Certification Guide
Certified Kubernetes Administrator
by Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) · Exam code: CKA
The CKA is a hands-on, performance-based exam that tests your ability to administer Kubernetes clusters in real time. No multiple choice — you solve real problems in a live terminal. It's widely considered the gold standard for Kubernetes competency.
Cost
$445 (includes one free retake)
Difficulty
Expert
Prep Time
6-8 weeks
Passing Score
66%
Valid For
3 years
Salary Impact
+19%
Is it worth it?
Average salary without
$130,000
Average salary with cert
$155,000
Yes, especially for DevOps and platform engineering roles. Despite the $445 price tag, the 19% salary boost ($25K+/year) delivers strong ROI. The hands-on format also means passing actually proves you can do the job — employers trust it.
Study Plan
A week-by-week breakdown to pass on your first attempt.
Cluster architecture — etcd, API server, scheduler, controller manager, kubelet, kube-proxy, kubeadm
Workloads — Pods, Deployments, Services, ConfigMaps, Secrets, PVs, PVCs, StatefulSets, DaemonSets
Networking & security — NetworkPolicies, RBAC, ServiceAccounts, Ingress, DNS, CNI plugins
Troubleshooting, etcd backup/restore, cluster upgrades, killer.sh simulator practice
Best Prep Resources
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Careers this cert unlocks
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
Yes, especially for DevOps and platform engineering roles. Despite the $445 price tag, the 19% salary boost ($25K+/year) delivers strong ROI. The hands-on format also means passing actually proves you can do the job — employers trust it. Certified professionals earn $155,000 on average compared to $130,000 without the certification — a +19% salary boost.
The Certified Kubernetes Administrator exam costs $445 (includes one free retake). Factor in preparation materials and study time of approximately 6-8 weeks. The certification is valid for 3 years. Given the +19% salary boost, most professionals recover the investment within the first few months.
Certified Kubernetes Administrator is rated Expert difficulty (4/5). The exam format is 17-25 performance-based tasks, 120 minutes, hands-on command line with a passing score of 66%. Most candidates need about 6-8 weeks of dedicated study time to pass.
Hands-on experience with Kubernetes. Comfortable with kubectl, YAML manifests, Linux command line, and container orchestration concepts.
Certified Kubernetes Administrator is particularly valuable for DevOps Engineer, Platform Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer, Cloud Architect roles. DevOps engineers, platform engineers, SREs, and cloud engineers who manage or will manage Kubernetes clusters. You need real CLI skills, not just theory.
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