Just took the latest version of the CKA exam, failed miserably, need some advice

Kubernetes
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#1

I just took the latest version of the CKA exam (updated on February 18, 2025) and failed. I need some advice.

I’m unsure whether the instructors have taken this version of the exam, but from my personal experience, the scope of the actual CKA exam extends far beyond the materials covered in KodeKloud’s CKA Certification Course.

My preparation included:

  • KodeKloud’s CKA Certification Course
  • KodeKloud’s Ultimate CKA Mock Exam Series

To be honest, I did not prepare the exam too well. I could not nail the mocks with very high scores in a short time, but I would say the mocks of Kodekloud have similar questions.

However, when taking the actual exam, I found that around 40% of the questions weren’t covered in either the course or the mock series. Some topics were briefly mentioned in videos but weren’t included in hands-on practices or mock exams.

Examples of unexpected topics included:

  • StatefulSets and Resource Management
  • Helm template and troubleshooting (simply running ‘helm install [NAME] [CHART]’ resulted in errors that needed resolution)
  • Using Helm to install ArgoCD (basic commands like ‘helm repo add argo-cd ’ and ‘helm install argo-cd [CHART]’ didn’t work and required troubleshooting)
  • Installing a container runtime (instead of installing kubeadm)

My main questions are:

  1. How should I prepare for these topics?
  2. Will KodeKloud update their course and mock exams to cover the scope of the actual exam?

Thanks!

#2

Hi, could you please check if some questions from this list were on your exam Kubernetes CKA Sample Questions. Q01 | by Nuwan Chamara | Medium

#3

Questions like those could be there, as they are the sort of questions you would be expected to be able to answer. That article was written 2 years ago, so there are topics in the exam now which are not there, since the exam was updated last month.

#4

I agree with @Alistair_KodeKloud , the questions in the post are quite simple, and doing Kodekloud’s mock exams can get you well-prepared for these.

However, as I mentioned, I encountered some questions that are not really covered well by the KodeKloud course. So currently, just doing the KodeKloud course and the mock exams might not be enough to prepare you for the real CKA exam (from my personal experience).

#5

Don’t beat yourself up I also failed on my first go with 57% only using KodeKloud’s CKA Certification Course then Ultimate CKA Mock Exam Series. I then did the free practice exams which are included with Killercoda and after practicing those 5 exams twice I ended up passing with 90%

2 Likes
#6

https://training.linuxfoundation.org/certified-kubernetes-administrator-cka-program-changes/

#7

may I know exactly which practice exams in killercoda.
what you mean is 2 practice session included in killer.sh or anything else? thanks!

#8

When you sign up for the CKA exam (or several other LF exams), you get access to the killer.sh simulator, with two 36 hour sessions with that exam. This is linked from your dashboard page in the Linux Foundation training site.

#9

Based on this is it worth the subscription of kodekloud?

#10

Please bear in mind that Linux Foundation tells nobody what the actual content of the exam is, which means when it changes, even the course providers like us have to play catch up to be able to ensure everything that might arise is covered.

#12

Hi @auggie.teo ,

Please don’t discuss the exam question. It’s against the NDA. Kindly delete your post.

FYI: I deleted your post.

Regards,

#13

After months of dedicated preparation and some initial setbacks, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve officially passed the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam! One of the key resources that helped me succeed was the Study4Exam CKA Exam Practice Test. The practice questions were incredibly aligned with the actual exam format and really sharpened my problem-solving and time management skills. Alongside that, I used official Kubernetes documentation extensively to ensure I fully understood the concepts and could navigate the docs quickly during the test. I also enrolled in a CKA course on Udemy, which gave me a solid theoretical foundation and hands-on labs to reinforce key topics. Additionally, the KodeKloud community played a major role in my success. From helpful discussions to shared troubleshooting experiences, the community support was invaluable whenever I got stuck. Combining these resources gave me both the confidence and the technical depth needed to pass the updated 2025 version of the exam. If you’re preparing for the CKA, I highly recommend using a mix of practice tests, official docs, and supportive communities. It’s a challenging certification, but with the right tools and mindset, it’s absolutely achievable.

1 Like
#14

I recently looked into the new CKA exam update (Feb 18, 2025), and what you experienced is true: the exam now has more emphasis on Helm, Kustomize, CRDs, StatefulSets, ArgoCD, troubleshooting, and container runtime installs.

How to Prepare for These Topics

Helm & Troubleshooting

Don’t stop at helm install. Practice fixing broken charts, resolving repo issues, and debugging failed releases.

Try installing ArgoCD and other common apps with Helm and troubleshoot errors until they work.

StatefulSets & Resource Management

Focus on persistent volumes, scaling, and pod identity.

Practice assigning resource requests/limits to ensure pods are scheduled correctly.

Container Runtimes

Be comfortable setting up containerd or other runtimes (not just kubeadm).

Walk through docs on runtime installation and troubleshooting.

Hands-on Practice

Use updated KodeKloud mocks (they’ve added Helm, Kustomize, and more).

Killer.sh simulator is also very close to the real exam environment.

Time management is key: flag tough questions and come back later.

Will KodeKloud Update?

Yes :white_check_mark: — as of April 2025, both the CKA course and mock exams on KodeKloud have been updated for the new exam scope (Helm, Kustomize, CRDs, etc.). So if you use their latest version, you’ll cover a lot more than before.

Extra Resource

If you want more practice exam-style questions and dumps, you can also check out Pass4exams
. It provides realistic practice questions for CKA and other IT certifications, which can help you identify weak areas faster and prepare with more confidence.