Linux Foundation CGOA Certified GitOps Associate Exam Exam Practice Test

Linting tools are essential in GitOps practices for maintaining consistency, standardization, and quality in configuration files. Automated linters can validate YAML manifests, Helm charts, or Kustomize overlays for formatting and best practices.

“Linters automate the enforcement of formatting and quality rules in declarative configuration files. They ensure standardized structure and reduce errors in GitOps workflows.”

Thus, the correct answer isC.

The process of keeping theactual statein sync with thedesired stateis calledReconciliation. GitOps controllers (e.g., ArgoCD, Flux) continuously reconcile system resources to match what is declared in Git.

“Reconciliation is the process by which agents compare the actual system state to the desired state and automatically make changes to converge them.”

Thus, the correct answer isA: Reconciliation.

The reconciliation loop is a fundamental GitOps principle. It continuously compares thedesired state(stored in Git) with theactual state(running in the system). When a divergence (drift) is detected, the reconciler automatically corrects the system to match the desired state.

“The reconciliation loop ensures the system is continuously converging toward the declared desired state. Whenever the actual state deviates, the loop reconciles the system to match the desired state.”

Thus, the correct answer isC.

In GitOps,pull-based deploymentis fundamental. Instead of pushing changes into a cluster, GitOps agents running inside the cluster continuouslypull from Gitto reconcile desired state.

“GitOps uses a pull-based model: agents inside the cluster continuously poll the Git repository for desired state changes. If changes are found, they reconcile the live system automatically to match the declared state.”

This ensures secure, automated, and consistent deployments.

Thus,Dis correct.

GitOps emphasizes immutability and auditability. If an error occurs in the configuration stored in Git, the system should be rolled back to the last known good state while the error is fixed. This preserves system reliability and aligns with the GitOps principle of rollback through version control.

“With Git as the source of truth, if an error is introduced, the system can be rolled back by reverting to a previous commit. This ensures stability while the faulty configuration is corrected.”

Thus, the recommended action isC: Roll back to the previous working version.

TheDesired Stateis the declarative specification stored in Git that defines how the system should look and behave. It is the reference point against which the actual state is continuously reconciled.

“Desired state is the complete declarative specification of a system stored in Git. It defines how the system should be configured and serves as the source of truth for reconciliation.”

Thus, the correct answer isA.

Although reconciliation is continuous in GitOps, tools often allow reconciliation to be triggered earlier than the normal polling interval. The recommended approach is to usewebhooks from the Git repository, which notify the GitOps controller of changes and trigger an immediate reconcile.

“While reconciliation loops continuously compare desired and actual state, reconciliation can be triggered sooner by webhooks from version control events, ensuring timely application of changes.”

Thus, the correct answer isA.

Configuration as Code (CaC)in GitOps ensures that infrastructure and application definitions are stored in Git, version-controlled, and immutable. Unlike traditional approaches (manual changes, scripts, mutable infrastructure), GitOps uses CaC forimmutable infrastructure deployments, guaranteeing reproducibility and environment consistency.

“Configuration as Code ensures that system configuration is stored declaratively in version control. This allows immutable deployments, reproducibility, consistency across environments, and prevents ad-hoc manual changes.”

Thus, the distinct advantage isimmutable deployments and consistent environments, makingBcorrect.

AGitOps-managed software systemis defined as one or more runtime environments whose resources are managed declaratively via GitOps practices.

“A GitOps-managed software system includes one or more runtime environments, such as clusters, where resources are under management. The desired state of these resources is declared in Git and reconciled continuously.”

Thus, the correct option isB.

GitOps is not a replacement for DevOps.Instead, it is an evolution and practical implementation of DevOps principles, using Git as the single source of truth and continuous reconciliation as the operational model.

“GitOps builds on the foundation of DevOps by providing a framework to put its principles into practice. It leverages Git and declarative reconciliation to realize DevOps goals.”

Thus, the best description of the relationship isB.

Most GitOps tools (e.g., Flux) are pull-based only. However,ArgoCDsupports both pull-based reconciliation (via continuous monitoring) and an optionalpush-based model, where changes can be triggered via webhooks or CI pipelines.

“ArgoCD supports both pull-based reconciliation, where the controller watches the repository, and an optional push-based reconciliation mode triggered by webhooks.”

Thus, the correct answer isA: ArgoCD.

In GitOps, Continuous Deployment (CD) follows after Continuous Integration (CI). CI is responsible for building and testing application code, while CD automates the delivery and deployment of these changes into runtime environments. The Git repository serves as the single source of truth, and when CI merges new changes into the main branch, CD reconciles the state of the environment to match what is declared in Git.

“GitOps builds on the principles of DevOps by using Git as the source of truth for declarative infrastructure and applications. CI pipelines handle the integration and testing of code, and CD pipelines or agents automatically reconcile the desired state in Git with the actual state in the cluster.”

This shows that CD is triggered after CI to handle deployment automation, ensuring systems remain in sync with what is declared in version control.

AState Storein GitOps is the system of record whereDesired State declarationsare kept. It must be immutable and versioned to ensure full auditability, traceability, and rollback capabilities. Git itself is the most common State Store.

“The Desired State must be stored in a State Store that is versioned and immutable. This guarantees traceability and enables recovery by reverting to previous commits.”

Thus, the correct answer isD.

In GitOps,Git is the single source of truth. If changes are made manually in the cluster (viakubectl), those changes will drift from the desired state in Git. To ensure consistency, the correct approach is toupdate the Git repository (Desired State store)so that the reconciler can continuously apply and maintain those changes.

“The desired state must always be declared in Git. Manual changes in the cluster will be overwritten by reconciliation unless they are committed to the Git repository.”

Thus, the correct answer isB.

Declarative configuration describeswhatthe system should look like, nothowto achieve it. This enables the use ofstandard reconciliation tools(like ArgoCD or Flux) to manage the system automatically, removing the burden of writing and maintaining imperative scripts.

“Declarative configuration enables systems to be managed by generic reconciliation tools rather than bespoke scripts, reducing operational overhead and increasing reliability.”

Thus, the correct answer isB.

In GitOps, rollback is the process of reverting to a previous known-good configuration stored in Git. This is typically done when a deployment introduces abug, error, or failurethat impacts system stability.

“Rollback in GitOps is used to revert to a previous commit representing a stable configuration when the current deployment causes errors or failures.”

Thus, the correct answer isA.

ThePulled Automaticallyprinciple in GitOps means that agents inside the runtime environment (e.g., controllers/operators) continuously monitor Git (the source of truth) andautomatically pull changeswhen updates are detected.

“Software agents continuously pull changes from the version control system and reconcile them automatically. This pull-based approach ensures automation, security, and self-healing.”

Thus, the correct answer isB.

Areconcilerensures that the actual system matches the desired state declared in Git. External reconcilers run outside the core cluster orchestration process.Fluxis a widely used GitOps external reconciler that continuously syncs cluster state with the repository.

“Flux is an example of a GitOps reconciler that continuously monitors Git repositories and applies changes to the cluster. As an external reconciler, it handles synchronization and reconciliation loops outside the direct application code.”

Thus,A: Fluxis correct.