Certification preparation

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)

Name: Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
Price: 2800.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Five-day course where you build, configure and troubleshoot Kubernetes clusters through labs aligned to CKA domains with daily practice.

40 hours (5 days) Advanced IT Service Management

View training options Download curriculum ↓

THE BIG PICTURE

About this course

The Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) is a performance-based certification awarded by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) that validates practical skills in administering Kubernetes clusters. Across five days you will cover cluster architecture, installation and configuration, workloads and scheduling, services and networking, storage, and troubleshooting. Each topic is backed by guided labs, realistic scenarios, and daily exam-style practice to build speed and accuracy at the terminal. The CKA exam is an online, remotely proctored, hands-on test with approximately 15–20 performance-based tasks to complete in 120 minutes. It is open book with access to official Kubernetes documentation, the passing score is 66%, and the certification is valid for 3 years. The exam is delivered by The Linux Foundation on behalf of CNCF. Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) owns the certification scheme. MindClick provides training and exam preparation and is not an accredited or authorised partner.

What you’ll learn

Install and configure a multi-node Kubernetes cluster with kubeadm and manage cluster lifecycle tasks
Administer cluster components, kubeconfig, certificates, and perform etcd backups and restores
Deploy and manage Pods, Deployments, DaemonSets, Jobs and CronJobs with controlled rollouts
Apply scheduling controls using taints, tolerations, selectors, and affinity/anti-affinity rules
Configure Services, Ingress and DNS and implement basic NetworkPolicies for traffic control
Provision and consume storage with PersistentVolumes, PersistentVolumeClaims and StorageClasses
Diagnose and resolve cluster and workload issues using logs, events, probes and kubectl debugging
Practise exam-grade tasks and build a personal study plan to sit and pass the CKA exam

A CLEAR PATH FORWARD

5-day course agenda

5 days · 40 contact hours · 09:00–17:30

5 instructor-led days (40 contact hours) mapped to the exam domains. Each day combines short concept sessions, hands-on practice on a running case study and exam-style questions.

Learning route: 5 recommended days
Practical work: 5 guided activities
Finish with: Mock exam + certification exam

Take a look at each day. Open a section to see the topics and practical work.

Day 1Cluster architecture, installation and configurationCluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration

What we’ll cover

09:00–10:30 · Kubernetes architecture: control plane and node components; API server, scheduler, controller manager, kubelet
10:45–12:30 · Cluster bring-up with kubeadm; container runtimes; kubeconfig contexts and certificates
13:30–14:45 · etcd basics; snapshot, restore and validation of cluster state
15:00–16:00 · Node management, labels and taints; cluster upgrades overview
16:00–16:45 · RBAC fundamentals: roles, role bindings and service accounts
16:45–17:30 · Exam-style practice tasks: kubeadm initialisation, node join and etcd backup

Put it into practice

Build a two-node lab cluster with kubeadm, join a worker and configure kubectl access. Take and verify an etcd snapshot, then restore to prove recovery.

You’ll take away
Cluster build and recovery checklist with kubeadm and etcd commands

Day 2Workloads and schedulingWorkloads & Scheduling

What we’ll cover

09:00–10:30 · Recap Day 1 and Q&A; Pods, Deployments and ReplicaSets; rollout strategies and rollback
10:45–12:30 · DaemonSets, Jobs and CronJobs; probes, lifecycle hooks and init containers
13:30–14:45 · Scheduling controls: taints/tolerations, nodeSelector, node/Pod affinity and anti-affinity
15:00–16:00 · Resource requests/limits, QoS classes, HPA and Pod disruption budgets
16:00–16:45 · Namespaces, labels/annotations and basic kustomize for manifests
16:45–17:30 · Exam-style practice tasks: workload rollouts, scheduling constraints and probe fixes

Put it into practice

Deploy a multi-tier app with health checks and roll it out safely. Enforce placement using taints and affinities, then validate with targeted failures.

