The Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) exam certifies that candidates can design, build and deploy cloud-native applications for Kubernetes.
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)



A CKAD can define application resources and use Kubernetes core primitives to create/migrate, configure, expose and observe scalable applications.
The exam assumes working knowledge of container runtimes and microservice architecture.
The successful candidate will be comfortable:
– working with (OCI-compliant) container images
– applying Cloud Native application concepts and architectures
– working with and validating Kubernetes resource definitions

Understand Jobs and CronJobs
Understand multi-container Pod design patterns (e.g. sidecar, init and others)
Utilize persistent and ephemeral volumes

Understand Deployments and how to perform rolling updates
Use the Helm package manager to deploy existing packages

Implement probes and health checks
Use provided tools to monitor Kubernetes applications
Utilize container logs
Debugging in Kubernetes

Understand authentication, authorization and admission control
Understanding and defining resource requirements, limits and quotas
Understand ConfigMaps
Create & consume Secrets
Understand ServiceAccounts
Understand SecurityContexts

Provide and troubleshoot access to applications via services
Use Ingress rules to expose applications
The CKAD Certification focuses on the skills required to be a successful Kubernetes Application Developer in industry today. The exam assumes working knowledge of container runtimes and microservice architecture.
The successful candidate will be comfortable:
– working with (OCI-compliant) container images
– applying Cloud Native application concepts and architectures
– working with and validating Kubernetes resource definitions
Candidates who register for the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) exam will have 2 attempts (per exam registration) to an exam simulator, provided by Killer.sh.
The exam is based on Kubernetes v1.26.
The CKAD exam environment will be aligned with the most recent K8s minor version within approximately 4 to 8 weeks of the K8s release date