Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)17 hands-on labsFree

CKAD Hands-On Practice Labs

The CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer) exam is about shipping and operating applications on Kubernetes, fast, under a clock. The only way to get fast is reps. Each lab below is a real Kubernetes task you complete in a live cloud workspace, grouped by the official CKAD exam domain.

Why CKAD is a speed skill you can only build by doing

CKAD is not "do you know Kubernetes," it is "can you ship an app on it before the timer runs out." That is a speed skill, and speed only comes from reps. These labs are the reps: real deployments, configs, and probes you build until the patterns are muscle memory instead of something you look up.

Practice labs by exam domain

Application Design and Build (20%)

Write a Production Kubernetes DeploymentHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Run a Multi-Container Pod with a SidecarHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Complete a Stuck Kubernetes JobHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Write a Kubernetes CronJob for DB BackupsHands-on lab · live cloud workspace

Application Deployment (20%)

Release a New Image With a Rolling UpdateHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Scale a Kubernetes DeploymentHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Write a Helm Chart for a Multi-Service AppHands-on lab · live cloud workspace

Application Observability and Maintenance (15%)

Add Liveness and Readiness Probes to a DeploymentHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Add a startupProbe for a Slow-Starting AppHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Fix a Kubernetes CrashLoopBackOffHands-on lab · live cloud workspace

Application Environment, Configuration and Security (25%)

Mount a Missing ConfigMap Into a PodHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Inject a Secret into a Pod as Environment VariablesHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Set CPU and Memory Requests and LimitsHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Harden a Pod with a securityContextHands-on lab · live cloud workspace

Services and Networking (20%)

Create a Service to Expose a DeploymentHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Correct a Kubernetes Service targetPortHands-on lab · live cloud workspace Lock Down a Namespace With a NetworkPolicyHands-on lab · live cloud workspace

CKAD exam-day reality

Roughly 16 tasks in two hours, heavily weighted toward building and configuring workloads. Live in kubectl run and create --dry-run=client -o yaml piped to a file, then edit - typing YAML from scratch loses the exam. Master configmaps, secrets, probes, and resource limits cold; they are the bulk of the points and the labs here map straight onto them.

Certified Kubernetes Application Developer FAQ

Is the CKAD exam hands-on?

Yes - the CKAD is performance-based. You build and configure real applications on Kubernetes in a terminal against the clock, so practicing the real workflow is essential.

What is the difference between the CKA and CKAD?

CKA (Administrator) focuses on operating and troubleshooting clusters; CKAD (Application Developer) focuses on building, configuring, and running apps on Kubernetes. CKAD is more developer-oriented.

How do I prepare for the CKAD?

Practice building and debugging real deployments, services, config, and probes until they are reflex, and time yourself - the exam rewards speed as much as correctness.

Start practicing for the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer free. You are in a real cloud workspace in 30 seconds - fix real systems, build exam-day speed.

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