Passing the CKAD Exam: A Journey from Experience to Certification

Introduction

So here’s the thing - I’ve been working with Kubernetes for a few years now, building clusters, deploying applications, troubleshooting production issues, and basically living and breathing cloud-native tech. But despite all that hands-on experience, I never actually sat down and took the CKAD exam. Life got busy, there was always another project, and honestly, I kept telling myself “I’ll do it later.”

Well, “later” finally came. I decided enough was enough and registered for the exam. Spoiler alert: I passed! And let me tell you, even with years of practical experience, this exam was no walk in the park.

In this post, I want to share my journey - the good, the bad, and the “why didn’t I practice that more?” moments. If you’re thinking about taking the CKAD or are currently preparing for it, hopefully my experience can help you out.

Why I Finally Decided to Take the Exam

You might be wondering - if you’ve been working with Kubernetes for years, why bother with certification? Great question. Here’s what finally pushed me to do it:

1. Prove it on paper: Yeah, I know my way around Kubernetes, but having that official certification carries weight. It’s one thing to say you know Kubernetes, it’s another to have the CNCF stamp of approval.

2. Fill in the gaps: Here’s the truth - when you work with Kubernetes daily, you get really good at the stuff you do regularly. But there are features and patterns you might never touch in your specific role. The exam forced me to learn those areas I’d been conveniently avoiding.

3. Career opportunities: Let’s be real - recruiters and hiring managers look for these certifications. It opens doors, even if you already have the experience.

4. Challenge myself: After years of doing similar work, I wanted to push myself and see how I’d perform under pressure. Plus, bragging rights are nice too!

My Background with Kubernetes

Before I jump into the preparation stuff, let me give you some context about where I was coming from. I’ve been working with Kubernetes for a few years, and in that time I’ve:

• Built HA clusters from scratch (the hard way, not the managed service easy mode)
• Set up complete GitOps workflows with Flux
• Deployed everything from monitoring stacks to ingress controllers to storage solutions
• Spent countless late nights troubleshooting production issues (fun times!)

So yeah, I had practical experience. But here’s the kicker - knowing how to do something in the real world and being able to do it quickly under exam pressure are two very different things. I learned that the hard way during my preparation!

Preparation Strategy

Understanding the Exam Format

First things first - let me break down what you’re getting into with the CKAD exam:

• It’s all hands-on: No multiple choice questions here. You’re solving actual problems in a real Kubernetes environment. This is both awesome and terrifying.
• 2 hours of intensity: You’ve got 120 minutes to complete all the tasks. Sounds like a lot, but trust me, time flies.
• 66% to pass: You don’t need to be perfect, but you do need to get most things right.
• Browser-based terminal: Everything happens in your browser with kubectl access to live clusters.
• Open book(ish): You can use the official Kubernetes documentation during the exam, which is a lifesaver if you know how to navigate it quickly.

My Study Approach

Okay, so how did I actually prepare? Here’s what worked for me:

1. Actually Reading the Curriculum

I know, I know, reading syllabi is boring. But I forced myself to go through the official CKAD curriculum and honestly assess which areas I was weak in:

• Application Design and Build (20%)
• Application Deployment (20%)
• Application Observability and Maintenance (15%)
• Application Environment, Configuration and Security (25%)
• Services and Networking (20%)

Turns out, even with my experience, there were quite a few gaps. Network policies? Hadn’t touched those in ages. Security contexts? I knew the basics but not all the nitty-gritty details.

2. Practicing Until My Fingers Hurt

The exam is all hands-on, so reading wasn’t enough. I needed to practice, and lots of it:

• Getting fast: I practiced creating resources as quickly as possible using imperative commands. No more carefully crafting YAML files like I had all day.
• kubectl everything: Memorized common kubectl commands and flags until they became muscle memory.
• YAML speed editing: Got comfortable editing YAML quickly in vim. This is crucial because vim is the default editor in the exam terminal. I spent time learning essential vim shortcuts that saved me tons of time.
• Racing the clock: Simulated exam conditions with time limits to get used to the pressure.

**Important Note on Editors**: While the terminal has vim, the exam environment also includes a remote desktop where you can use VSCodium if you prefer a GUI editor! I stuck with vim for speed, but knowing you have options is nice. Practice with whichever editor you'll use during the exam.

