The Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) is the most-respected hands-on Kubernetes credential. Unlike vendor exams, CKA is 100% performance-based — a 2-hour live exam where you build, troubleshoot and operate real Kubernetes clusters under time pressure.
At Nexperts, CKA is delivered against six live multi-node Kubernetes clusters. You spend 32 hours at the kubectl prompt — not slides. We break things deliberately and you fix them.
CKA is the closest thing to a real-job exam in IT. There is no multiple choice. There is no recall. There is only — fix this broken cluster, build this thing, in 2 hours.
The 2026 update strengthens troubleshooting depth, Gateway API coverage and modern CNI patterns (Cilium, Calico). We teach with current MY platform-team Kubernetes deployments throughout.
Who should take this course
🐧
Linux administrators
The natural credential for Linux admins moving into platform engineering.
☁️
Cloud engineers
AKS, EKS, GKE all use vanilla Kubernetes. CKA gives you the platform-agnostic depth.
🔗
DevOps engineers
Kubernetes is the runtime DevOps targets. CKA proves you can run it reliably.
🔍
SRE / platform engineers
Modern SRE practice is platform-engineering on Kubernetes.
📚
Pre-CKAD / CKS candidates
CKA is the foundational hands-on credential for the Kubernetes track.
✓ Vim / nano comfort — you'll edit YAML in the exam
→ No Linux fluency yet? Ask us about our pre-CKA Linux + Docker primer.
Course Curriculum
Five domains. Pure Kubernetes operations.
CKA covers Cluster Architecture / Installation / Configuration (25%), Workloads & Scheduling (15%), Services & Networking (20%), Storage (10%), and Troubleshooting (30%). We sequence by exam weight and operational reality.
Hands-On Live Clusters
32 hands-on hours. Six live clusters.
Six pre-built multi-node Kubernetes clusters with deliberate flaws — etcd corruption, certificate drift, CNI breakage, RBAC misconfiguration, kubelet failures. You fix them under time pressure.
01
kubeadm Cluster Build
Build a 3-node cluster from scratch. Add a worker node.
Build
02
etcd Backup + Restore
Backup, simulate corruption, restore etcd from snapshot.
Recovery
03
Cluster Upgrade
Upgrade a 3-node cluster minor version. Drain nodes safely.
Upgrade
04
StatefulSet Migration
Migrate a Postgres StatefulSet to a new StorageClass.
Storage
05
NetworkPolicy Lockdown
Lock down a 3-namespace app with NetworkPolicy.
NetPol
06
Ingress + Cert-Manager
Stand up nginx-ingress with cert-manager for TLS.
Ingress
07
RBAC ServiceAccount
Build per-namespace ServiceAccounts with scoped RBAC.
RBAC
08
Broken Cluster #1
CrashLoopBackOff in kube-apiserver. Diagnose and fix in 30 minutes.
Troubleshoot
09
Broken Cluster #2
DNS resolution broken across namespace. Trace and fix.
Troubleshoot
+ 23 additional cluster ops scenarios. Cluster access for 60 days post-course.
Exam Information
100% hands-on. No multiple choice.
CKA is a 2-hour, 100% performance-based exam. You connect to live clusters and complete 15–20 tasks. There is no multiple choice. The exam is taken open-book against the official Kubernetes documentation only.
CKA Exam (2026 curriculum)
Questions15–20 hands-on tasks
Duration120 minutes
Passing score66 / 100
FormatOnline proctor (PSI Bridge)
Validity2 years
Industry avg pass rate~70% first attempt (with hands-on)
Nexperts pass rate92% first attempt
Kubernetes Career Path
Stacks withCKA → CKS / CKAD
MY salary upliftAverage +RM 1,800/mo post-cert
VoucherBundled — Linux Foundation voucher included
Renewal2-year cycle via re-exam
Open-bookYes — official Kubernetes docs only
Career fitSRE, platform engineer, DevOps engineer
Pre-bridgeFoundational for CKS and CKAD
Our CKA 3-Mock Programme
01
Diagnostic Mock
Day 2. Maps weak ops areas. Average score: 56 / 100.
02
Speed Mock
Day 3. Time-pressured task drills. Average score: 71 / 100.
03
Final Clearance
Day 4. Full timed simulation. 78 / 100 before booking. Average score: 84 / 100.
0%
Pass Rate
92% of our CKA candidates pass on first attempt.
The global CKA first-attempt rate is around 70%. Our 92% comes from six live broken-cluster scenarios, dedicated kubectl-speed coaching, and an instructor who maintains five MY production Kubernetes platforms.
Six live clustersSpeed coaching92% first attemptBroken-cluster drills60-day cluster access
Why our pass rate is 92%
Industry average: ~70%
Most candidates know Kubernetes concepts but struggle with kubectl speed and YAML editing under exam pressure. They run out of time.
Nexperts: 92%
We drill kubectl speed daily. We make you edit YAML in vim under time pressure. By exam day, the muscle memory is reflex.
Your Certification Journey
CKA leads to CKS / CKAD.
From CKA you specialise into Kubernetes security (CKS) or application development (CKAD). CKS is the most-paid Kubernetes credential globally.
Before this
Linux + Docker fluency
Strong Linux command-line and Docker container fluency are essential. Without them, CKA is overwhelming.
Linux + Docker→CKA ← You→CKS / CKAD→Kubestronaut→Platform Architect
Expected salary range after CKA: RM 8,000 – RM 14,500/month for SRE, platform engineer and DevOps roles in Malaysian enterprises.
Student Reviews
What our CKA graduates say.
4.9
★★★★★
144 reviews
5★
90%
4★
8%
3★
2%
★★★★★
"Six broken clusters were the differentiator. Other CKA prep is theoretical. Nexperts gave me real broken etcd, real DNS chaos, real RBAC dysfunction. Exam felt like a seventh broken cluster."
KP
Krishnan Pillai
Senior SRE · BigPay
✓ Passed first attempt · 87 / 66
★★★★★
"Speed coaching and YAML-in-vim drills were unique. Three months later, I administer four production clusters and the muscle memory still pays off daily."
WK
Wei Kit Lim
Platform Engineer · AirAsia
✓ Passed first attempt · 81 / 66
★★★★★
"Cluster upgrade module was eye-opening. We're due to upgrade three production clusters next quarter and the playbook from class is becoming our team SOP."
RA
Rashidah Anuar
Lead Engineer · PETRONAS Digital
✓ Passed first attempt · 79 / 66
★★★★★
"Real broken-cluster forensics changed how I think about incident response. Six weeks later I diagnosed a production CrashLoopBackOff in 6 minutes. Saved RM 28k of downtime."
FH
Foon Hin Wong
DevOps Engineer · OCBC
✓ Passed first attempt · 91 / 66
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