🧠 20 Pod Exam Practice Questions (CKA Style)

This document contains a set of 20 realistic CKA-style Pod practice questions along with YAML manifests to truly sharpen your speed and accuracy:

1. Create a basic Pod named web-pod using the image nginx:1.21.

2. Create a Pod multi-container-pod with:

  • two containers
  • first container: nginx
  • second container: busybox running sleep 3600

3. Create a Pod custom-port-pod that exposes container port 8080.

4. Create a Pod env-var-pod with:

  • image: nginx
  • environment variable: ENVIRONMENT=production

5. Create a Pod config-envfrom-pod which imports environment variables from a ConfigMap named app-config.

6. Create a Pod mount-volume-pod that:

  • uses an emptyDir volume
  • mounts it inside the container at /data

7. Create a Pod node-selector-pod that schedules on nodes having label env=dev.

8. Create a Pod toleration-pod that can tolerate the following taint:

key=maintenance, value=true, effect=NoSchedule

9. Create a Pod readiness-probe-pod:

  • http readiness probe on path /ready and port 8080
  • initial delay 5 seconds, period 10 seconds

10. Create a Pod liveness-probe-pod:

  • tcpSocket liveness probe on port 3306
  • initial delay 10 seconds

11. Create a Pod restart-onfailure-pod:

  • restartPolicy should be OnFailure

12. Create a Pod resource-limits-pod:

  • set container requests:
  • cpu: 100m
  • memory: 200Mi
  • set container limits:
  • cpu: 500m
  • memory: 512Mi

13. Create a Pod command-args-pod that:

  • image: busybox
  • runs command: ["/bin/sh", "-c", "echo Hello Kubernetes; sleep 3600"]

14. Create a Pod securitycontext-pod:

  • container runs as user 1000
  • volume files should belong to group 2000

15. Create a Pod host-network-pod:

  • container should use hostNetwork: true

16. Create a Pod pod-affinity-pod that:

  • schedules preferably near Pods with label app=frontend

17. Create a Pod pod-anti-affinity-pod that:

  • avoids scheduling on nodes where app=backend Pods are already running

18. Create a Pod secret-envfrom-pod:

  • load all environment variables from a Secret named db-credentials

19. Create a Pod custom-dns-pod:

  • dnsPolicy should be set to ClusterFirstWithHostNet

20. Create a Pod hostpath-volume-pod:

  • mount host path /var/log into container at /log

✍️ How to Practice:

  • Open a plain text editor (like VS Code)
  • Read one question → Quickly write the YAML from scratch
  • Check against your notes / kubernetes.io if stuck
  • Target time = less than 2 minutes per Pod

Speed + YAML muscle memory = Exam domination 🔥

📜 CKA Pod Practice - Answer Key (YAMLs)

1. web-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: web-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx:1.21

2. multi-container-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: multi-container-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx
  - name: busybox
    image: busybox
    command: ["sleep", "3600"]

3. custom-port-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: custom-port-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx
    ports:
    - containerPort: 8080

4. env-var-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: env-var-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx
    env:
    - name: ENVIRONMENT
      value: production

5. config-envfrom-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: config-envfrom-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx
    envFrom:
    - configMapRef:
        name: app-config

6. mount-volume-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: mount-volume-pod
spec:
  volumes:
  - name: data-volume
    emptyDir: {}
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx
    volumeMounts:
    - name: data-volume
      mountPath: /data

7. node-selector-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: node-selector-pod
spec:
  nodeSelector:
    env: dev
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx

8. toleration-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: toleration-pod
spec:
  tolerations:
  - key: maintenance
    value: "true"
    effect: NoSchedule
    operator: Equal
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx

9. readiness-probe-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: readiness-probe-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: app
    image: nginx
    readinessProbe:
      httpGet:
        path: /ready
        port: 8080
      initialDelaySeconds: 5
      periodSeconds: 10

10. liveness-probe-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: liveness-probe-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: db
    image: mysql
    livenessProbe:
      tcpSocket:
        port: 3306
      initialDelaySeconds: 10

11. restart-onfailure-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: restart-onfailure-pod
spec:
  restartPolicy: OnFailure
  containers:
  - name: busybox
    image: busybox
    command: ["false"]

12. resource-limits-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: resource-limits-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx
    resources:
      requests:
        cpu: "100m"
        memory: "200Mi"
      limits:
        cpu: "500m"
        memory: "512Mi"

