After starting my Kubernetes journey in November and earning CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator) on January 11, 2026, I decided to keep the momentum going.
Since I had some extra time in January after recovering from a cold, I challenged myself to take the KCNA (Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate) exam.
Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA)
Exam Results
I passed with a score of 87 % (Passing score: 75 %).
The exam is 90 minutes long, but I finished everything, including a full review, in just 30 minutes.
- Exam Date: Jan 21, 2026
- Location: Private room in a co-working space
- Device: MacBook Air (2022, M2, 13.6")
Reflections and Difficulty
Coming off a fresh CKA win, I thought this would be a breeze. However, after the first round of 60 questions, I had flagged 27 questions for review. For a moment, I actually felt I might fail!
During the second round, I carefully switched between English and Japanese to grasp the nuances. Eventually, I narrowed down the "completely unsure" questions to about 9.
While my CKA knowledge covered the core components perfectly, I struggled with broader CNCF ecosystem questions—such as "What is the official name of this specific CNCF event?" These caught me off guard.
Preparation Materials
I spent a total of about 3 hours studying using these resources.
1. KodeKloud
I completed three Mock Exams (2 rounds each).
The questions were quite straightforward—simpler than the actual exam—so it took less than 2 hours to fly through them.
Kubernetes and Cloud-Native Associate (KCNA)
2. Kindle Practice Exams
Feeling a bit under-prepared with just KodeKloud, I used a practice book (Japanese) available on Kindle unlimited. This felt closer to the actual exam difficulty, though the questions were still relatively simple.
2週間で合格！Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA)
Key Study Tips
Based on my experience, here is what you should focus on.
Master Pod Scheduling
There were many questions about NodeSelector, NodeAffinity, PodAffinity, and Taints/Tolerations. Make sure you can clearly distinguish their use cases.
Understand the CNCF Ecosystem
Unlike the CKA, the KCNA tests your knowledge of CNCF project names and event details. Don't skip this part!
GitOps Concepts
I knew of ArgoCD, but I wasn't familiar with its specific operational details. It’s worth reviewing GitOps workflows.
Monitoring & Observability Tools
Be clear on the boundaries between tools like Prometheus, Fluentd, and Jaeger. Know exactly which tool handles which part of the observability stack.
What's Next?
I’m riding this wave of momentum and will be taking the CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer) on January 26. Wish me luck!
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