In January 2026, I achieved the "Kubernetes Triple Crown" (CKA, KCNA, and CKAD) in a single month. This post is a report of my experience passing the CKAD exam.
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
Exam Result
I passed with a score of 81% (passing score is 66%).
- Exam Date: January 28, 2026
- Environment: Coworking space private room
- Kubernetes Version: v1.34
- Device: MacBook Air (2022, M2, 13.6-inch)
Thoughts on Difficulty
Overall, the CKAD felt significantly easier than the CKA. I didn't encounter any questions that left me completely stumped. The main reason for this lower difficulty, in my opinion, was the lack of complex troubleshooting or tricky Helm-related questions.
While I found the actual CKA exam to be more difficult than the Killer Shell simulator, the CKAD was much easier than its Killer Shell counterpart. I never felt rushed for time and even had 30 minutes left to review my answers. Although I solved 10 mock exams as preparation, I feel that if you have already passed the CKA, you might not need to go that far.
Study Materials Used
I used KodeKloud and Killer Shell. Total study time was approximately 20 hours.
KodeKloud
Since the exam scope overlaps significantly with the CKA, I focused only on the CKAD-specific topics. I ran through the Lightning Labs three times and the Mock Exams once (as they were relatively straightforward).
- Observability (Readiness Probes, Liveness Probes, Logging, Monitoring)
- POD Design (Deployment Strategy)
- Lightning Labs (1, 2)
- Mock Exams (1, 2)
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) - KodeKloud
As the initial course only had two mock exams, which felt insufficient, I tackled an additional 8 mock exams from the series below, repeating any questions I missed three times.
Ultimate CKAD Mock Exam Series
Killer Shell
Just like the CKA, scheduling your exam gives you two sessions for the Killer Shell simulator. It is essential to use this because it replicates the actual remote desktop environment.
Since I was using a MacBook, the keyboard shortcuts for copying and pasting change within the remote desktop. Practicing these in the simulator was vital. Note that each session expires 36 hours after activation. If you want to review after the session expires, I recommend saving the answer pages as PDF or HTML. I only used one of the two sessions this time (saving the other in case I failed).
Tips
1. Master the CKAD-specific domains
Make sure to read the documentation for areas not covered in CKA, such as Job and CronJob. You should also be familiar with specific options, such as creating a one-off Job from an existing CronJob:
kubectl create job test-job --from=cronjob/a-cronjob
2. Memorize the Documentation URL
The browser doesn't automatically open to the docs when the exam starts. Be ready to quickly navigate to https://kubernetes.io/docs.
3. Practice Copy-Pasting in Remote Desktop
Your speed in copying and pasting can literally determine whether you pass or fail. Practice these shortcuts in Killer Shell:
- Copy (Terminal):
Ctrl + Shift + C - Paste (Terminal):
Ctrl + Shift + V
Closing Thoughts
The Linux Foundation was offering a 35% discount coupon, so I’m planning to take the KCSA in February. The CKS is still a bit expensive, so I'll save that for when I have a bit more budget!
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