CKAD exam guide: the hands-on format, domains, cost, and a free practice quiz covering application design & build, deployment, observability, configuration & security, and services & networking.
The Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) is a hands-on, performance-based certification from the CNCF. You solve real tasks on live clusters from the command line — there are no multiple-choice questions.
It focuses on the developer's view of Kubernetes: designing, building, configuring, and exposing containerized applications, rather than administering the cluster itself.
▶ Start the free CKAD practice quiz| Certification | Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) |
|---|---|
| Exam code | CKAD |
| Level | Associate |
| Format | Performance-based (live cluster tasks) |
| Questions | ~15–20 hands-on tasks |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Passing score | 66% |
| Cost (USD) | $395 (includes one free retake) |
| Validity | 3 years |
| Prerequisites | None (strong kubectl and container skills required) |
Exam details change over time — always confirm the current specifics on the official exam page before you book.
The official exam is organized into these domains. Our practice bank mirrors them so you can drill each area:
| Domain | Exam weight | Practice questions |
|---|---|---|
| Application Design and Build | 20% | 9 |
| Application Deployment | 20% | 9 |
| Application Observability and Maintenance | 15% | 8 |
| Application Environment, Configuration and Security | 25% | 13 |
| Services and Networking | 20% | 9 |
Get fast with kubectl and imperative commands (dry-run to generate YAML): Pods, multi-container patterns (sidecar, init), Deployments, Jobs, and CronJobs.
Practice configuration and security (ConfigMaps, Secrets, securityContext, resource requests/limits, ServiceAccounts) and observability (probes, logs, debugging).
Drill services and networking (ClusterIP/NodePort, Ingress, NetworkPolicies). Pair the free quiz below with hands-on lab practice against a real cluster.
Our free CKAD practice quiz has 48 scenario-based questions covering every exam domain. Each question includes the correct answer, a plain-English explanation of why it is right (and why the alternatives are wrong), and a reference to the relevant topic — so you learn as you go, not just test yourself.
▶ Practice CKAD now — 48 questions, freeNo — it's entirely performance-based. You perform tasks on real clusters via the terminal.
CKA is administrator-focused (cluster operations, networking, storage, troubleshooting); CKAD is developer-focused (building, configuring, and exposing apps).
Yes, official Kubernetes documentation is permitted; practice navigating it quickly.
Three years currently. Confirm on the CNCF page.