CKA Exam Update: What’s New, What’s Removed

The Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam is an important certification for Kubernetes professionals, and its syllabus is updated regularly to keep up with the fast-changing cloud technology.

The Linux Foundation recently announced changes that will come into effect no earlier than November 25, 2024. Let’s explore what’s new, what’s been removed, and how you can adjust your study strategy to stay ahead.

I personally wanted the syllabus to change because Kubernetes administration has evolved a lot in the real world. These updates will better equip engineers with the concepts needed for real-world setups.

TL;DR: CKA Exam Update 2024

The Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam is updating after November 25, 2024. Key changes include:

• Storage: Emphasis on dynamic volume provisioning and detailed management of volume types, access modes, and reclaim policies.
• Troubleshooting: Expanded focus on network services and connectivity along with cluster and node diagnostics.
• Workloads & Scheduling: New focus on Pod admission, node affinity, and autoscaling.
• Networking: New focus on Gateway API to manage Ingress traffic and coreDNS. Also expanded focus on coreDNS.
• Cluster Architecture: Added Helm, Kustomize, and extension interfaces like CNI, CSI, and CRI. CRDs and Operators are now included.

Prepare by learning Helm, Kustomize, dynamic storage provisioning, and troubleshooting network services.

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What’s Changing?

The exam’s core domains (Storage, Troubleshooting, Workloads & Scheduling, Cluster Architecture, Services & Networking) remain the same, but the competencies under each domain have been updated to ensure that CKAs are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills.

The upcoming changes add several new competencies while removing some older ones.

Below, we break down these changes in detail.

1. Storage: Fine-Tuning Volume Management

• New Addition: The updated syllabus places greater emphasis on dynamic volume provisioning and fine-grained management of volume types, access modes, and reclaim policies.

Why It Matters: Kubernetes administrators are now expected to handle increasingly complex storage configurations. Dynamic provisioning is important for environments that require automated scaling.

2. Troubleshooting: Sharpening Network and Service Diagnostics

• New Additions: Troubleshooting now expands to cover network services, enhancing the need for CKAs to have a deep understanding of both internal and external cluster connectivity.
• Expanded Focus: Clusters and node diagnostics, as well as network and services, take center stage in the troubleshooting domain.

Why It Matters: Troubleshooting goes beyond just identifying issues—it’s about maintaining reliable, resilient clusters. The added focus on services and networking ensures that you can diagnose issues across the stack.

3. Workloads & Scheduling: Mastering Pod Admission and Scaling

• New Additions: The new syllabus adds Pod admission and scheduling, including limits, node affinity, and resource constraints.
• Updated Focus: There's a stronger emphasis on autoscaling and understanding self-healing applications.

Why It Matters: Kubernetes is about automating and managing applications at scale. These updates ensure that CKAs can efficiently manage workload scaling and scheduling, a critical requirement in production environments.

4. Networking: Gateway API

One of the most significant additions to the updated CKA syllabus is the Gateway API.

New Addition: This new Gateway API provides a more flexible and extensible way to manage Ingress traffic, offering more control over routing and load balancing than the traditional Ingress resources.

Why It Matters: The Gateway API brings a more modern and scalable way to manage traffic in Kubernetes. By learning this, CKAs will be better prepared to handle complex traffic setups in real-world environments.

Expanded Focus: CoreDNS

In the updated syllabus, CoreDNS remains an important topic under Services and Networking. Understanding how to configure and troubleshoot CoreDNS is crucial, as it plays a central role in service discovery within Kubernetes clusters.

Why It Matters: CoreDNS is the default DNS server in Kubernetes and is responsible for routing internal cluster traffic. A solid grasp of CoreDNS configuration ensures that services are discoverable and that network issues are minimized, a important skill for any Kubernetes administrator.

Cluster Architecture: More than Just Installation

• New Additions: The exam introduces Helm and Kustomize, key tools for managing complex deployments. You’ll also need to understand Kubernetes extension interfaces, including CNI (for networking), CSI (for storage), and CRI (for runtime).
• Removed: The specific focus on managing etcd backups/restores and Kubernetes version upgrades is no longer highlighted as much.

Why It Matters: With the Kubernetes ecosystem growing in complexity, CKAs now need to be proficient not only in setting up clusters but also in managing extensions and custom resources via CRDs and Operators.

How to Prepare for the Updated CKA Exam

1. Study Helm and Kustomize: Since Helm and Kustomize are now part of the syllabus, ensure you’re comfortable using them for managing Kubernetes configurations.
2. Focus on Network Troubleshooting: Networking is a critical area. Be prepared to troubleshoot both Pod and service connectivity issues and DNS configs.
3. Focus on Gateway API: Learn and implement Gateway API and understand all the routing configurations.
4. Understand CRDs and Operators: These concepts are becoming increasingly important, especially in production-grade Kubernetes environments. So you need to get hands on with CRDs and Operators
5. Practice with Dynamic Storage Provisioning: Get hands-on experience with dynamic volume provisioning to manage storage efficiently in Kubernetes.

When Will the Changes Go Live?

According to the Linux Foundation, the changes will take effect no sooner than November 25, 2024. If you plan to sit for the exam after this date, it’s important to align your preparation with the new syllabus.

Conclusion

The upcoming CKA syllabus updates reflect Kubernetes’ evolving landscape and the increasing demands on administrators.

Whether you’re planning to take the exam before or after the change, knowing these updates will help you structure your study approach to focus on the most relevant skills.

Stay ahead of the curve by mastering the new topics and reinforcing your foundational knowledge.