Certification > Clouds and Containers > Cilium Certified Associate (CCA)

CERTIFICATION

The Cilium Certified Associate (CCA) exam confirms a user’s knowledge of connecting, securing, and observing Kubernetes clusters using Cilium.

CCA includes:

✔ 12-months to schedule & take the exam
✔ Two exam attempts

Now Available! You can bundle CCA with a THRIVE-ONE Annual Subscription to get access to more than 100 educational products and SkillCreds for only $495!

Who Is It For

The CCA is an entry-level certification designed for platform or cloud engineers with interests in networking, security, and observability.

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About This Certification

A certified CCA will confirm foundational knowledge for connecting, securing and observing Kubernetes clusters using Cilium. The CCA exam is intended to prepare candidates that are looking at deploying Cilium in their environment.

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What It Demonstrates

The CCA demonstrates a candidate's understanding of the major features, benefits and use cases offered by Cilium.

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Domains & Competencies

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Architecture20%

Understand the Role of Cilium in Kubernetes Environments
Cilium Architecture
IP Address Management (IPAM) with Cilium
Cilium Component Roles
Datapath Models

Network Policy18%

Interpret Cilium Network Polices and Intent
Understand Cilium's Identity-based Network Security Model
Policy Enforcement Modes
Policy Rule Structure
Kubernetes Network Policies versus Cilium Network Policies

Service Mesh16%

Know How to use Ingress or Gateway API for Ingress Routing
Service Mesh Use Cases
Understand the Benefits of Gateway API over Ingress
Encrypting Traffic in Transit with Cilium
Sidecar-based versus Sidecarless Architectures

Network Observability10%

Understand the Observability Capabilities of Hubble
Enabling Layer 7 Protocol Visibility
Know How to Use Hubble from the Command Line or the Hubble UI

Installation and Configuration10%

Know How to Use Cilium CLI to Query and Modify the Configuration
Using Cilium CLI to Install Cilium, Run Connectivity Tests, and Monitor its Status

Cluster Mesh10%

Understand the Benefits of Cluster Mesh for Multi-cluster Connectivity
Achieve Service Discovery and Load Balancing Across Clusters with Cluster Mesh

eBPF10%

Understand the Role of eBPF in Cilium
eBPF Key Benefits
eBPF-based Platforms versus IPtables-based Platforms

BGP and External Networking6%

Egress Connectivity Requirements
Understand Options to Connect Cilium-managed Clusters with External Networks

Exam Details & Resources

This exam is an online, proctored, multiple-choice exam.

Prerequisites

While there are no pre-requisites for this exam, it is recommended that the user have Kubernetes and basic networking knowledge (examples include understanding the 7-layer model and basic function of protocols such as TCP, UDP, DNS and HTTP).

Reviews

Mar 2025

The Cilium Certified Associate (CCA) exam not only tested my knowledge on Cilium itself, but also general Kubernetes networking, security, and observability. The exam content was of a highly practical value, and I would definitely recommend the CCA to Kubernetes practitioners wishing to demonstrate a thorough understanding of Kubernetes networking.

Mar 2025

This exam really tests the deep level of knowledge. It gives me a great level of confidence that whoever passes it has really done their homework.