Updated for the latest CKA Exam
This guide focuses on the core objectives of the CKA exam. It includes recommended resources, tools, and hands-on labs to help you prepare effectively. Please verify that all resources match the exam's Kubernetes version.
Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive list, as the exam evolves with K8s rapid development. Please make a pull request if there something wrong, should be added, or updated.
The Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam is a performance-based test that requires you to solve multiple tasks on a live Kubernetes cluster. The exam is proctored and lasts for 2 hours. You must score at least 74% to pass the exam.
These are the exam objectives you review and understand in order to pass the test.
- Workloads and Scheduling – 15%
- Storage – 10%
- Services and Networking – 20%
- Cluster Architecture, Installation, and Configuration – 25%
- Security – 20%
- Troubleshooting – 30%
- Kubernetes Fundamentals
- Kubernetes Basics (K8S Docs)
- Kubernetes Concepts (K8S Docs)
- Kubernetes in 5 Minutes (Video)
- Kubernetes Basics: Updating Applications (K8S Docs)
- Deployments in Kubernetes (K8S Docs)
- Kubernetes Rollback Deployment (Vendor Guide)
- Update Strategies and Prometheus (GKE)
- Harness Deployment Strategies Overview (Vendor Guide)
- The Gotchas of Zero-Downtime Traffic with Kubernetes - Leigh Capili, Weaveworks
- How to Deploy Hashicorp Vault in Kubernetes (Vendor Guide)
- Vault in Kubernetes: Beginner's Tutorial (DevOpsCube)
- Reloader for Dynamic Config Updates (Open Source Tool by Stakater)
- Kubernetes ConfigMap Explained (Qovery Blog)
- Kubernetes Autoscaling: Methods and Tips (Vendor Guide)
- Cluster Autoscaler in Kubernetes (K8S Docs)
- Autoscaling LLM Workloads on GPUs in GKE (GKE Guide)
- KEDA: Kubernetes Event-Driven Autoscaler (Open Source Tool)
- Replicasets, Deployments, Statefulsets, Daemonsets
- Custom Kube-Scheduler: Why and How
- GopherCon 2016: Building a Custom Kubernetes Scheduler
- 11 Kubernetes Custom Schedulers to Consider
- Kubernetes Storage Classes (K8S Docs)
- Dynamic Volume Provisioning Guide (K8S Docs)
- Volume Modes and Access Modes (K8S Docs)
- Pod Networking Basics (K8S Docs)
- Network Policies (K8S Docs)
- Services in Kubernetes (K8S Docs)
- Gateway API Overview (Open Source)
- Ingress Controllers (K8S Docs)
- Upgrades, backups, and scaling
- Container Networking Interface (CNI)
- Container Storage Interface (CSI)
Familiarize yourself with the documentation, initially concepts and mostly tasks, kubectl explain command, kubectl cheatsheet, and kubectl commands reference
- When using kubectl for investigations and troubleshooting utilize the wide output it gives your more details
$kubectl get pods -o wide --show-labels --all-namespaces
or
$kubectl get pods -o wide --show-labels -A # -A is quicker than --all-namespaces
- For events and troubleshooting utilize kubectl describe if its pod/resource related and logs if it is application issue related
$kubectl describe pods <PODID> # for pod, deployment, other k8s resource issues/events
$kubectl logs <PODID> # for container/application issues like crash loops
- The '-o yaml' in conjuction with
--dry-run=clientallows you to create a manifest template from an imperative spec, combined with--editit allows you to modify the object before creation
kubectl create service clusterip my-svc -o yaml --dry-run=client > /tmp/srv.yaml
kubectl create --edit -f /tmp/srv.yaml
- use kubectl aliases to speed up and reduce typo errors, practice them in your daily work some examples:
alias k='kubectl'
alias kg='kubectl get'
alias kgpo='kubectl get pod'
alias kcpyd='kubectl create pod -o yaml --dry-run=client'
alias ksysgpo='kubectl --namespace=kube-system get pod'
alias kd='kubectl delete'
alias kdf='kubectl delete -f'
## for quick deletes you can add --force --grace-period=0 **Not sure if it is a good idea if you are in a production cluster**
alias krmgf='kubectl delete --grace-period 0 --force'
alias kgsvcoyaml='kubectl get service -o=yaml'
alias kgsvcwn='watch kubectl get service --namespace'
alias kgsvcslwn='watch kubectl get service --show-labels --namespace'
#example usage of aliases
krmgf nginx-8jk71 # kill pod nginx-8jk71 using grace period 0 and force
- Acing the Certified Kubernetes Administrator Exam
- Kubernetes Up & Running
- The Kubernetes Book
- Kubernetes Best Practices