The Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) is the most-respected hands-on Kubernetes credential. Unlike vendor exams, CKA is 100% performance-based — a 2-hour live exam where you build, troubleshoot and operate real Kubernetes clusters under time pressure.
At Nexperts, CKA is delivered against six live multi-node Kubernetes clusters. You spend 32 hours at the kubectl prompt — not slides. We break things deliberately and you fix them.
CKA is the closest thing to a real-job exam in IT. There is no multiple choice. There is no recall. There is only — fix this broken cluster, build this thing, in 2 hours.
The 2026 update strengthens troubleshooting depth, Gateway API coverage and modern CNI patterns (Cilium, Calico). We teach with current MY platform-team Kubernetes deployments throughout.
Who should take this course
🐧
Linux administrators
The natural credential for Linux admins moving into platform engineering.
☁️
Cloud engineers
AKS, EKS, GKE all use vanilla Kubernetes. CKA gives you the platform-agnostic depth.
🔗
DevOps engineers
Kubernetes is the runtime DevOps targets. CKA proves you can run it reliably.
🔍
SRE / platform engineers
Modern SRE practice is platform-engineering on Kubernetes.
📚
Pre-CKAD / CKS candidates
CKA is the foundational hands-on credential for the Kubernetes track.
✓ Vim / nano comfort — you'll edit YAML in the exam
→ No Linux fluency yet? Ask us about our pre-CKA Linux + Docker primer.
Course Curriculum
Five domains. Pure Kubernetes operations.
CKA covers Cluster Architecture / Installation / Configuration (25%), Workloads & Scheduling (15%), Services & Networking (20%), Storage (10%), and Troubleshooting (30%). We sequence by exam weight and operational reality.
Hands-On Live Clusters
32 hands-on hours. Six live clusters.
Six pre-built multi-node Kubernetes clusters with deliberate flaws — etcd corruption, certificate drift, CNI breakage, RBAC misconfiguration, kubelet failures. You fix them under time pressure.
01
kubeadm Cluster Build
Build a 3-node cluster from scratch. Add a worker node.
Build
02
etcd Backup + Restore
Backup, simulate corruption, restore etcd from snapshot.
Recovery
03
Cluster Upgrade
Upgrade a 3-node cluster minor version. Drain nodes safely.
Upgrade
04
StatefulSet Migration
Migrate a Postgres StatefulSet to a new StorageClass.
Storage
05
NetworkPolicy Lockdown
Lock down a 3-namespace app with NetworkPolicy.
NetPol
06
Ingress + Cert-Manager
Stand up nginx-ingress with cert-manager for TLS.
Ingress
07
RBAC ServiceAccount
Build per-namespace ServiceAccounts with scoped RBAC.
RBAC
08
Broken Cluster #1
CrashLoopBackOff in kube-apiserver. Diagnose and fix in 30 minutes.
Troubleshoot
09
Broken Cluster #2
DNS resolution broken across namespace. Trace and fix.
Troubleshoot
+ 23 additional cluster ops scenarios. Cluster access for 60 days post-course.
Exam Information
100% hands-on. No multiple choice.
CKA is a 2-hour, 100% performance-based exam. You connect to live clusters and complete 15–20 tasks. There is no multiple choice. The exam is taken open-book against the official Kubernetes documentation only.
CKA Exam (2026 curriculum)
Questions15–20 hands-on tasks
Duration120 minutes
Passing score66 / 100
FormatOnline proctor (PSI Bridge)
Validity2 years
Industry avg pass rate~70% first attempt (with hands-on)
Nexperts pass rate92% first attempt
Kubernetes Career Path
Stacks withCKA → CKS / CKAD
MY salary upliftAverage +RM 1,800/mo post-cert
VoucherBundled — Linux Foundation voucher included
Renewal2-year cycle via re-exam
Open-bookYes — official Kubernetes docs only
Career fitSRE, platform engineer, DevOps engineer
Pre-bridgeFoundational for CKS and CKAD
Our CKA 3-Mock Programme
01
Diagnostic Mock
Day 2. Maps weak ops areas. Average score: 56 / 100.
02
Speed Mock
Day 3. Time-pressured task drills. Average score: 71 / 100.
03
Final Clearance
Day 4. Full timed simulation. 78 / 100 before booking. Average score: 84 / 100.
0%
Pass Rate
92% of our CKA candidates pass on first attempt.
The global CKA first-attempt rate is around 70%. Our 92% comes from six live broken-cluster scenarios, dedicated kubectl-speed coaching, and an instructor who maintains five MY production Kubernetes platforms.
Six live clustersSpeed coaching92% first attemptBroken-cluster drills60-day cluster access
Why our pass rate is 92%
Industry average: ~70%
Most candidates know Kubernetes concepts but struggle with kubectl speed and YAML editing under exam pressure. They run out of time.
Nexperts: 92%
We drill kubectl speed daily. We make you edit YAML in vim under time pressure. By exam day, the muscle memory is reflex.
Your Certification Journey
CKA leads to CKS / CKAD.
From CKA you specialise into Kubernetes security (CKS) or application development (CKAD). CKS is the most-paid Kubernetes credential globally.
Before this
Linux + Docker fluency
Strong Linux command-line and Docker container fluency are essential. Without them, CKA is overwhelming.
"Six broken clusters were the differentiator. Other CKA prep is theoretical. Nexperts gave me real broken etcd, real DNS chaos, real RBAC dysfunction. Exam felt like a seventh broken cluster."
KP
Krishnan Pillai
Senior SRE · BigPay
✓ Passed first attempt · 87 / 66
★★★★★
"Speed coaching and YAML-in-vim drills were unique. Three months later, I administer four production clusters and the muscle memory still pays off daily."
WK
Wei Kit Lim
Platform Engineer · AirAsia
✓ Passed first attempt · 81 / 66
★★★★★
"Cluster upgrade module was eye-opening. We're due to upgrade three production clusters next quarter and the playbook from class is becoming our team SOP."
RA
Rashidah Anuar
Lead Engineer · PETRONAS Digital
✓ Passed first attempt · 79 / 66
★★★★★
"Real broken-cluster forensics changed how I think about incident response. Six weeks later I diagnosed a production CrashLoopBackOff in 6 minutes. Saved RM 28k of downtime."
FH
Foon Hin Wong
DevOps Engineer · OCBC
✓ Passed first attempt · 91 / 66
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