Certified Kubernetes Administrator: the honest guide
Everything Linux Foundation / CNCF publishes about CKA, in one place: what the exam asks, how the domains are weighted, and what it takes to be ready.
This guide page is built from the registry, not written yet.
Everything below comes from CKA’s published exam data, and every figure links to the vendor page it came from. The researched version, with study plans and the parts nobody publishes, is still being written. This page is not submitted to search engines until it is.
Practise CKA questions in the meantimeWhat the exam actually asks you to do
Entirely hands-on. There are no multiple choice questions at all: you get a terminal against live Kubernetes clusters and are scored on the state of the cluster when time runs out.
- Hands-on lab
The highlighted formats are the ones you cannot answer from memory alone. Linux Foundation, CKA exam details ↗
Domain breakdown and official weightings
From the official the published CNCF curriculum. Troubleshooting is the heaviest domain at 30 percent, followed by Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration at 25 percent.
- Cluster Architecture, Installation and Configuration25%
- Workloads and Scheduling15%
- Services and Networking20%
- Storage10%
- Troubleshooting30%
Where to focus: Troubleshooting is the single largest domain at 30 percent and it is the one you cannot cram. Break a cluster deliberately, then fix it, and do that more often than you read.
What comes after passing
CKA is valid for 2 years. Valid for 2 years; renew by passing the current version of the exam.
Costs across the full renewal cycle are on the CKA cost page.
Frequently asked questions
Is CKA entirely hands-on?
Yes. There are no multiple choice questions at all. You get a terminal against live clusters and are scored on the state of the cluster when the timer stops, which is why practice questions here are preparation for the reasoning, not a substitute for the terminal.
Can I use the Kubernetes docs during the exam?
Yes, kubernetes.io is allowed. Learning to find a manifest fragment in under thirty seconds is directly worth marks, so practice with the docs open rather than from memory.
How much Linux do I need for CKA?
More than people expect. Troubleshooting is 30% of the exam and a good share of it is systemd, certificates, kubelet logs, and file permissions on the node rather than Kubernetes objects.
Does CKA include a free retake?
Registration includes one free retake, which is unusual and worth factoring into the comparison with certifications that charge full price for a second attempt.
Keep reading
Every guide and cost breakdown, by vendorPractise CKA for free while you decide
Original questions written from the published objectives, with the concept, the reasoning, and a note on every wrong option. No account needed to start.
Start free CKA questions