Are you planning to take the CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator) certification?
Certified Kubernetes Administrator is the top Kubernetes certification course at Linux Foundation, which is mainly focused on managing and setting up Kubernetes clusters by engineers.
Firstly, passing the CKA exam requires you to have hands-on knowledge of Kubernetes cluster components and related resources.
If yes, then you must be looking for the CKA exam details, syllabus, preparation tips, practice labs, and more. I will be providing you with all the prominent information in this CKA Exam Study Guide.
If you have been stressed about this exam, then you must stop worrying because I am going to give you some tips and tricks that you can follow to do well in this exam.
CKA Exam Study Guide (Certified Kubernetes Administration)
We have divided the guide into different sections:
- What is CKA exam?
- CKA Exam Course Coupon
- Is It Worth Getting CKA Exam?
- CKA Exam Details
- CKA Exam syllabus
- CKA Practice Labs
- CKA Exam Syllabus Changes
- Best CKA Exam Preparation Courses
- Exam Taking Tips
- CKA Exam DOs & Dont’s
- Verifying your answers in exam
What is the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) Exam Guide?
The CKA Certified Kubernetes Certification program is one of the best DevOps certifications that comes with a practical learning environment.
It ensures that you have the skills, competence, and knowledge that you would need as a Kubernetes administrator. The pattern of this certification exam involves a 3-hour online exam that includes performance-based problem-solving.
As an applicant, you would need to solve these problems in a command line.
You can work hands-on for the best certification on Linux Foundation so that you can show your command-line proficiency in this software.
The goal of the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) program ensures the fact that CKAs have the knowledge, competencies, and skills to perform the responsibilities of Kubernetes administrator.
The Certified Kubernetes Administrator exam cost $395, and you will need to appear in this exam for 3 hours in which you will have to solve problem-solving types of questions.
In case you are interested in the CKS certification then it is mandatory for you to have a valid CKA certification.
CKA Exam Coupon [25% OFF]
The first step to start with the CKA exam is to register for the exam on the Linux foundation portal. The exam is free to retake within 12 months.
Get $60 OFF CKA, KCNA, CKAD, and CKS certifications using the latest CKA exam coupon.
Save 20% OFF CKA and CKS exam bundles using the CKA+CKS exam bundle coupon.
If you are looking to save on further Kubernetes courses, check out the latest Kubernetes Certification coupons that save up to 40%.
Should You Get Kubernetes Certified?
Worldwide there are thousands of Kubernetes-certified people having the best time in their careers. It can be confusing at times for you to think if you should get Kubernetes certified. The certification can have different values in different people’s eyes.
Some prefer real-world experience whereas some would judge your knowledge through the certification only.
Kubernetes certification can be of great use when you are new to your field and you lack experience. It is not easy for you to showcase your skills in the early stage of your career because you might not be having real-work problem-solving experience in the same field.
The Kubernetes certification is best to examine your Kubernetes technical outer and internal knowledge if you have prior experience with Kubernetes.
CKA Exam details
The CKA Exam details are mentioned below-
| Question Type | Hands-on practical labs ( 17 questions.) |
| CKA exam format | Online |
| Duration | 2-hours |
| Pricing | USD 395 |
| Take or retake | You can have one Free retake. |
| Language used | English |
| Expiration duration | 2 years |
CKA Exam syllabus
You must know what you are going to prepare yourself for. Below, I am providing all the topics that you need to cover and their corresponding weightage.
| TOPIC | WEIGHTAGE |
| Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration | 25 % |
| Workloads & Scheduling | 15 % |
| Services & Networking | 20 % |
| Storage | 10 % |
| Troubleshooting | 30 % |
CKA Practice Labs
It is extremely crucial for you to practice on the Kubernetes CKA in practice labs because you would need some hands-on experience with the problems.
That is possible only if you go to the CKA practice labs and work on your speed and hands-on problem-solving skills. You will have to solve the problems on LIVE clusters.
