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Three full days of CKAD Fast Track training that moves from Pods and Deployments to NetworkPolicy, Helm, and CRDs on live Kubernetes clusters. Every module pairs a short lecture with hands-on labs and CKAD practice tasks, and the class ends with a mock exam.
Course Retake Included
For Daily Kubernetes Users
Three days built for developers and team leads who already know Kubernetes basics and want to pass the CKAD quickly. Concise lectures, scenario-based labs on live clusters, and a mock exam on the final afternoon.
The CKAD exam gives you two hours at a command line and a list of tasks to complete on a real cluster. This accelerated class trains the same way. Over three full days you build container images, write Pod and Deployment manifests, add probes and resource limits, configure RBAC, ConfigMaps, Secrets, and storage, then move on to NetworkPolicy, Services, Ingress, Helm, Kustomize, and CRDs. Each module closes with a timed CKAD practice lab, and the class ends with a mock exam.
Every module maps to a CNCF CKAD domain: application design and build, deployment, observability and maintenance, environment, configuration and security, and services and networking. Short lectures move quickly into scenario-based labs.
Day three ends with a timed mock CKAD exam in the same command-line format as the real test. You see where you stand before you book the real exam.
You work in a live Kubernetes environment from the first morning, deploying the cluster itself before moving on to Pods, Deployments, storage, and networking. Timed CKAD practice labs follow each module.
Immersive classroom instruction with direct instructor access, hands-on labs and peer collaboration.
The same instructors and curriculum, delivered live from anywhere on our virtual learning platform.
New to Kubernetes? Start with the 5-day boot camp.
The Fast Track assumes you already deploy to a cluster every day. If containers and kubectl are still new to you, the five-day CKAD boot camp covers the same domains with more lab time.
Tell us about your training needs and we'll create a personalized plan.
The Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) is issued by CNCF with the Linux Foundation. It proves skill designing, building, configuring, and exposing applications on Kubernetes. This Fast Track targets it.
Three full-day live online sessions. Day one covers containers, Pods, probes, and RBAC. Day two covers configuration, storage, and Deployments. Day three covers networking and Helm, then a mock exam.
You deploy a Kubernetes cluster in the opening lab and work in it all class. Each module pairs a short lecture with a hands-on lab and a timed practice task.
Five CKAD domains: Application Design and Build 20%, Application Deployment 20%, Application Observability and Maintenance 15%, Application Environment, Configuration and Security 25%, and Services and Networking 20%. All covered.
The class opens with the CKAD exam format and strategy, follows every module with a timed practice task in the exam’s command-line style, and closes with a mock exam.
You may retake the class at no cost within one year of your original session. Post-class mentoring is included, so you can bring questions back to an instructor.
A structured path designed for working professionals.
Each day builds on the last—momentum is everything.
An accelerated three-day path to CKAD readiness for developers who already have the Kubernetes basics.
The credential, the capability, and the continued readiness — all in one boot camp.
Real questions from real professionals who passed.
Here's
how we answer them.
The Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) is a performance-based certification issued by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) with the Linux Foundation. It proves you can define, build, configure, deploy, and troubleshoot cloud native applications on Kubernetes. Unlike multiple-choice exams, the CKAD is solved at a command line on live clusters, so hands-on skill is what gets tested.
The CKAD Fast Track runs three full-day live online sessions, Monday through Wednesday, led by an instructor in real time. Each module pairs a concise lecture with a hands-on lab and a timed CKAD practice task, and the final afternoon ends with a mock exam. The 3-day format is designed for people who already have Kubernetes basics.
No. The CKAD exam is purchased separately from the Linux Foundation for $445. That price includes one retake and a 12-month window to schedule the exam. Tuition for the CKAD Fast Track covers the live training, courseware, the hands-on lab environment, a mock exam, and post-class mentoring, plus a free course retake within one year.
The CKAD is an online, proctored, performance-based exam that you complete from a command line in 2 hours. You are given tasks to solve on live Kubernetes clusters running v1.35 rather than multiple-choice questions. The exam covers five domains: Application Design and Build, Application Deployment, Application Observability and Maintenance, Application Environment, Configuration and Security, and Services and Networking.
CNCF does not publish the passing score for the CKAD on the exam page. The exam is task-based and timed, so the practical goal is to complete as many tasks correctly as you can in the 2 hours. That is why this class follows every module with CKAD practice labs in the same command-line format as the exam.
You should arrive with basic Kubernetes knowledge and comfort at a Linux command line. Kubernetes Fundamentals or any formal Linux training is the expected background. If you have never used kubectl or written a YAML manifest, the 3-day Fast Track will move too quickly, and a longer 5-day CKAD class that starts from the beginning is the better fit.
Choose the CKAD Fast Track if you are an application developer or team lead who already works with Kubernetes and wants the certification in three days. Choose a 5-day CKAD class if you are new to Kubernetes, since the longer format has room to cover Kubernetes basics before moving to exam-level tasks. Both prepare you for the same exam.
You work in a live Kubernetes environment that you deploy yourself in the first lab of day one. Every module then pairs a short lecture with a lab on that topic, from building a container image and writing Pod manifests to configuring NetworkPolicy, Helm charts, and CRDs. Timed CKAD practice tasks follow each lab and use the same command-line format as the exam.
The CKAD is for people who build and deploy applications on Kubernetes, while the CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator) is for people who install, configure, and operate the clusters themselves. Both are 2-hour, performance-based exams in the same format. The CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist) covers cluster and workload security and requires a current CKA before you can sit it.
The CKAD certification is valid for 2 years from the date you pass. To keep it active you renew before the expiration date, and the Linux Foundation’s CKAD page lists the current renewal requirements. Check that page as your expiration approaches, since CNCF updates the exam environment as Kubernetes releases change.
No. CNCF certifications, including the CKAD, are not currently listed on the DoD 8140 Approved Qualifications Matrix. If you need a credential for a DoD 8140 work role, check the current Approved Qualifications Matrix on the DoD Cyber Exchange for the certifications that map to your position. The CKAD remains valuable for the Kubernetes skills it validates.
Your $445 exam purchase from the Linux Foundation includes one retake, so you can sit the exam a second time at no additional cost within your 12-month window. On the training side, you may retake the CKAD Fast Track class at no cost within one year of your original session, which gives you another full pass through the labs before your next attempt.
It can. Many certifying bodies accept instructor-led vendor training hours toward continuing education. Rules and accepted activities differ from one body to another, so check with the organization that maintains your certification to confirm how these hours apply before you count on them.
Study guides, exam objective breakdowns, and certification planning resources to help you prepare for the CKAD.
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