap
  2. B.Reconciliation loop — a virtual cluster partition that scopes and isolates groups of resources
  3. C.Reconciliation loop — the smallest deployable unit, wrapping one or more containers that share network and storage
  4. D.Reconciliation loop — an extension mechanism that adds new API object types to a cluster
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