Study Guides

Structured learning paths and comprehensive study guides for Kubernetes certifications and general learning. Whether you’re preparing for the CKA, CKAD, or CKS exams, or simply want a structured approach to learning Kubernetes, these guides provide clear roadmaps, topic breakdowns, and recommended resources.

What Are Study Guides?

Study guides are structured learning paths that break down complex topics into manageable sections. Each guide includes:

• Learning objectives - What you’ll learn in each section
• Topic breakdown - Detailed list of topics to cover
• Recommended resources - Books, courses, and documentation
• Practice scenarios - Hands-on exercises and labs
• Exam tips - Specific advice for certification exams
• Progress tracking - Ways to measure your learning

Certification Study Guides

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)

Comprehensive guide for the CKA exam covering cluster administration:

Exam Overview:

• Duration: 2 hours
• Format: Performance-based (hands-on)
• Passing score: 66%
• Topics: Cluster architecture, installation, networking, storage, troubleshooting

Study Topics:

• Cluster Architecture (25%) - Control plane components, etcd, networking
• Installation & Configuration (15%) - kubeadm, cluster setup, upgrades
• Workloads & Scheduling (15%) - Deployments, Jobs, scheduling
• Services & Networking (20%) - Services, Ingress, network policies
• Storage (10%) - Volumes, PVs, PVCs, StorageClasses
• Troubleshooting (30%) - Application, control plane, worker node issues

Study Path:

1. Fundamentals and architecture
2. Installation and cluster management
3. Workload management
4. Networking and services
5. Storage management
6. Troubleshooting practice
7. Mock exams and time management

Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)

Focused guide for developers working with Kubernetes:

Exam Overview:

• Duration: 2 hours
• Format: Performance-based (hands-on)
• Passing score: 66%
• Topics: Application design, deployment, configuration, observability

Study Topics:

• Core Concepts (13%) - API primitives, Pods, namespaces
• Configuration (18%) - ConfigMaps, Secrets, SecurityContexts
• Multi-Container Pods (10%) - Init containers, sidecars
• Observability (18%) - Logging, monitoring, debugging
• Pod Design (20%) - Labels, selectors, Jobs, CronJobs
• Services & Networking (13%) - Services, Ingress, network policies
• State Persistence (8%) - Volumes, PVCs, storage

Study Path:

1. Pod fundamentals and design
2. Configuration management
3. Multi-container patterns
4. Observability and debugging
5. Services and networking
6. Stateful applications
7. Practice exams and speed drills

Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)

Security-focused guide for securing Kubernetes clusters:

Exam Overview:

• Duration: 2 hours
• Format: Performance-based (hands-on)
• Prerequisite: CKA certification
• Topics: Cluster hardening, threat modeling, security policies

Study Topics:

• Cluster Setup (10%) - Security defaults, network policies
• Cluster Hardening (15%) - System hardening, minimizing microservices
• Supply Chain Security (20%) - Image scanning, minimizing base images
• Monitoring, Logging, Runtime Security (20%) - Falco, audit logs
• Identity & Access Management (15%) - RBAC, service accounts
• Pod Security Policies (20%) - Security contexts, policies

Study Path:

1. Security fundamentals
2. Cluster hardening
3. Supply chain security
4. Runtime security
5. Access control
6. Policy enforcement
7. Security incident response

General Learning Guides

Beginner’s Path

Structured introduction to Kubernetes for newcomers:

Phase 1: Foundations (Weeks 1-2)

• What is Kubernetes?
• Core concepts: Pods, Nodes, Clusters
• Basic kubectl commands
• YAML basics

Phase 2: Workloads (Weeks 3-4)

• Deployments and ReplicaSets
• Services and networking
• ConfigMaps and Secrets
• Hands-on labs

Phase 3: Advanced Topics (Weeks 5-6)

• Storage and volumes
• RBAC and security
• Monitoring and logging
• Troubleshooting basics

Intermediate Path

Building on fundamentals for practical operations:

Topics:

• Advanced scheduling (affinity, taints, tolerations)
• StatefulSets and DaemonSets
• Ingress controllers and TLS
• Network policies
• Storage classes and dynamic provisioning
• Helm and package management
• Multi-environment deployments

Advanced Path

Expert-level topics for architects and senior engineers:

Topics:

• Cluster architecture and design
• Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs)
• Operators and controller patterns
• Service mesh (Istio, Linkerd)
• Multi-cluster management
• GitOps and automation
• Performance optimization
• Disaster recovery

Study Guide Features

Each study guide includes:

✅ Learning objectives - Clear goals for each section
✅ Topic breakdown - Detailed list of what to learn
✅ Time estimates - How long each section should take
✅ Prerequisites - What you should know before starting
✅ Hands-on labs - Practical exercises to reinforce learning
✅ Practice questions - Test your understanding
✅ Recommended resources - Books, courses, documentation
✅ Exam tips - Specific advice for certification exams
✅ Progress checklist - Track your learning progress

Study Strategies

For Certifications

1. Start early - Give yourself 6-8 weeks of preparation
2. Hands-on practice - Set up a lab environment and practice daily
3. Time management - Practice completing tasks within time limits
4. Focus on weak areas - Identify and strengthen weak topics
5. Mock exams - Take practice exams under exam conditions
6. Command fluency - Memorize common kubectl commands
7. YAML speed - Practice writing YAML quickly and accurately

For General Learning

1. Set goals - Define what you want to achieve
2. Consistent practice - Regular, shorter sessions beat occasional long ones
3. Build projects - Apply learning to real projects
4. Join communities - Engage with Kubernetes communities
5. Teach others - Explaining concepts reinforces learning
6. Stay updated - Kubernetes evolves rapidly, keep learning

Practice Labs

Hands-on practice scenarios for each certification:

CKA Practice Labs

• Cluster setup and configuration
• Troubleshooting control plane issues
• Network policy implementation
• Storage provisioning and management
• Node maintenance operations

CKAD Practice Labs

• Pod design and multi-container patterns
• Configuration management
• Service and Ingress setup
• Job and CronJob creation
• Debugging application issues

CKS Practice Labs

• Cluster hardening exercises
• Security policy implementation
• Image scanning and validation
• Audit log analysis
• Runtime security monitoring

Recommended Resources

Official Documentation

• Kubernetes.io documentation
• API reference
• kubectl command reference
• Best practices guides

Practice Platforms

• Kubernetes playground environments
• Local cluster setup (minikube, kind, k3s)
• Cloud provider free tiers
• Certification practice environments

Learning Materials

• Official Kubernetes tutorials
• Video courses and webinars
• Books and e-books
• Community blogs and articles

Exam Day Tips

Before the Exam

• Get good sleep
• Review your notes briefly
• Test your exam environment
• Have kubectl cheat sheet ready (if allowed)

During the Exam

• Read questions carefully
• Manage your time (2 hours, ~24 questions)
• Use kubectl explain for help
• Verify your work before moving on
• Don’t panic if stuck—move on and return

After the Exam

• Review your performance
• Note areas for improvement
• Continue learning and practicing
• Share your experience with the community

Coming Soon

We’re continuously expanding study guides. Upcoming guides include:

• Service mesh specialization guide
• GitOps and automation guide
• Cloud provider specific guides (EKS, GKE, AKS)
• Operator development guide
• Multi-cluster management guide
• Performance optimization guide

Related Resources- Cookbook - Practical recipes for hands-on practice

• Cheatsheets - Quick command references
• Reference Maps - Visual diagrams of concepts
• Glossary - Terminology definitions