CKA Timed Lab Exam

Exam Format

The CKA exam is performance-based. You perform real tasks in a real Kubernetes cluster using kubectl and a terminal. There are no multiple-choice questions. You must demonstrate hands-on competence.

Domain Weights

Time Strategy

1. First pass — Do all easy tasks (imperative commands, simple configurations). Target 10 minutes per task average.
2. Flag hard tasks — Mark tasks you are unsure about and come back after the first pass.
3. Verify every task — Use the validation commands provided in each task description.
4. Save time — Use imperative commands for simple resources. Write YAML only for complex configurations.
5. Time check — At 1 hour, you should have completed at least 8 tasks.

Common Task Types

The CKA exam repeats similar task types across different scenarios. Practice these patterns until they are muscle memory.

• Create a Deployment with specific image, replicas, and resource limits.
• Create a Service (ClusterIP, NodePort, or LoadBalancer) to expose a Deployment.
• Create an Ingress rule to route traffic based on hostname or path.
• Create a NetworkPolicy to restrict Pod traffic.
• Create a PV and PVC and mount them in a Pod.
• Create a ConfigMap or Secret and mount it in a Pod.
• Create a RBAC Role and RoleBinding.
• Perform a rolling update and rollback.
• Scale a Deployment up or down.
• Fix a broken Pod, Service, or Deployment.

killer.sh Drills

killer.sh is a practice environment included with your CKA exam voucher. It provides simulated exam scenarios with broken clusters. Use it extensively before the exam. The questions are similar in difficulty and style to the real exam.

• Access killer.sh through your CNCF certification portal.
• Complete all available scenarios — each one teaches a different skill.
• Focus on speed — practice completing tasks in under 5 minutes each.
• Review the solutions — even if you got it right, there may be a faster approach.
• Retake scenarios — practice until you can complete them without hesitation.

Exam-Day Checklist

1. Browser — Chrome or Chromium, latest version.
2. Internet — Stable connection, minimum 2 Mbps.
3. Webcam — Working webcam for proctoring.
4. ID — Government-issued photo ID.
5. Room — Quiet, well-lit room with no interruptions.
6. PSI browser — Installed and tested before the exam.
7. kubeconfig — Pre-configured in the exam environment.
8. Bookmarks — Bookmark kubernetes.io/docs pages you use frequently.

Speed Commands

# Deployment with limits
kubectl run nginx --image=nginx --replicas=3 --dry-run=client -o yaml | kubectl apply -f -

# Service
kubectl expose deployment nginx --port=80 --type=NodePort

# ConfigMap
kubectl create configmap my-config --from-literal=key1=value1 --from-literal=key2=value2

# Secret
kubectl create secret generic my-secret --from-literal=user=admin --from-literal=pass=s3cr3t

# Namespace
kubectl create namespace my-ns

# RBAC
kubectl create role pod-reader --verb=get,list,watch --resource=pods
kubectl create rolebinding my-binding --role=pod-reader --user=developer