The exams are delivered online and consist of performance-based tasks (problems) to be solved on the command line running Linux.

• The exams consist of 15-20 performance-based tasks.
• Candidates have 2 hours to complete the CKA and CKAD exam.
• The exams are proctored remotely via streaming audio, video, and screen sharing feeds.
• Results will be emailed 24 hours from the time that the exam is completed.

• Implement storage classes and dynamic volume provisioning.
• Configure volume types, access modes, and reclaim policies.
• Manage persistent volumes and persistent volume claims.

• Troubleshoot clusters and nodes.
• Troubleshoot cluster components.
• Monitor cluster and application resource usage.
• Manage and evaluate container output streams.
• Troubleshoot services and networking.

• Understand application deployments and how to perform rolling updates and rollbacks.
• Use ConfigMaps and Secrets to configure applications.
• Configure workload autoscaling.
• Understand the primitives used to create robust, self-healing, application deployments.
• Configure Pod admission and scheduling (limits, node affinity, etc.).

• Manage role-based access control (RBAC).
• Prepare underlying infrastructure for installing a Kubernetes cluster.
• Create and manage Kubernetes clusters using kubeadm.
• Manage the lifecycle of Kubernetes clusters.
• Implement and configure a highly-available control plane.
• Use Helm and Kustomize to install cluster components.
• Understand extension interfaces (CNI, CSI, CRI, etc.).
• Understand CRDs, install and configure operators.

• Understand host networking configuration on the cluster nodes
• Understand connectivity between Pods
• Understand ClusterIP, NodePort, LoadBalancer service types and endpoints
• Know how to use Ingress controllers and Ingress resources
• Know how to configure and use CoreDNS
• Choose an appropriate container network interface plugin

• Understand connectivity between Pods.
• Define and enforce Network Policies.
• Use ClusterIP, NodePort, LoadBalancer service types and endpoints.
• Use the Gateway API to manage Ingress traffic.
• Know how to use Ingress controllers and Ingress resources.
• Understand and use CoreDNS.

The CKA exam is hands-on, so get comfortable with the kubectl command line. Practice typing commands quickly and accurately. You can use aliases to save time. For example:

alias k=kubectl
alias kgp="k get pod"
alias kgd="k get deploy"
alias kgn="k get nodes"

However, don’t spend too much time setting up aliases during the exam—just focus on what's necessary to save time without overdoing it.

After completing each question, verify your work. For example, if you create a pod, ensure it is running by checking its status with:

kubectl get pods

Many candidates think they completed a task only to realize later that they made mistakes. Double-check everything to avoid this situation.

Always use copy and paste for object names during the exam, especially when creating resources with specific names. Manually typing names like xyz-33568932 can lead to errors, which could cause you to lose credit for that task.

The exam consists of 15-20 questions with varying difficulty and weight. Prioritize easier questions and don’t spend more than 10 minutes on a single question. Remember, you don’t need a perfect score; a passing score is 66%. Answer what you can and revisit the tougher questions later.

The CKA certification validates your ability to install, configure, and manage production-grade Kubernetes clusters. Key concepts covered include:

• Networking
• Storage
• Security
• Maintenance
• Logging and Monitoring
• Application Lifecycle Management
• API Object Primitives
• Troubleshooting
• Establishing Use Cases for End-Users

This certification is ideal for Cloud Administrators, Kubernetes Administrators, and IT professionals managing Kubernetes clusters. Earning a CKA certification boosts your credibility and enhances your job market value.