# 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](https://github.com/accuknox), I could see the amazing things being built, like [KubeArmor](https://github.com/kubearmor/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](https://kodekloud.com/learning-path/kubernetes-administrator) 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](https://multipass.run/docs/installing-on-macos#heading--use-brew) 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.

| Linux |
| --- |
| Docker |
| Kubernetes Basics |
| Imperative commands with kubecti |
| Scheduling |
| Logging |
| Application Lifecycle Management |
| Cluster Maintenance |
| Security |
| Storage |
| Networking |
| Design and Install a K8S cluster |
| Install the "Kubeadm" cluster |
| Troubleshooting |
| IstioD |

### 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%.