You’ll take away
Reusable YAML library for common CKA workload objects

Day 3Services, networking and ingressServices & Networking

What we’ll cover

09:00–10:30 · Recap Day 2 and Q&A; Kubernetes networking model and CNI overview
10:45–12:30 · Services: ClusterIP, NodePort and LoadBalancer; service discovery and CoreDNS
13:30–14:45 · Ingress API concepts, controllers and TLS configuration
15:00–16:00 · NetworkPolicies: design, create and test traffic rules
16:00–16:45 · Troubleshooting networking: kube-proxy modes, DNS resolution and connectivity checks
16:45–17:30 · Exam-style practice tasks: Services, Ingress and NetworkPolicies

Put it into practice

Expose an application with a Service and Ingress, secure it with TLS and restrict traffic with a NetworkPolicy. Verify reachability and DNS resolution.

You’ll take away
Networking and Ingress configuration notes with test commands

Day 4Storage and cluster security essentialsStorage; Cluster configuration (security elements)

What we’ll cover

09:00–10:30 · Recap Day 3 and Q&A; PersistentVolumes and PersistentVolumeClaims
10:45–12:30 · StorageClasses and dynamic provisioning; StatefulSets basics
13:30–14:45 · Secrets and ConfigMaps; encryption at rest overview
15:00–16:00 · Security contexts, capabilities and PodSecurityAdmission
16:00–16:45 · Admission controllers, image sources and API access controls
16:45–17:30 · Exam-style practice tasks: storage provisioning and access controls

Put it into practice

Create a StorageClass and bind PVCs for a stateful workload, then migrate data safely. Apply security contexts and verify permissions in running Pods.

You’ll take away
Storage and security quick-reference (manifests and commands)

Day 5Troubleshooting and exam readinessTroubleshooting across all domains; exam skills and timing

What we’ll cover

09:00–10:30 · Recap Day 4 and Q&A; kubectl debug, logs, events and common error patterns
10:45–12:30 · Control plane and node troubleshooting: kubelet, certificates, DNS and networking
13:30–15:30 · Mock CKA exam (timed, performance-based task set)
15:45–16:30 · Mock review and remediation: faster approaches and command fluency
16:30–16:45 · Exam booking guidance, environment checks and documentation usage rules
16:45–17:30 · Final exam-style practice sprints and personal action planning

Put it into practice

Work through a broken-cluster scenario to restore control plane health, fix scheduling and recover a failing workload. Reflect on root causes and faster fixes.

You’ll take away
Troubleshooting runbook and personalised CKA study plan

Bring it all together

Certification exam: Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), awarded by Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). 15–20 performance-based tasks, 120 minutes, open book (official Kubernetes documentation allowed), online proctored. Pass mark: 66%. Validity: 2 years for certifications earned since April 2024. Every attendee also receives a MindClick certificate of completion for 40 contact hours.

Sample MindClick certificate of completion for Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), marked SAMPLE — What you receive
You earn two separate credentials. The sample shows the MindClick training certificate.
MindClick certificate of completion: 5 days, 40 contact hours, issued to every attendee who completes the course.
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA): issued by Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) when you meet its requirements and pass the exam.

Before you choose your learning route

Session timings are indicative; the trainer may adjust them for the group. Exam details reflect the awarding body’s published information at the time of writing; confirm the current version when you book.

Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) owns this certification scheme. MindClick provides training and exam preparation and is not an accredited or authorised partner of Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

CNCF Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) ↗

Fees

Fee per learner outside India. Exam fee included.
Delivery format	Fee per learner	Exam fee
Live online	$2,800 USD	Included
Classroom	$4,500 USD	Included

One awarding-body certification exam attempt is included in the training fee. Confirm the current fee, any applicable tax and what the fee covers in writing before you pay.

Prerequisites

No formal prerequisites from CNCF. Recommended: familiarity with Linux administration, containers, basic networking, and 6–12 months’ experience working with Kubernetes; comfort editing YAML and using the command line. Bring a laptop with admin rights, a modern browser, terminal/SSH, and stable internet; lab access is provided.

FIND YOUR START

Confirmed batch starts

Choose a published start, then review your offer in the same enrollment flow. A start date is not the full timetable or a seat reservation.

Choose your country & month

Oct242026

Confirmed by MindClickClassroomWeekend start