CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator): exam format, domains and the Golden path

What is the CKA exam?

CKA is the Certified Kubernetes Administrator exam from the Linux Foundation and CNCF. It is a proctored, online, performance-based exam: instead of choosing answers you complete tasks on live Kubernetes clusters from a command line, and the result is graded on the state you leave behind. It covers the work of a cluster administrator, which means installing and configuring clusters, managing workloads and scheduling, setting up services and networking, handling storage, and above all troubleshooting. Officially it is the Certified Kubernetes Administrator certification, a performance-based exam in the Kubestronaut core tier of the 16-certification Golden Kubestronaut program. The sections below cover its official domains, the verified format and cost, and its place in the path.

Because the exam is practical, preparation means time at a terminal: kubectl fluency, editing YAML quickly, working with kubeadm, etcd backup and restore, node and control plane troubleshooting. Knowing where to find things in the official Kubernetes documentation is part of the skill, since it is available during the exam.

CKA exam domains and weights

CKA has five domains and troubleshooting is the heaviest at 30%, which reflects the exam's practical focus. Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration follows at 25%, Services & Networking at 20%, Workloads & Scheduling at 15%, and Storage at 10%. Troubleshooting and cluster setup are the two largest domains, so practise diagnosing broken nodes, failing Pods and misconfigured services, and practise building and upgrading a cluster. The weights come from the official certification page, checked on 23 October 2026. The official list has 5 domains: the largest is Troubleshooting at 30% and the smallest is Storage at 10%, so a sensible plan splits study time roughly in proportion to these weights.

The domains overlap in practice: a troubleshooting task usually needs networking, storage or scheduling knowledge to find the cause. A good approach is to break a practice cluster on purpose in each of those areas and repair it against the clock.

CKA exam format and cost

The CKA exam facts below were read from the official Linux Foundation pages on 2026-10-23, and every row of the table links to the page it came from. Format: Online, proctored, performance-based (command line). Questions: 15-20 performance-based tasks. Duration: 120 minutes. Passing score: 66%. Price: 445 US dollars. Certification validity: 2 years. Prerequisites: None. Retake policy: One retake per exam purchase if a passing score is not achieved. Curriculum version: Based on Kubernetes v1.37. Prices and policies change, so confirm them on the official CKA page before you book. If the Linux Foundation changes a value, this page is updated and shows the date it was last verified.

A performance-based exam is graded on whether the cluster or system ends up in the requested state, not on how you got there. With 120 minutes for the whole task set, speed with the command line and the official documentation matters as much as knowledge: do the quick tasks first and come back to the slow ones.

Treat the table as the single source for numbers on this page. If a row says the Linux Foundation does not publish a value, we print that instead of guessing, and the official CKA page remains the final word on registration and policy.

How GoldenKube practice works for CKA

CKA is a performance-based exam, graded on real tasks in a terminal environment, and GoldenKube does not offer practice for it yet; terminal labs are planned. This page therefore covers the exam itself, with its official domains, weights and facts, and shows where CKA sits in the Golden Kubestronaut program, but it does not link to a practice session. For the other certifications in the program that do have a bank, GoldenKube works as a practice loop: one question at a time, instant feedback with an explanation, adaptive ordering toward weak domains, spaced repetition for missed questions, and a mock exam mode. The first 10 answers need no sign-up, and after that a free account saves progress with no credit card. Until CKA is covered, prepare from the official curriculum and the project documentation.

• Read the official CKA curriculum and exam page for the authoritative domain list.
• Use the weights above to decide how much time each domain deserves.
• Practice on a real cluster or system in a terminal, since the exam is performance-based.

Where CKA sits in the Golden Kubestronaut path

CKA is one of the 5 core Kubestronaut certifications, and Golden Kubestronaut requires all 16 certifications in the program, so CKA is a required step. Its own prerequisites, per the Linux Foundation: None. The Linux Foundation lists CKA as a prerequisite of CKS: "Must have taken and passed the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam". The program page lists all 16 certifications side by side and marks which ones GoldenKube can practice today. KCNA gives the vocabulary and CKAD shares a large body of kubectl skill, so the three are natural neighbours in the path. As a performance-based exam it needs more hands-on preparation time than a multiple-choice one.

GoldenKube does not offer practice for CKA yet, so the program page is the best place to see which certifications can be practiced today and which are still planned.

Frequently asked questions