CNCF / The Linux Foundation
CKA
Certified Kubernetes Administrator
A hands-on, performance-based certification proving you can operate production Kubernetes clusters. One of the most demanded credentials for DevOps, platform, and SRE roles.
Blueprint-complete program: 5 decks, 989 cards.
What's on the exam
CKA curriculum (based on Kubernetes v1.34)
Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration
25%Role-based access control (RBAC) · Installing clusters with kubeadm · Cluster lifecycle and version upgrades · etcd backup and restore · Extension interfaces (CNI, CSI, CRI) · Helm and Kustomize
Workloads and Scheduling
15%Deployments, rolling updates, and rollbacks · ConfigMaps and Secrets · Workload autoscaling · Pod scheduling (limits, affinity, taints) · Self-healing application primitives
Services and Networking
20%Pod-to-pod connectivity · Service types (ClusterIP, NodePort, LoadBalancer) · Gateway API and Ingress · Network policies · CoreDNS
Storage
10%Storage classes · Persistent volumes and claims · Volume types and access modes · Dynamic volume provisioning
Troubleshooting
30%Cluster and node troubleshooting · Monitoring cluster components · Container output streams and logs · Diagnosing application failures · Troubleshooting services and networking
Frequently asked questions
How much does the CKA cost?
The CKA costs $445. Includes one free retake and a practice environment; frequent discount promotions.
How long is the CKA and how many questions does it have?
15–20 hands-on tasks — 2 hours.
What do you need to pass the CKA?
66%.
Can you retake the CKA?
One free retake included with registration.
What is the best way to study for the CKA?
Study the official blueprint, not random material: the exam is weighted by domain (Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration 25%, Workloads and Scheduling 15%, Services and Networking 20%, Storage 10%, Troubleshooting 30%). Spaced-repetition flashcards built domain-by-domain against that blueprint are the most time-efficient way to cover everything the exam tests.
Ready to prepare?
Our Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) program follows this exact blueprint — every domain covered, scheduled by spaced repetition, with a journey from first card to test day.