CGOA Certified GitOps Associate Exam Questions and Answers

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.

ArgoCD and Flux are the two primary CNCF GitOps tools. While both are reconciliation engines, they can be used together carefully if configured properly to avoid conflicts. For example, Flux can be used to manage configuration sources, while ArgoCD handles application-level delivery. Extensions and integration points allow them to complement each other.

“ArgoCD and Flux implement the GitOps reconciliation principle. Though they provide overlapping functionality, they can be integrated by carefully managing their scope. For instance, Flux can manage sources and Helm charts, while ArgoCD handles higher-level deployments. Extensions exist to allow cooperation without conflict.”

Thus, the correct answer isC.

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.

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.

Whendriftoccurs (actual state diverges from desired state), GitOps controllers attempt to reapply theDesired Statestored in Git. The system is always converged toward what Git declares, never the other way around.

“In case of drift, the reconciler re-applies the desired state from Git to the runtime environment, ensuring the actual system matches the declared configuration.”

Thus, the correct answer isB.

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.

The two most widely adopted GitOps controllers in the CNCF ecosystem areArgoCDandFlux. Both implement the GitOps principles of continuous reconciliation from Git as the source of truth.

“ArgoCD and Flux are the two primary CNCF GitOps controllers. They implement reconciliation loops to ensure the desired state in Git matches the cluster’s actual state.”

Thus, the correct answer isC.

ThePulled AutomaticallyGitOps principle refers to the way software agents continuously access theDesired Statestored in the State Store (e.g., Git). Agents automatically pull the state from the repository and reconcile the system accordingly.

“Software agents automatically pull the desired state declarations from the source of truth (State Store) and continuously reconcile the system to match.”

Thus, the correct answer isD.

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.

In GitOps, thepull-based reconciliation approachmeans that agents continuously monitor the Desired State in Git. Unlike push-based systems, which only act when triggered, pull-based systems can reconcile at any time, providing resilience, self-healing, and security (since no external system needs direct access to the cluster).

“In a pull-based model, reconciliation agents continuously fetch and compare the desired state, enabling self-healing and ensuring the desired configuration is accessible at all times.”

Thus, the correct answer isB.

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.

In GitOps, systems are defined declaratively. This means that thedesired stateis described in Git, while the steps to achieve it are not explicitly defined. Instead, reconciliation agents interpret the declarative definition and automatically apply changes as needed.

“A declaratively defined system specifies only the desired state. It does not describe the sequence of steps required to reach that state. The reconciliation process ensures the system converges to the declared state automatically.”

Therefore, the correct answer isC: Only the Desired State.

In GitOps,DevSecOpsintegrates security into the GitOps workflow by treating security policies as code and storing them in Git. This enables automatic detection ofsecurity policy driftand ensures that any misconfiguration or violation is reconciled, just like application and infrastructure code.

“GitOps applies DevSecOps by managing security policies as code. This enables detection of drift in security configurations, ensuring environments remain compliant and secure.”

Thus, the correct answer isA.

In GitOps, rollback is handled via version control. However, the practice is not to overwrite history but toroll forwardby creating a new version that reverts to the configuration of a previous known-good commit. This maintains immutability and a complete audit trail.

“With GitOps, changes are versioned immutably. Rollbacks are performed by rolling forward to a commit that represents a previous known-good configuration, ensuring history is preserved.”

Thus, the correct GitOps approach isB.

GitOps enhancesDevSecOpsby ensuring security-related configurations and changes are stored in version control, where acomplete audit historyis available. This provides traceability, accountability, and compliance enforcement.

“With GitOps, the entire version history of desired state changes is stored immutably in Git. This audit trail supports security and compliance goals in DevSecOps practices.”

Thus, the correct answer isB.