CKS exam-day guide
CKS · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Use a valid, unexpired ID whose name matches your registration exactly (including middle names and spelling). Keep it on the desk before the session starts. Confirm the exact list of accepted ID types for your country with the exam provider before test day.
Exam portal credentials and LF account access
Know your login email and password, and be able to reach your account inbox (for one-time codes) from a phone or a second device that stays outside the testing session.
Compatible computer with a stable, preferably wired, internet connection
Run the provider's system compatibility check a few days ahead. Have a fallback (mobile hotspot or alternate machine) available in case of hardware or network failure.
Working webcam, microphone, and speakers
The proctor needs to see and hear you for the room scan and identity check. A wired headset is usually safer than Bluetooth; confirm headset rules with the provider.
Single-monitor setup
Disconnect or power off all additional displays. Multi-monitor setups typically disqualify the session. Confirm any dual-monitor exception with the provider beforehand.
Clear, private room
Remove papers, books, notes, sticky notes, phones, smart watches, and any second screen from the desk and its surroundings. Close the door and make sure no one else enters during the session.
Valid CKA certification on record
CKS requires a current CKA. Verify your certification status in your Linux Foundation account well before the exam date so a lapse does not invalidate the booking.
Confirmed date, time, and time zone
Convert the scheduled start to your local time, log in well before the start to complete the identity and room checks, and plan to be at your desk early.
Knowledge of which documentation tabs are permitted
Review the provider's current allowed-resources list and the exam's documentation page rules in advance. Practise navigating kubernetes.io documentation quickly within those limits rather than relying on unapproved sites.
Rehearsed muscle memory for the terminal
Be fluent with vim (or your editor), kubectl imperative commands with --dry-run=client -o yaml, kubectl explain, and copying exact names from task text. Practise on your own cluster in the days before the exam.
A personal timing plan
Decide in advance how you will budget roughly two hours across the task set: first pass on quick wins, flag long tasks, and reserve the last 10-15 minutes for verification.
Water in an approved container
Many proctored sessions allow a clear glass or bottle of water, but this varies. Confirm the policy with the provider rather than assuming.
Plan the day
Do a full timed practice run on your own cluster covering the core CKS domains: cluster setup hardening, cluster hardening, system hardening, microservice vulnerabilities, supply chain security, monitoring/logging/runtime security. Focus only on weak areas afterwards.
Run the provider's system compatibility check on the exact machine, camera, and network you will use, and install anything the session requires.
Rehearse fast recall of the command patterns you will need: kubectl config use-context, kubectl auth can-i, audit policy flags, encryption-at-rest configuration, NetworkPolicy and PodSecurity admission YAML, and reading security tool output.
Confirm the exam booking, ID requirements, allowed-resource list, and platform rules from the provider's official instructions. Note anything you are unsure about and ask the provider's support channel.
Prepare the room and desk: single monitor, cleared surfaces, no notes or devices within reach, door closable. Charge laptop, test the network, and keep a backup connection ready.
Stop studying new material. Do a light review of your own cheat-sheet-free mental checklist, then sleep a full night. Do not attempt an all-night cram.
Eat, hydrate, and avoid heavy caffeine if you are prone to jitters. Re-check the local start time in your calendar.
Do a final equipment check: camera, mic, speakers, power cable, internet, and the exam platform login page. Shut down everything else on the machine except what the session requires.
Log in early and complete the ID verification and room scan calmly. Have your photo ID in hand and clear the room of anything the proctor may flag.
For every task, first read the whole question, then set the correct context and namespace before touching anything. Names, namespaces, and resource names must match the task text exactly.
Work in two passes: knock out the quick, high-confidence tasks first; flag and return to the long ones. Never leave a task half-applied in the cluster.
Verify each result with a read-back command (kubectl get, describe, auth can-i, tool output) rather than assuming the apply succeeded. Use the last 10-15 minutes to re-verify namespaces, contexts, and anything you flagged.
Rules to check
The name on your government-issued photo ID must match your registration exactly. Confirm the accepted ID types and any exceptions with the exam provider before test day.
Only the documentation sources explicitly listed by the provider may be open during the session. Using any other resource, tab, or device can void your result. Confirm the current allowed list with the provider.
No notes, books, phones, smart watches, second monitors, or other people in the room. Comply immediately if the proctor asks for a desk or room scan.
Treat the session as no-break unless the provider states otherwise: the clock generally runs continuously, so plan your timing accordingly and confirm the break policy with the provider.
The exam is scored on the cluster state you leave behind, with tasks weighted differently. Confirm the current passing score and result-reporting timeline with the provider rather than relying on secondhand figures.
Do not disclose, discuss, or reproduce exam content, task text, or cluster details afterwards; the exam is covered by a confidentiality agreement.
If the session fails (network drop, platform error), stop and contact the proctor or provider support immediately and follow their instructions. Do not attempt to continue outside the proctored environment.
Retake and rescheduling terms vary by purchase. Confirm what your specific exam purchase includes with the provider before you rely on it.