3. Key Areas I Focused On

Core Concepts:

# Quick pod creation
kubectl run nginx --image=nginx --dry-run=client -o yaml > pod.yaml

# Creating deployments imperatively
kubectl create deployment my-app --image=myapp:v1 --replicas=3

# Exposing services
kubectl expose deployment my-app --port=80 --target-port=8080 --type=ClusterIP

ConfigMaps and Secrets:

• Creating and consuming ConfigMaps and Secrets
• Using environment variables and volume mounts
• Understanding when to use each approach

Security Contexts:

• Setting security contexts at pod and container levels
• Running as non-root users
• Setting capabilities and privileges

Resource Limits:

resources:
  requests:
    memory: "64Mi"
    cpu: "250m"
  limits:
    memory: "128Mi"
    cpu: "500m"

Networking:

• Services (ClusterIP, NodePort, LoadBalancer)
• Network Policies
• Ingress resources

Persistence:

• PersistentVolumes and PersistentVolumeClaims
• Volume types and access modes
• Dynamic provisioning with StorageClasses

Multi-Container Pods:

• Sidecar, adapter, and ambassador patterns
• Init containers
• Shared volumes between containers

Observability:

• Probes (liveness, readiness, startup)
• Logging and monitoring
• Debugging techniques

4. Practice Platforms

I used several platforms for hands-on practice:

• killer.sh: Comes with the exam registration, excellent for exam simulation
• KodeKloud: Great hands-on labs and practice tests
• Local Kubernetes Cluster: Set up using kind or minikube for daily practice

Useful Resources

• Kubernetes Official Documentation
• CKAD Curriculum
• killer.sh practice exams
• kubectl cheat sheet

Exam Day Experience

Pre-Exam Setup

• Environment Check: I did a system compatibility check a day before
• Workspace: Cleared my desk, ensuring no prohibited items were visible
• ID Verification: Had my government-issued ID ready
• Connectivity: Ensured stable internet connection

During the Exam

What Went Well:

1. Time Management: I made a point to flag difficult questions and move on. Came back to them later with fresh eyes and more time in the bank.
2. Speed is King: All those hours practicing imperative commands? Totally worth it. I was cranking out resources way faster than I would have a few months ago.
3. Doc Navigation: I had bookmarked key sections of the Kubernetes docs and knew exactly where to look for examples. This saved me so much time.
4. Double-checking Everything: After each task, I’d quickly verify with kubectl get and kubectl describe. Caught a few mistakes this way!

The Not-So-Fun Parts:

1. Pressure is Real: Look, I’m not going to lie - even with years of K8s experience, having a timer ticking down while you work is stressful. My hands were literally shaking for the first few questions.
2. Cluster Hopping: Remember what I said about SSH’ing to the right cluster? Yeah, you really need to pay attention to that. It’s easy to get confused when you’re jumping between different environments.
3. Copy-Paste Gotchas: Copying from the documentation sometimes brought weird formatting. Had to be careful and always check the YAML was valid.

Key Tips for the Exam

1. Use Imperative Commands: Don’t write YAML from scratch when you can generate it

   kubectl create deployment nginx --image=nginx --dry-run=client -o yaml | kubectl apply -f -
   

2. Set Up Your Aliases: The exam environment allows aliases, and these will save you SO much time. Set them up at the very beginning:

   alias k=kubectl
   alias kgp='kubectl get pods'
   alias kgs='kubectl get svc'
   alias kgd='kubectl get deploy'
   alias kd='kubectl describe'
   alias kdp='kubectl describe pod'
   alias kl='kubectl logs'
   alias ke='kubectl edit'
   export do="--dry-run=client -o yaml"
   export now="--force --grace-period=0"
   

   Pro tips for aliases:

   • Practice with these aliases during your prep so using them becomes second nature
   • Write all your aliases in a notepad (or use the exam’s notepad feature) so you can quickly copy-paste them into each new cluster after SSH’ing. Trust me, having them ready to paste saves precious minutes!
   • Get comfortable with Ctrl+Shift+C to copy and Ctrl+Shift+V to paste in the terminal. Regular Ctrl+C/V won’t work in the terminal, and fumbling with this during the exam will cost you time.
3. Master Vim Shortcuts: Since you’ll likely be editing YAML in vim, these shortcuts are absolute lifesavers:

   # Essential vim commands for the exam:
   dd          # Delete entire line
   5dd         # Delete 5 lines
   yy          # Copy (yank) line
   5yy         # Copy 5 lines
   p           # Paste below current line
   P           # Paste above current line
   u           # Undo
   Ctrl+r      # Redo
   gg          # Go to beginning of file
   G           # Go to end of file
   :set paste  # Enable paste mode (prevents auto-indentation issues)
   :set number # Show line numbers
   /search     # Search for "search"
   n           # Next search result
   :%s/old/new/g  # Replace all occurrences of "old" with "new"
   

   Honestly, just knowing dd, yy, p, and u will get you pretty far. But practice these until you don’t have to think about them!

