Cloud Native Computing Foundation certifications
CNCF certifications, administered with the Linux Foundation, cover Kubernetes and the cloud-native stack. They are performance-based rather than multiple choice: every exam is scored on hands-on tasks solved in a live cluster from the command line.
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
AdvancedCKA certifies that you can operate a production Kubernetes cluster from the command line. It is unusual among IT certifications: there are no multiple-choice questions at all. The exam is two hours of 15–20 hands-on tasks in a live cluster, graded on the end state you leave behind, with the official Kubernetes documentation open in a second tab. Troubleshooting alone is 30% of the score.
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)
AdvancedCKAD certifies that you can design, build and run applications on Kubernetes from the command line. Like CKA it is entirely performance-based — no multiple choice — two hours of hands-on tasks in live clusters with the official documentation open in one extra tab. Where CKA is the cluster operator's exam, CKAD is the application developer's: configuration, security context and observability rather than etcd and node management.
Frequently asked questions
- Are these official Cloud Native Computing Foundation practice exams?
- No — Kwizza is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cloud Native Computing Foundation. Every guide is built from the officially published exam objectives, and every practice question is original.
- Which Cloud Native Computing Foundation certification should I start with?
- Start from the role you want, not the catalog: each guide below states who the exam is for and what it assumes. Open a guide, check the "who should take it" section, and try its free practice exam to gauge where you stand.
Kwizza is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cloud Native Computing Foundation. Cloud Native Computing Foundation names, logos and certification marks are the property of their respective owners and are used here only to identify the exams described. Practice questions are original, written against the publicly published exam objectives.