D is correct: the mandatory top-level fields for creating a Kubernetes object manifest are apiVersion, kind, metadata, and (for most objects you create) spec. These fields establish what the object is and what you want Kubernetes to do with it.
apiVersion tells Kubernetes which API group/version schema to use (e.g., apps/v1, v1). This determines valid fields and behavior.
kind identifies the resource type (e.g., Pod, Deployment, Service).
metadata contains identifying information like name, namespace, and labels/annotations used for organization, selection, and automation.
spec describes the desired state. Controllers and the kubelet reconcile actual state to match spec.
Why other choices are wrong:
status is not a mandatory input field. It’s generally written by Kubernetes controllers and reflects observed state (conditions, readiness, assigned node, etc.). Users typically do not set status when creating objects.
template is not a universal top-level field. It exists inside some resources (notably Deployment.spec.template), but it’s not a required top-level field across Kubernetes objects.
It’s true that some resources can be created without a spec (or with minimal fields), but in the exam-style framing—“mandatory fields… using a YAML file”—the canonical expected set is exactly the four in D. This aligns with how Kubernetes documentation and examples present manifests: identify the API schema and kind, give object metadata, and declare desired state.
Therefore, apiVersion + metadata + kind + spec is the only option that includes only the mandatory fields, making D the verified correct answer.
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