Below is the list of all the CKA practice labs-
- Minikube
- Kubeadm
- EKS Service on AWS
- Kubernetes Cluster on Digital Ocean
- GKE Cluster
- Killercoda
- AKS service on Azure
CKA Exam Syllabus Changes
There has been a change in the syllabus and curriculum of CKA exams in 2023. Here is the official announcement of the same.
- The new cluster version is v1.26.
- Addition of Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration.
- Weightage increased for Service & Networking up to 9%.
- Up to 30% increased weightage of the Troubleshooting module.
- Elimination of security section.
Best CKA Preparation Guide for CKA Exam
We have also shortlisted some of the best online preparation courses for the CKA exam:
- Linux Foundation: Learn CKA by buying the course- Kubernetes Fundamentals (LFS258). This course is designed especially for CKA learners.
- Udemy: This CKA learning course offers a browser-based practice test environment for learners.
CKA Exam Taking Tips:
Following are some tips and tricks for the CKA Exam-
- Kubernetes.io has a lot of tasks that you should start practicing.
- You must have good knowledge of the VI editor of Linux.
- Get all the upgradation and debugging questionnaires after logging in to the master node.
- Do not waste your time practicing imperative commands.
- The usage of imperative commands must be only for operations.
- Don’t depend on YAML.
- If a question is 4%, then do not spend more than 4 minutes.
- Always use the sudo, instead of login.
- Ensure that you restore the provided backup when you are restoring the etcd snapshot.
- You must update the etcd.yaml, and after that wait, for the etcd pod to start.
- Read the question carefully, and then do it.
- Do not forget to exit after you log in to the node.
- Using SUDO is necessary to be used by all commands in the nodes.
- Let the Autocomplete get created, and then start answering questions.
- The questions in the exam have a high chance of being similar to the questions in free take.
- Take the free take, and use the experience in getting the exam done properly.
CKA Exam DOs & Dont’s
Following are some DOs and DON’Ts that you must stick with-
Dos:
- It is better if you get done with your exam 15 minutes prior. You can do the necessary revision in the given 15 minutes time.
- The ideal time to solve a question is 5 minutes. Do solve within the ideal timing.
- Make sure to use the available Practice Lab before you appear in the CKA exam.
- Have an active internet connection. It is better if you have two wifi connections just in case.
DON'Ts:
- Do not wait for the last day to appear in the examination. Try giving it as soon as possible.
- Do not put anything unnecessary on the table except your laptop, or the device you are using to appear in the examination.
- Do not spend much time solving one question.
How to Verify Your Answers on the Exam?
Verifying your answer is one of the most important things that you should not skip:
1. Use the command to check pods
Use the command- kubectl get pod nginx.
In case, your pods are ready; use the command- kubectl desribe pod nginx to check events. Similarly, you can see the pod logs by using this command- kubectllogs nginx.
2. Check deployment status
Use the command- kubectl get deployments nginx-deployment to check the deployment status.
3. Verify services
Use the “busybox” to verify the service endpoints.
Conclusion
Hopefully, the CKA Exam Study Guide has helped you gain all the relevant information regarding the exam details. I would suggest you go through the syllabus and properly prepare for this exam.
Do not forget the practice labs and the free takes. Use them for the best that you can.
Follow the important CKA exam tips and tricks mentioned above to avoid any stupid mistakes. Adhere to the guidelines and try to finish the exam 10 minutes before the deadline.
FAQs on CKA Study Guide
Is the CKA exam/test hard to do?
The CKA exam is not easy to crack for sure. You gotta do proper preparation and work hard to get the CKA certification.
How long do I need to study to pass the CKA exam?
You can start by studying for one hour every day for around three months. Increase your study hours slowly to 2 to 3 hours. Make sure to make a timetable for your study time and be disciplined. Nobody can outwork you!
Which one is harder, CKA or CKAD?
CKA is comparatively harder than CKAD.
What is the passing score of CKA?
You must score 66% or above to pass the CKA exam.
How do I renew the CKA certification?
If you want to renew the CKA certification, you need to retake the exam. If you pass the CKA certification exam, then you will get certified for another 3 years.