Looking back at my CKA Preparation

I was first introduced to Kubernetes while working at Publicis Sapient on a Commerce Intelligence project, where a few hundred web scrapers were run using Kubernetes workflows to scrape e-commerce data. Then I didn’t pay much attention to it and mostly used the k8s UI in Google Cloud and explored the logs. Working at AccuKnox, I could see the amazing things being built, like KubeArmor, but I was mostly building their SaaS UI. But I saw a lot of potential in Kubernetes and wanted to learn more about Kubernetes. I would love to discuss the strategy I used to prepare for the CKA.

I had booked my examination slot for Jul 28 and had less than 60 days until the exam. While reviewing available resources, I reached out to my Product Manager at AccuKnox for tips and recommendations, and she suggested the KodeKloud pathways, especially the CKA pathway. Before this, I had no experience working with Kubernetes.

Planning

I used Trello to plan for my exam. Here’s a brief overview of the plan -

1. Register for Certification Exam - Jun 2

2. Linux Basics - May 19

3. Docker Essentials - Jun 2

4. Kubernetes Basics - Jun 10

5. CKA Certification Course - Jul 7

6. Prep (2 days) - Jul 26

7. Exam day - Jul 28

I really had to have most of the commands on my fingertips, so for practising, I used Docker, Minikube, and rarely K3S. To practice Linux commands, one can use WSL or Multipass to spin up a Linux Environment. Even more helpful is the hands-on lab environment on the Kodekloud.

Networking, ETCD Backup and Kubernetes Certificates were the parts I found harder to prepare for.

Day of the Exam

I was confident on the day of the exam, with the basics all covered, and thanks to the practice, I achieved 92%.