Exercise files and lab resources for the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) v1.35 Skill Path on Pluralsight.
Built from the ground up for the February 2025 CKA curriculum revision -- the largest update in CKA history -- covering Gateway API, Helm, Kustomize, CRDs/Operators, native sidecars, ephemeral containers, and expanded troubleshooting.
graph LR
C1[1. Foundations] --> C2[2. kubeadm Install]
C2 --> C3[3. Lifecycle & Upgrades]
C3 --> C4[4. RBAC & Admission]
C4 --> C5[5. Workloads & Scheduling]
C5 --> C6[6. Storage]
C6 --> C7[7. Services, Ingress & Gateway]
C7 --> C8[8. Network Policies]
C8 --> C9[9. Troubleshoot Clusters]
C9 --> C10[10. Troubleshoot Workloads]
C10 --> C11[11. Exam Prep]
| # | Course | CKA Domain | Est. Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kubernetes Foundations | Cross-domain | 75 min |
| 2 | Installing Clusters with kubeadm | Architecture (25%) | 90 min |
| 3 | Managing Cluster Lifecycle and Upgrades | Architecture (25%) | 75 min |
| 4 | Securing Access with RBAC and Admission Controls | Architecture (25%) | 75 min |
| 5 | Managing Workloads and Scheduling | Workloads (15%) | 90 min |
| 6 | Managing Storage | Storage (10%) | 75 min |
| 7 | Services, Ingress, and Gateway API | Networking (20%) | 90 min |
| 8 | Network Policies and Traffic Management | Networking (20%) | 75 min |
| 9 | Troubleshooting Clusters and Nodes | Troubleshooting (30%) | 90 min |
| 10 | Troubleshooting Workloads and Services | Troubleshooting (30%) | 90 min |
| 11 | Exam Prep, Practice Labs, and Strategy | All domains | 75 min |
Total runtime: ~15 hours (10 core courses + 1 exam-prep capstone)
pie title CKA v1.35 Exam Domains
"Troubleshooting" : 30
"Cluster Architecture" : 25
"Services & Networking" : 20
"Workloads & Scheduling" : 15
"Storage" : 10
The lab environment lives in src/cka-lab/ and gives you two ways to practice. Both target Kubernetes v1.35 and live on the same Windows 11 host -- pick based on what the module is teaching.
Best for: most demos, kubectl reps, the diagnostic ladder, anything where you want a clean cluster now. PowerShell 7 interactive menus pick the topology, optionally start a tutorial, and tear down cleanly.
cd src/cka-lab
.\kind-up.ps1 # menu: topology + optional tutorial
.\Start-Tutorial.ps1 # run a tutorial against a live cluster
.\kind-down.ps1 # menu: cluster only or full Docker shutdownWalkthrough -> src/cka-lab/TUTORIAL-KIND.md
Best for: Course 2, anything that needs real systemd, a real package manager, or node-level break/fix drills. Three Ubuntu 22.04 VMs (control1, worker1, worker2) on a dedicated CKA-NAT switch (192.168.50.0/24). Vagrant brings them up with all kubeadm v1.35 prereqs installed -- you run kubeadm init yourself. Native Hyper-V checkpoints give you the practice loop.
cd src/cka-lab
vagrant up --provider=hyperv # admin pwsh required
.\cka-validate.ps1 # confirm prereqs
.\cka-snapshot.ps1 # save "pre-cluster" baseline
vagrant ssh control1 # bootstrap the cluster yourself
.\cka-restore.ps1 # nuke it, go againWalkthrough -> src/cka-lab/TUTORIAL-HYPERV.md
- Windows 11 Pro/Enterprise (Hyper-V enabled) -- required for the exam-shaped path
- PowerShell 7+
- Docker Desktop 4.x with WSL2 -- for the fast path
- kind v0.25+, kubectl v1.35
- Vagrant -- for the exam-shaped path
exercise-files/
course-01-foundations/
m01-architecture-lab-setup/
m02-kubectl-workflows/
m03-core-resources-diagnostic-ladder/
course-02-kubeadm-cluster-install/
...
course-03-lifecycle-upgrades/
...
...
course-11-exam-prep/
...
shared/
apps/
catalog-api/
fleet-dashboard/
telemetry-worker/
K8S/ # Reference books (not tracked)
reference-research/ # Research materials
Each module folder contains Kubernetes YAML manifests, shell scripts, and configuration files for hands-on demos and exercises.
This skill path natively covers topics added in the largest CKA revision to date:
- Gateway API -- GatewayClass, Gateway, HTTPRoute (replacing legacy Ingress)
- Helm & Kustomize -- Installing and managing cluster components
- CRDs & Operators -- Custom resources and the controller pattern
- Workload Autoscaling -- HPA and VPA configuration
- Ephemeral Containers --
kubectl debugfor distroless image debugging - Native Sidecars -- Init containers with
restartPolicy: Always - Extension Interfaces -- CNI, CSI, CRI plugin boundaries
All demos follow Globomantics, a fictional company migrating their monolithic e-commerce platform to Kubernetes. You've been hired as the first dedicated cluster administrator. Every skill maps to what you'll face on exam day and your first on-call rotation.
- CKA Exam Registration ($445, includes retake + 2 killer.sh sessions)
- CKA Curriculum v1.35 (PDF)
- Kubernetes Documentation (allowed during exam)
- Gateway API Documentation (allowed during exam)
- Helm Documentation (allowed during exam)
- killer.sh Exam Simulator
This repo includes a GitHub Copilot agent for CKA exam practice in the cka-cert-buddy/ directory. Open it as a VS Code workspace to access:
- Practice scenarios -- exam-realistic tasks with two-phase delivery (scenario first, solution on request)
- Guided labs -- hands-on exercises on kind clusters with validation gates and cleanup
- Study planner -- personalized plans based on your confidence across the five exam domains
- Reference docs -- comprehensive command guide, exam lifecycle guide, and curated learning resources
See the CKA Cert Buddy README for setup instructions.
Tim Warner -- Microsoft MVP, Pluralsight author with 200+ courses, and technical trainer specializing in cloud infrastructure and certification preparation.
This project is licensed under the MIT License -- see the LICENSE file for details.