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Julia Furst Morgado
Julia Furst Morgado

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How to Pass the KCNA - Kubernetes And Cloud Native Associate

Yesterday I took the Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate Exam (KCNA) exam, and this morning I got the results that I passed, yey! While some may consider it a beginner-level exam, it does require a solid foundation and practical experience with Kubernetes and related projects to successfully pass.

The KCNA exam is conducted online and costs $250, which includes one free retake. If you do not pass on your first attempt, you have the opportunity to take the exam again within one year of your initial purchase.

I've compiled a list of 15 options to build a Kubernetes playground and I highly encourage you to get hands-on experience by playing with any of the tools mentioned in my blog post. Familiarizing yourself with the kubectl command line is crucial and the practical, hands-on approach solidifies your understanding of Kubernetes and allows you to internalize the concepts more effectively.

Now, let's delve into the key domains covered in the KCNA exam:

Key Domains

Kubernetes Fundamentals (46%)

To excel in this domain, you need to have a deep understanding of:

  • The problem Kubernetes solves

  • The architecture of Kubernetes and the roles of its components

  • The hierarchy of Kubernetes components, from Cluster to Node to Pod to Container

  • Concepts such as services, deployments, replicasets, daemonsets, statefulsets, configmaps, secrets, network policies, RBAC, service discovery, manifests, autoscaling, and load balancing

  • The required elements in a Kubernetes manifest

  • The usage of kubectl and common Kubernetes commands

  • Knowledge of YAML and JSON

  • The ability to extend the Kubernetes API

Container Orchestration (22%)

  • Understand the problems that Container Orchestration resolves

  • You must have an overview of the different types of Open Standards:

    • Container Runtime Interface (CRI) and different runtimes available
    • Container Network Interface (CNI)
    • Container Storage Interface (CSI)
    • Service Mesh Interface (SMI)
  • What Namespaces and Cgroups are

Cloud Native Architecture (16%)

  • How the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) is structured

  • Serverless tools for Kubernetes

  • Helm and Helm charts

Cloud Native Observability (8%)

  • You must be able to define observability and know the difference between logs, metrics and traces

  • What is Prometheus and Grafana

  • Common kubectl commands to view logs of pods, specifications, dry-run etc

Cloud Native Application Delivery (8%)

You need to define and understand various tools and concepts related to application delivery in a Cloud Native environment. This includes:

  • DevOps

  • GitOps

  • CI/CD

  • What an SRE does

Resources to study

To further enhance your understanding and preparation for the KCNA exam, here are some recommended resources:

Tips for taking the KCNA exam

  • Sign into your exam at least 30-15 minutes before the start time. The proctor needs this time to check your ID and review your workspace via your webcam.

  • Since the KCNA exam is conducted from home, it's important to have a clean and non-cluttered space available to you. Make sure to prepare your workspace the day before the exam. Remember, you must be alone in the room during the exam, so plan accordingly.

  • Keep in mind that you need to have your webcam and audio on throughout the exam. As this can drain your battery, remember to have your laptop charger handy.

  • GOOD LUCK, YOU'VE GOT THIS!


Follow me on Twitter (where I share my tech journey) daily, connect with me on LinkedIn, check out my IG, and make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more amazing content!!

Top comments (5)

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marinahart profile image
marinahart

It's great to hear about your KCNA exam journey and all the resources you used—it sounds like you put in a lot of effort! I recently passed the exam and found that using the practice test by P2PExam was incredibly helpful in my preparation. It gave me a strong understanding of the key concepts and the exam format, and I even saw many similar Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate KCNA Questions on the final test. I’d recommend P2PExams if you’re looking to reinforce your knowledge and boost your confidence. It made a big difference in my exam experience!

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dixonrubye profile image
dixonrubye

I started my exam preparation with the Kubernetes Cloud Native Associate KCNA practice test Designed By Braindumpsstore. I found this exam study material helpful. It helped me efficiently prepare for the final Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate exam in a short time. On Kubernetes Cloud Native Associate KCNA exam day, I was surprised to see many questions from this practice material. I easily attempted all Linux Foundation KCNA exam questions within the allotted time and succeeded on my first attempt.
braindumpsstore.com/linux-foundati...

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tomondre profile image
tomondre • Edited

Hey everyone, I've seen a lot of discussion on strategies for passing the KCNA exam. I highly recommend checking out this series of practice exams on Udemy: KCNA Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate Practice Exams. They're designed to closely mimic the actual exam and cover all the key topics, which really helped me feel more prepared. Definitely worth a look if you're aiming to boost your confidence and knowledge before the test!

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cocoa113 profile image
Cocoa • Edited

My experience with PaAss4surehub was great which is why I am finally KCNA certified. I would like to thank you for supporting me and making this possible. I achieved 87% in the exam which is highly appreciable.
pass4surehub.com/linux-foundation/...

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hari_anand_942b58cb1967cd profile image
Hari Anand

I used cloudqns.co.uk/ to prepare for the exam and it helped a lot. You will get access to unlimited number of practice tests for a fraction of cost seen elsewhere.