Detailed Review Of Preparation

Last week I earned my first Kubernetes certification named CKAD ( Certified Kubernetes Application Developer ). It was one of the most challenging exams I appeared in recent times. The main reason is, unlike other MCQ ( Multiple Choice Questions ) exams, CKAD is a hands-on exam where you need to demonstrate your skills in one or more live environments. It is also an open book kind of an exam where you are allowed to refer to K8s documentation (only one tab).  

In this post, I will share some tips which helped me sail through the exam. Some of these tips/tricks are borrowed from people who have already cracked CKAD .

Kubernetes Resource:

1. Udemy course by Mumshad Mannambeth : This is an excellent course in which you can practice commands on the exam-like environment.  https://www.udemy.com/course/certified-kubernetes-application-developer/
2. Must-Try below exercises 2-3 times before you appear. Time management tips. https://github.com/dgkanatsios/CKAD-exercises  
3. Must practice all the mock tests until you will get 100 percentage including lighting tests also. https://kodekloud.com/courses 

4. Practice Enough With These 150 Questions for the CKAD Exam at least 2-3 times https://medium.com/bb-tutorials-and-thoughts/practice-enough-with-these-questions-for-the-ckad-exam-2f42d1228552

5. 13 weekly challenges by Kim Wuestkamp that would help you dig deeper and troubleshoot some problems https://codeburst.io/kubernetes-ckad-weekly-challenges-overview-and-tips-7282b36a2681    

6. if possible, complete all the relevant “Tasks” given on the Kubernetes documentation https://github.com/twajr/ckad-prep-notes#tasks-from-kubernetes-doc

The biggest challenge in the CKAD exam is time management. We have only 2 hours to complete 19 questions. On top of that, you need to write/edit YAML files is one of the default Linux editors ( nano, vim, etc ) which is not going to help in saving time. So here are some tips to save time.

Master kubectl imperative commands: 

While YAML is good for Infrastructure as a Code, it won't help you in saving time in the exam

SO PLEASE DON'T WRITE YAML FILES FROM SCRATCH!

kubectl run and generators are the only saviors in this case. Remember that searching through K8s documentation will also be time-consuming, practice imperative commands so that you refer to documentation as less as possible. 

Things to remember during the exam

1. Proctors are very strict about the exam code of conduct. I was warned a couple of times just for covering my mouth and reading out questions aloud.
2. Note down questions and their percentage ( only in the note pad provided by exam environment ) if you want to skip the question for later. This strategy really helped me when there was a time crunch and I had to cover as much ground as possible 
3. if possible cover a higher weight percentage question first.

Conclusion

CKAD exam demands a lot of hands-on practice and skills. However, it is also one of the most rewarding experiences. And even if you don't crack it in the first attempt, there is a free retake!