CKAD — Exam Overview
Exam Snapshot
Here is everything you need to know about the CKAD exam at a glance:
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Certified Kubernetes Application Developer |
| Administered By | CNCF + Linux Foundation |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Passing Score | 66% |
| Questions | 15–20 performance-based tasks |
| Kubernetes Version | Latest stable (check CNCF curriculum for current version) |
| Allowed Resources | kubernetes.io/docs, kubernetes.io/blog, github.com/kubernetes/ |
| Cost | $395 USD (includes one free retake) |
| Prerequisite | None (but Kubernetes fundamentals are essential) |
| Validity | 2 years from certification date |
| Format | Remote proctored, Linux terminal |
| Retake Policy | One free retake included with purchase |
Tip: Your exam fee includes one free retake. If you fail, you get a second attempt at no extra cost. Use this knowledge to reduce pressure — focus on learning, not perfection.
Exam Domains & Weights
The CKAD exam covers five domains. The largest domain — Application Environment, Configuration & Security — carries 25% of the total score.
| Domain | Weight | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Application Design and Build | 20% | Container images, multi-container Pods, init containers, Jobs, CronJobs, volumes |
| Application Deployment | 20% | Deployments, rolling updates, rollbacks, Helm, Kustomize |
| Application Observability & Maintenance | 15% | Probes, logging, debugging, API deprecations, monitoring |
| Application Environment, Configuration & Security | 25% | ConfigMaps, Secrets, SecurityContexts, ServiceAccounts, ResourceQuotas, CRDs |
| Services and Networking | 20% | Services, Ingress, NetworkPolicies, DNS |
Weight Distribution Breakdown
Application Environment, Config & Security ████████████████████████████ 25%
Application Design and Build ████████████████████ 20%
Application Deployment ████████████████████ 20%
Services and Networking ████████████████████ 20%
Application Observability & Maintenance ███████████████ 15%
Strategy: The Environment, Configuration & Security domain is worth the most. If you are short on time, prioritize this domain first. Together with Services and Networking (20%), these two domains account for nearly half the exam.
Domain Deep Dive
Domain 1 — Application Design and Build (20%)
This domain tests your ability to work with the building blocks of Kubernetes applications:
- Container images — Build, modify, and manage container images
- Multi-container Pods — Sidecar, init container, and ambassador patterns
- Jobs and CronJobs — Batch processing and scheduled tasks
- Persistent and ephemeral volumes — Storage for stateful applications
Related chapters: Container Images, Pod Design, Multi-Container Pods, Jobs & CronJobs
Domain 2 — Application Deployment (20%)
This domain focuses on deploying and updating applications:
- Deployment strategies — Rolling updates, recreate strategy
- Rollbacks — Using
kubectl rollout undo - Helm — Package manager for Kubernetes
- Kustomize — Template-free customization
Related chapters: Deployments & Rolling Updates, Helm & Kustomize
Domain 3 — Application Observability & Maintenance (15%)
This domain covers monitoring and debugging applications:
- Probes — Liveness, readiness, and startup probes
- Logging — Container stdout/stderr, kubectl logs
- Debugging — kubectl describe, events, exec into containers
- API deprecations — Understanding version changes
Related chapters: Probes & Health Checks, Logging & Debugging
Domain 4 — Application Environment, Configuration & Security (25%)
The highest-weight domain, covering application configuration and security:
- ConfigMaps and Secrets — Application configuration management
- Resource management — Requests, limits, quotas
- SecurityContexts — Pod and container security settings
- ServiceAccounts — Identity for Pods
- CRDs and Operators — Extending Kubernetes
Related chapters: ConfigMaps & Secrets, Resource Management, Security Contexts, CRDs & Operators
Domain 5 — Services and Networking (20%)
This domain tests your networking knowledge:
- Services — ClusterIP, NodePort, LoadBalancer, ExternalName
- Ingress — HTTP routing, TLS termination
- NetworkPolicies — Control traffic flow between Pods
Related chapters: Services & Networking, Ingress & Network Policies
How This Tutorial Maps to Exam Domains
| Domain (Weight) | Chapters |
|---|---|
| Application Design and Build (20%) | Container Images, Pod Design, Multi-Container Pods, Jobs & CronJobs |
| Application Deployment (20%) | Deployments & Rolling Updates, Helm & Kustomize |
| Application Observability (15%) | Probes & Health Checks, Logging & Debugging |
| Environment, Configuration & Security (25%) | ConfigMaps & Secrets, Resource Management, Security Contexts, CRDs & Operators |
| Services and Networking (20%) | Services & Networking, Ingress & Network Policies |
Key Takeaways
- CKAD has five domains with the heaviest being Environment, Configuration & Security (25%)
- You get 2 hours to complete 15–20 hands-on tasks — roughly 6–8 minutes per task
- The passing score is 66% — you don’t need to get everything right
- Focus on high-weight domains first if you are short on preparation time
- Every domain maps to specific chapters in this tutorial
FAQ
Q: How many questions are on the CKAD exam?
The exam typically has 15–20 performance-based tasks. The exact number varies between exam sessions.
Q: Can I skip questions and come back later?
Yes. You can flag questions and return to them. This is a recommended strategy — solve easy questions first to bank points, then tackle harder ones.
Q: What Kubernetes version is used in the exam?
The exam uses the latest stable Kubernetes version. Check the CNCF curriculum page for the current version.
