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KCNA · Question #22
KCNA Question #22: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation
The correct answer is D: Gauge. The Prometheus Gauge metric type is used to represent a single numerical value that can increase or decrease over time.
Submitted by daniela_cl· May 4, 2026Cloud Native Observability
Question
What is the core metric type in Prometheus used to represent a single numerical value that can go up and down?
Options
- ASummary
- BCounter
- CHistogram
- DGauge
Explanation
The Prometheus Gauge metric type is used to represent a single numerical value that can increase or decrease over time.
Common mistakes.
- A. A Summary samples observations and provides a total count, sum, and configurable quantiles, rather than a single fluctuating value.
- B. A Counter is a cumulative metric that only ever increases or is reset to zero on restart, unlike a value that can arbitrarily go up and down.
- C. A Histogram samples observations and counts them in configurable buckets, providing distributions of values rather than a single point-in-time value.
Concept tested. Prometheus metric types
Reference. https://prometheus.io/docs/concepts/metric_types/
Topics
#Prometheus#Metric Types#Gauge#Observability
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