CKAD exam-day guide
CKAD · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Use an unexpired passport or government photo ID. The name on the ID must match the name on your Linux Foundation / training portal account exactly - fix any mismatch in your profile several days before the exam, since proctors compare them at check-in.
Stable, wired-ish internet connection with a backup
Wired ethernet if possible, otherwise a strong Wi-Fi signal near the router. Have a phone hotspot ready as a fallback, but keep the phone out of reach and face-down once the exam starts unless the proctor tells you otherwise.
Working webcam and microphone
You will be asked to show your ID to the camera and pan the room. Test both devices the day before; a headset microphone is usually fine, but over-ear headphones are typically prohibited - confirm audio device rules with the provider.
Charged laptop plus power adapter
Stay plugged in for the whole session. Disable sleep, screen savers, automatic OS updates, and notification pop-ups; unexpected overlays can be flagged as suspicious behaviour.
Proctoring browser / compatibility check completed in advance
Run the system compatibility test on the exact machine and network you will use on exam day, and install whatever proctoring client the provider requires. Do this at least 24-48 hours ahead so a failed check does not eat your slot.
Quiet, private, well-lit room with a clear desk
No other people, no second screen, no printed material, no notes on the desk within camera view. Room scan at the start is standard. Ask the provider in advance whether any physical note-taking material is permitted; assume it is not.
Only the permitted documentation open in a second tab
The CKAD environment allows a single extra browser tab for the official Kubernetes documentation site (including the kubectl cheat sheet and API reference) and, where permitted, the Helm documentation. Anything else - forums, blogs, personal notes, AI tools - is off-limits. Verify the exact allowlist in the candidate handbook before exam day.
Exam appointment confirmed in your own time zone
Check the confirmation email for the start time, the check-in window (arrive early - often 15-30 minutes before the start), and the join link. Note that appointments are commonly in UTC; convert carefully.
Portal login credentials remembered, not stored in a file
You may need to authenticate to the exam delivery platform. Have credentials in memory or in a password manager you can unlock without opening a prohibited tab - or write nothing down and simply memorise them.
kubectl muscle memory refreshed
Be able to generate YAML fast without docs: kubectl run/create/deploy with --dry-run=client -o yaml, kubectl explain --recursive, kubectl api-resources, kubectl set image/env, kubectl create token, kubectl auth can-i. Practise in a local cluster or a free online playground the day before.
Shell productivity setup rehearsed
Practise the exact steps you will type in the first 60 seconds: export a short alias for kubectl, set vim/vi preferences (tabstop, expandtab, number) or use nano, and learn to switch contexts and namespaces instantly. You cannot rely on a pre-configured .vimrc in the exam terminal.
Snacks/water policy checked
Rules on drinks and snacks at the desk vary. Ask the provider beforehand rather than risking a conduct flag; do not bring anything into view without explicit permission.
Plan the day
Lock down logistics: confirm the appointment, run the proctoring compatibility check on the real machine and network, scan the candidate handbook for the exact allowed-documentation list and ID requirements. Then do one full timed mock under exam-like conditions (single screen, docs tab only, no autocomplete help). Spend remaining study time on weak domains - probes, Jobs/CronJobs, NetworkPolicy, RBAC/ServiceAccounts, volumes, resource limits, Helm basics - not on new topics.
Stop learning new material. Re-read your own notes on imperative kubectl commands and the YAML skeletons you will retype from memory. Physically prepare the room: clear the desk, remove the second monitor, check lighting and camera angle. Charge everything. Get a full night's sleep - a two-hour hands-on exam rewards clear thinking far more than one more hour of cramming.
Eat properly, hydrate, and take care of biological needs before check-in since unscheduled breaks may not be available. Restart the laptop, close every application except the browser, disable notifications, reconnect power, and retest the camera, microphone, and internet. Join the session at the advertised check-in time with your ID in hand.
Read the instructions screen carefully. Set up your shell alias and editor preferences. Note the total question count and the clock, and plan a rough time budget (roughly 5-7 minutes per question on average, weighted by point value). Identify anything worth flagging immediately.
Answer in two passes. First pass: knock out the quick, high-confidence questions, setting the correct context and namespace before every single task (wrong-namespace work scores zero). Second pass: return to flagged items with the time you have left. Use --dry-run=client -o yaml to generate YAML and the permitted docs tab for anything you cannot recall exactly. After each task, verify with a get/describe/logs rather than assuming it worked.
Stop starting new work. Verify that everything you created is in the right namespace and actually running, that you did not leave a half-finished edit, and that every question has at least some attempt. An unanswered question scores zero; a partially correct one may still earn partial credit.
Rules to check
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID whose name matches your registration exactly. If your legal name differs from your account name, resolve it with the provider before exam day.
One screen only. Disconnect or power off secondary monitors, and keep phones, smartwatches, tablets, headphones, and any other devices out of the room or out of sight as directed by the proctor.
Stay seated, visible, and centred in the camera for the entire session. Do not talk to anyone, do not read questions aloud, and do not leave the camera frame without explicit proctor permission.
Only the documentation sources explicitly permitted by the provider may be opened during the exam. Do not use search engines, forums, personal notes, chat tools, or AI assistants; doing so is grounds for disqualification and forfeiture of the fee.
Breaks: the clock generally keeps running and unscheduled breaks may not be allowed or may trigger a conduct review. Plan to complete the exam in one sitting, and confirm the exact break policy with the provider.
Scoring is automatic and per-question weighted; the passing score for CKAD is 66%. Results are typically emailed within about 24 hours - confirm the current threshold and delivery window with the provider, as policies can change.
Partial work can still count, so always attempt every question. But do not leave a cluster in a broken state for later questions: a failed task in one question rarely affects another, yet a mis-set context or namespace will silently sink everything you do next.
Proctors may pause, warn, or terminate a session for prohibited behaviour. If something goes wrong - connectivity drop, browser crash, accidental tab - stop and communicate with the proctor immediately rather than trying to fix it silently.