CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer): exam format, domains and the Golden path

What is the CKAD exam?

CKAD is the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer exam from the Linux Foundation and CNCF. It is a proctored, online, performance-based exam: you complete tasks on live Kubernetes clusters from a command line, and the result is graded on the state of the cluster. Where CKA is about running the cluster, CKAD is about using it as a developer: designing and building application workloads, deploying them, configuring environments and secrets, exposing them with services and ingress, and observing and maintaining them. Officially it is the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer 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.

Preparation is practical: creating Pods, Deployments, Jobs and CronJobs quickly from kubectl, writing multi-container Pods, using ConfigMaps and Secrets, setting probes and resource limits, and building network policies and services. Speed with imperative commands and the official documentation matters as much as knowledge.

CKAD exam domains and weights

CKAD has five domains. Application Environment, Configuration and Security is the largest at 25%, followed by Application Design and Build, Application Deployment and Services and Networking at 20% each, and Application Observability and Maintenance at 15%. The spread is even, so there is no domain to skip. Environment and configuration covers ConfigMaps, Secrets, service accounts, security contexts and resource requirements, while design and build covers container images, Jobs and multi-container Pods. Weights come from the official certification page, checked on 23 October 2026. The official list has 5 domains: the largest is Application Environment, Configuration and Security at 25% and the smallest is Application Observability and Maintenance at 15%, so a sensible plan splits study time roughly in proportion to these weights.

The domains map onto a developer workflow: build the application, deploy it, configure it, expose it, then keep it healthy. Practising that loop end to end, with a different application each time, covers every domain at once.

CKAD exam format and cost

The CKAD 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 CKAD 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 CKAD page remains the final word on registration and policy.

How GoldenKube practice works for CKAD

CKAD 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 CKAD 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 CKAD is covered, prepare from the official curriculum and the project documentation.

• Read the official CKAD 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 CKAD sits in the Golden Kubestronaut path

CKAD is one of the 5 core Kubestronaut certifications, and Golden Kubestronaut requires all 16 certifications in the program, so CKAD is a required step. Its own prerequisites, per the Linux Foundation: None. The program page lists all 16 certifications side by side and marks which ones GoldenKube can practice today. The two share so much kubectl skill that many candidates take them close together, which makes CKA and CKAD natural companions. As a performance-based exam it costs more preparation time than the multiple-choice certifications. Its content on deployments, configuration and probes also supports the delivery and platform exams, such as CGOA, CAPA and CNPE.

GoldenKube does not offer practice for CKAD yet. The program page lists all sixteen certifications and shows which of them can be practiced today.

Frequently asked questions