13. command-args-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: command-args-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: busybox
    image: busybox
    command: ["/bin/sh", "-c", "echo Hello Kubernetes; sleep 3600"]

14. securitycontext-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: securitycontext-pod
spec:
  securityContext:
    fsGroup: 2000
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx
    securityContext:
      runAsUser: 1000

15. host-network-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: host-network-pod
spec:
  hostNetwork: true
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx

16. pod-affinity-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: pod-affinity-pod
spec:
  affinity:
    podAffinity:
      preferredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
      - weight: 1
        podAffinityTerm:
          labelSelector:
            matchExpressions:
            - key: app
              operator: In
              values:
              - frontend
          topologyKey: kubernetes.io/hostname
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx

17. pod-anti-affinity-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: pod-anti-affinity-pod
spec:
  affinity:
    podAntiAffinity:
      requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
      - labelSelector:
          matchExpressions:
          - key: app
            operator: In
            values:
            - backend
        topologyKey: kubernetes.io/hostname
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx

18. secret-envfrom-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: secret-envfrom-pod
spec:
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx
    envFrom:
    - secretRef:
        name: db-credentials

19. custom-dns-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: custom-dns-pod
spec:
  dnsPolicy: ClusterFirstWithHostNet
  hostNetwork: true
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx

20. hostpath-volume-pod.yaml

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: hostpath-volume-pod
spec:
  volumes:
  - name: log-volume
    hostPath:
      path: /var/log
  containers:
  - name: nginx
    image: nginx
    volumeMounts:
    - name: log-volume
      mountPath: /log

Create a pod named redis-pod that uses the image redis:7 and exposes port 6379 . Use the command redis-server /redis-master/redis.conf to store redis configuration data and store this in an emptyDir volume. Mount the redis-config configmap as a volume to the pod for use within the container.

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: redis-pod
  labels:
    app: redis
spec:
  containers:
  - name: redis
    image: redis:7
    # Start Redis with a custom config file path
    command: ["redis-server", "/redis-master/redis.conf"]

    ports:
    - containerPort: 6379  # Redis default port

    volumeMounts:
    # Mount the emptyDir volume for Redis data persistence (lifetime = Pod's lifecycle)
    - name: redis-data
      mountPath: /data

    # Mount ConfigMap containing redis.conf into the container
    - name: redis-config
      mountPath: /redis-master
      # Each key in ConfigMap becomes a file, here /redis-master/redis.conf
      # Ensure your ConfigMap has a key named 'redis.conf'

  volumes:
  # EmptyDir for ephemeral Redis storage (wiped when Pod is deleted)
  - name: redis-data
    emptyDir: {}

  # ConfigMap for Redis configuration
  - name: redis-config
    configMap:
      name: redis-config   # This must exist beforehand
      # Optional: specify key-to-path mapping
      items:
      - key: redis.conf    # key inside ConfigMap
        path: redis.conf   # file created inside container

controlplane:~$ k logs redis-pod 
1:C 24 Aug 2025 15:38:20.095 # Fatal error, can't open config file '/redis-master/redis.conf': No such file or directory
controlplane:~$ k describe cm redis-config 
Name:         redis-config
Namespace:    default
Labels:       <none>
Annotations:  <none>

Data
====
maxmemory:
----
2mb

maxmemory-policy:
----
allkeys-lru


BinaryData
====

Events:  <none>
controlplane:~$ k delete cm redis-config 
configmap "redis-config" deleted
controlplane:~$ vi 1.yaml
controlplane:~$ cat 1.yaml 
apiVersion: v1
kind: ConfigMap
metadata:
  name: redis-config
data:
  redis.conf: |-
    # Redis configuration file
    bind 0.0.0.0
    port 6379
    dir /data
    maxmemory 2mb
    maxmemory-policy allkeys-lru
controlplane:~$ k apply -f 1.yaml 
configmap/redis-config created
controlplane:~$ k get po
NAME        READY   STATUS              RESTARTS   AGE
redis-pod   0/1     ContainerCreating   0          96s
controlplane:~$ k replace -f abcd.yaml --force
pod "redis-pod" deleted
pod/redis-pod replaced
controlplane:~$ k get po
NAME        READY   STATUS    RESTARTS   AGE
redis-pod   1/1     Running   0          5s

🛡️ Important Tip for CKA

During exam: - Always check quickly if apiVersion/kind are right - Set name correctly (you lose marks if names differ) - If you forget, search "Pod spec" inside kubernetes.io official docs