Kubernetes is an open source container orchestration platform used to manage microservices at scale. It abstracts containers, creates replicas for apps, provides load balancing, and helps attach volumes. It manages secrets for credentials and provides config maps for effectively injecting environment variables into containers.
If you are a developer and complete beginner who would like to learn Kubernetes and are required to show recruiters your skills, one way to do it is to pass the Linux Foundation CKAD exam.
The exam costs around $445, though you may get a 30–50% discount depending on promotions running at the time. It includes 2 attempts.
To pass the exam successfully, you need a score of at least 66%. The exam consists of around 17–20 questions which need to be answered in under 120 minutes.
Each question is a small task that requires you to create and troubleshoot resources for apps deployed on Kubernetes. It’s important to read each question thoroughly and answer in less than 6 minutes to stay within the time limit.
For the preparation:
I used the Udemy CKAD preparation course by Mumshad to learn the concepts. It costs around $10 but it is a great resource. His course covers all exam topics through video lessons and hands-on practice labs. The course is around 16 hours and I took 16 days, at 2 hours a day, to finish it.
With the exam purchase, you get 2 mock exams which are definitely a must-do as they simulate the exam environment.
I also found a GitHub repo which has additional mock exams. I completed all of the exams, which took around another 20 hours. Most of the questions are repeated, so by the end of all the mock exams I had become very familiar with the concepts needed to pass the exam.
If you are preparing for the CKAD, good luck — you’ve got this!
