Skip to main content
Ace Skills Consulting
The Linux Foundation (CNCF) logoIntermediate

Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)

Design, deploy and troubleshoot cloud-native applications on Kubernetes at exam speed.

  • 24 hours of live, trainer-led sessions
  • Your own cluster for every lab
  • Deployment strategies, probes and Helm
  • Timed task drills in the style of the exam
  • kubectl speed techniques for a hands-on exam
Aligned to The Linux Foundation (CNCF) exam CKAD
Duration
3 Days | 24 Hrs
Next batch
Batches on request
Delivery
Live Online · Onsite · Corporate
Level
Intermediate
Exam
CKAD
Language
English

Why learn CKAD with Ace Skills

  • Built for developers

    Focus on the objects and patterns developers use daily rather than cluster administration.

  • Speed in the terminal

    Drill imperative commands and YAML generation until common tasks take seconds.

  • Real release strategies

    Practise rolling, blue-green and canary releases on a live cluster.

  • Timed practice

    Mock tasks with a clock build the pace the performance-based exam requires.

Course overview

Developers increasingly own how their applications run, not just how they are written. The CKAD exam checks that you can package, configure, expose and debug applications on Kubernetes quickly from a terminal. This course is built to make those tasks second nature.

Day one covers application design and build: container images, multi-container pod patterns, Jobs and CronJobs, and persistent volumes for applications. Day two is about deployment and configuration — Deployments, rolling updates, blue-green and canary strategies, Helm and Kustomize, ConfigMaps and Secrets, resource requirements, security contexts and service accounts.

Day three focuses on services and networking and on observability: Services, Ingress, network policies, liveness, readiness and startup probes, logs, and debugging a failing application. It ends with timed mock tasks and a review of exam technique.

You will work in your own cluster throughout and practise the imperative kubectl commands and YAML generation habits that make the difference in a time-limited exam.

This course is aligned to the CKAD exam curriculum published by The Linux Foundation and CNCF. The exam is performance-based and online proctored; please confirm the current curriculum and Kubernetes version before booking.

Key features

  • Dedicated lab cluster per learner
  • Multi-container patterns and Jobs
  • Canary and blue-green deployments
  • Helm and Kustomize in practice
  • Probes, logs and debugging drills
  • Mock tasks in the style of the exam
  • Course completion certificate from Ace Skills Consulting
  • Post-training doubt support

Who should attend

  • Software developers deploying to Kubernetes
  • DevOps engineers supporting application teams
  • Technical leads designing cloud-native services
  • Engineers moving from VMs to containers

Prerequisites

  • Programming or scripting experience in any language
  • Comfort with the Linux command line and a text editor such as vim
  • Basic container knowledge

Curriculum

3 Days · 24 Hours · 9 Modules · 8 Labs

  1. Kubernetes for developers

    • Cluster architecture overview
    • Pods and the pod lifecycle
    • Namespaces
    • kubectl productivity
    • Lab: Create and inspect pods imperatively · 30 min

    Images and pod design

    • Building and tagging images
    • Init containers
    • Sidecar and adapter patterns
    • Labels, selectors and annotations
    • Lab: Build an image and run it with an init container and sidecar · 50 min

    Jobs and storage

    • Jobs and CronJobs
    • Volumes for applications
    • Persistent volume claims
    • Ephemeral storage
    • Lab: Schedule a CronJob that writes to a persistent volume · 40 min

  2. Deployments

    • Rolling updates and rollbacks
    • Blue-green deployments
    • Canary deployments
    • Scaling
    • Lab: Run a canary release and roll it back · 45 min

    Packaging

    • Helm charts and releases
    • Kustomize overlays
    • Lab: Deploy an app with Helm and a Kustomize overlay · 40 min

    Configuration and security

    • ConfigMaps and Secrets
    • Resource requests, limits and quotas
    • Security contexts
    • Service accounts
    • Custom resources overview
    • Lab: Configure an app with Secrets and a security context · 40 min

  3. Services and networking

    • Service types
    • Ingress
    • Network policies
    • Service discovery with DNS
    • Lab: Expose an app with Ingress and restrict traffic · 45 min

    Observability and maintenance

    • Liveness, readiness and startup probes
    • Container logs
    • Monitoring basics
    • Debugging failing pods
    • API deprecations
    • Lab: Fix five broken deployments against the clock · 60 min

    Exam readiness

    • Exam environment and rules
    • Time management
    • Mock tasks with review
Download full syllabus (PDF)

Skills you will gain

  • Kubernetes for developers
  • Pod design
  • Multi-container patterns
  • Jobs & CronJobs
  • Deployment strategies
  • Helm
  • Kustomize
  • ConfigMaps & Secrets
  • Security contexts
  • Services & Ingress
  • Network policies
  • Probes
  • Debugging

Tools & technologies

  • kubectl
  • Helm
  • Kustomize
  • Docker or Podman
  • vim

Certification exam

Exam details
Exam nameCertified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
Exam codeCKAD
Duration120 minutes
Voucher includedNo — book directly with the vendor
Question formatPerformance-based lab
DeliveryOnline proctored

Skill areas measured

  1. Application design and build
  2. Application deployment
  3. Application observability and maintenance
  4. Application environment, configuration and security
  5. Services and networking

Exam details are pending verification. Vendors change exams; confirm on the official vendor page before booking. Official exam page (opens in a new tab)

Schedule & Pricing

Live Online

Individual

Price on request

  • 24 hours of live, trainer-led sessions
  • 8 hands-on labs
  • Ace Skills course completion certificate

Onsite

At your office or our centre

Pricing depends on location, group size and dates.

  • Delivered at your premises or an Ace centre
  • Same curriculum and labs as live online
  • Dates planned around your team

Corporate / Team

Private batch for your organisation

A private batch with content adapted to your environment and goals.

  • Customised curriculum
  • Private batch, online or onsite
  • Progress and assessment reports
  • GST invoice and PO-based billing

No public batches scheduled — Talk to an Advisor for a private batch.

Projects & labs you will build

  • Day 1 · 50 min

    Build an image and run it with an init container and sidecar

  • Day 2 · 45 min

    Run a canary release and roll it back

Your certificate

Certificate of Completion — Ace Skills Consulting

Awarded on completing the course. It records the course title and training hours, and you can share it on your LinkedIn profile.

The The Linux Foundation (CNCF) certification itself is awarded by The Linux Foundation (CNCF) when you pass exam CKAD.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CKAD exam like?

It is performance-based and online proctored: you complete practical tasks on live clusters from a command line within the time limit.

Do I need to be a strong programmer?

No. You will not write application code in the exam; you need to read YAML and work with containers and kubectl.

How is CKAD different from CKA?

CKAD focuses on deploying and running applications; CKA adds cluster installation, upgrades and infrastructure troubleshooting.

Is a lab environment provided?

Yes. Each learner gets a dedicated cluster for the duration of the course.

Related courses

Explore more

All DevOps & Containers courses The Linux Foundation (CNCF) certifications

Kubernetes, CKA, CKAD and CKS are trademarks of The Linux Foundation.

Train your team on CKAD

Private batches online or at your office in India and the GCC, with a curriculum adapted to your environment.