4. Alternative: Use VSCodium: If vim isn’t your thing, the exam environment provides a remote desktop with VSCodium available. You can use it to edit YAML files in a familiar GUI environment. I preferred vim for speed, but use whatever makes you comfortable and efficient.

5. Open the kubectl Reference in a Browser Tab: Right at the start of the exam, open https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/generated/kubectl/kubectl-commands in a separate browser tab. This page is a lifesaver for quickly looking up kubectl command syntax. Having it ready in a tab means you don’t have to search for it every time.

6. Use the Documentation Links Provided: Here’s something that took me a question or two to realize - each question often includes quick links to relevant documentation sections! Don’t waste time manually searching through the Kubernetes docs. Use those provided links - they take you exactly where you need to be for that specific question.

7. Use kubectl explain: When unsure about field names

   kubectl explain pod.spec.containers
   kubectl explain deployment.spec.template.spec --recursive
   

8. SSH to the Right Cluster: This one caught me off guard at first - each question may use a different cluster! Make sure you run the SSH command provided in the question to connect to the correct cluster before doing anything else. I almost lost points because I was working on the wrong cluster. Don’t be like me.

   And remember - once you SSH to a new cluster, you’ll need to set up your aliases again. This is where having them in a notepad ready to paste becomes crucial!

9. Verify Everything: Always check your work

   kubectl get pods -n <namespace>
   kubectl describe pod <pod-name>
   kubectl logs <pod-name>
   

10. Time Boxing: Don’t spend more than 3-4 minutes on a single question initially. Flag it and move on!

11. Read Questions Carefully: Pay attention to namespace, context, and exact requirements. I can’t stress this enough - read the question twice before you start typing!

Looking Back: Was It Worth It?

What I Learned About Myself

Here’s something interesting - even though I’ve been working with Kubernetes for years, the CKAD exam taught me that there’s a difference between knowing how to do something and being truly proficient at it. The certification process:

• Made me confront all those Kubernetes features I’d been lazily avoiding
• Taught me to work faster and more efficiently under pressure (which honestly helps in production incidents too)
• Proved that you can always learn more, no matter how experienced you think you are
• Showed me that I actually enjoy challenging myself, even when it’s uncomfortable

Unexpected Benefits

Honestly, preparing for the CKAD made me better at my day job. Things like:

• My kubectl speed increased dramatically - I’m way more productive now
• I learned shortcuts and patterns I wasn’t using before (why did I not know about some of these earlier?!)
• My understanding of Kubernetes deepened in areas I thought I already knew well
• I discovered features that I’ve since used in actual projects at work

Tips for Different Experience Levels

For Beginners

• Focus on understanding core concepts first
• Practice, practice, practice with hands-on labs
• Don’t just read documentation; type every command
• Start with simple resources and gradually increase complexity

For Experienced Practitioners

• Don’t underestimate the exam; preparation is still essential
• Focus on speed and efficiency
• Review areas you don’t work with regularly
• Practice the exam format specifically

Resources I Recommend

1. Official Kubernetes Documentation - Your best friend during the exam
2. killer.sh - Most realistic exam simulation
3. KodeKloud CKAD Course - Excellent structured learning
4. kubectl Cheat Sheet - Memorize common commands
5. Practice Clusters - kind, minikube, or k3s for local practice

Final Thoughts

Look, I’m not going to pretend the CKAD exam is easy. It’s not. Even with years of real-world Kubernetes experience, I had to put in serious preparation time. But you know what? It was totally worth it.

The certification validated what I already knew, but more importantly, it filled in gaps I didn’t even realize I had. It made me faster, more efficient, and honestly more confident in my Kubernetes skills.

If you’re sitting there wondering whether you should take the exam, let me tell you this: if you’re working with Kubernetes regularly, you probably have more knowledge than you think. You just need to focus it, practice the exam format, and go for it. Stop overthinking it like I did for years!

And hey, the cloud-native world isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Having a CKAD certification shows you’re serious about staying current with modern development practices. Plus, the skills you’ll sharpen during prep work will make you better at your actual job. It’s a win-win.

If you’re studying for the CKAD or just thinking about it, feel free to reach out if you have questions. I remember how helpful it was when others shared their experiences with me. Good luck - you’ve got this!

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Have you taken the CKAD exam? What was your experience? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below!