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Linux Foundation · DevOps & Automation · Professional

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam guide

Exam CKA (Kubernetes v1.37)

The Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) from the Linux Foundation and CNCF validates hands-on ability to install, configure, operate and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters. It is the most requested Kubernetes credential for platform, DevOps and SRE roles.

QuestionsSee official page
Time limit120 minutes
Passing score66%
Exam fee$445 USD
Valid for2 years
DeliveryOnline proctored (remote, PSI)

Format: Performance-based: solve tasks on live clusters from a command line. Fee note: Includes one free retake and simulator sessions; bundles $625 with THRIVE-ONE or $645 with LFS258 course.

Who it's for

Kubernetes administrators, platform engineers and SREs who manage clusters day to day.

What the exam covers

Troubleshooting30%
Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration25%
Services & Networking20%
Workloads & Scheduling15%
Storage10%

Eligibility & prerequisites

Required: None

Recommended: Hands-on Kubernetes and Linux command-line experience.

Keeping it active

Valid 2 years. Recertify by passing the exam again before expiry.

Skills & careers

Skills it validates

  • Installing and upgrading clusters with kubeadm
  • etcd backup and restore
  • RBAC configuration
  • Services, Ingress, Gateway API and NetworkPolicies
  • Persistent volumes and storage classes
  • Scheduling, resource limits and workload management
  • Troubleshooting nodes, pods and networking

Job roles

Kubernetes AdministratorPlatform EngineerDevOps EngineerSite Reliability EngineerCloud Engineer

Where it fits in your path

Planning a degree too? See how this cert earns college credit in the College Credit Navigator.

Build my study plan

  1. Week 1: Build a kubeadm cluster on VMs; core objects with kubectl
  2. Week 2: Workloads and scheduling - deployments, taints/tolerations, affinity, resource limits
  3. Week 3: Services and networking - Services, Ingress, Gateway API, NetworkPolicy, DNS
  4. Week 4: Storage and cluster ops - PV/PVC, StorageClasses, upgrades, etcd backup/restore, RBAC
  5. Week 5: Troubleshooting (30%) - broken kubelets, control plane, CNI, failing pods
  6. Week 6: Two simulator sessions under exam conditions

Make it yours: pick your exam date and weekly hours. We'll split your time by domain weight and give you a printable plan.

Exam-day tips

  • Troubleshooting is 30% - practice fixing broken nodes and control-plane components
  • Set an alias (k=kubectl) and use --dry-run=client -o yaml to generate manifests
  • Always switch to the context specified at the top of each task
  • Kubernetes docs are allowed; bookmark nothing, but practice finding pages fast
  • Skip and return to long tasks; partial credit is possible

Key terms for this exam

All 74 terms Study with thinQcards™

Commonly confused on this exam

Frequently asked questions

How much does CKA cost?

$445 USD, including one free retake.

What is the CKA passing score?

66%.

How long is CKA valid?

Two years (certifications earned before April 1, 2024 were valid for three).

Is CKA hard?

It is hands-on and time-pressured; most candidates with Kubernetes experience prepare in 4-8 weeks.

CKA vs CKAD?

CKA targets cluster administration; CKAD targets application deployment. CKA is required before CKS.

Official page: training.linuxfoundation.org. Reviewed November 2026. Vendors change fees and objectives, so confirm with the vendor before you book. Spot something out of date? Tell us.