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.
Full program: 5 decks, 989 cards.
What's on the exam
CKA curriculum (based on Kubernetes v1.35)
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?
Start from the official outline and your primary study materials: the exam is weighted by domain (Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration 25%, Workloads and Scheduling 15%, Services and Networking 20%, Storage 10%, Troubleshooting 30%). Once you've learned the material, spaced-repetition flashcards organized by those domains are an efficient way to retain it and refresh it before test day.
Ready to prepare?
Our Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) program is organized by this outline's domains and scheduled by spaced repetition, with a path from first card to test day.
Flashcards are a memory tool. Learn the material first, then use NoReread to retain it and refresh what you already know. It doesn't replace studying the subject.