I recently took the updated version of the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam, which was revised on February 18, 2025, and unfortunately, I didn’t pass. I’m sharing this because I think many others might face the same struggle, especially if you’ve been using prep material that hasn’t yet caught up with the changes. While I don’t know if the instructors themselves have taken this new version of the exam, from my personal experience, the actual scope of the CKA went far beyond what’s included in KodeKloud’s CKA Certification Course.
For my preparation, I went through KodeKloud’s CKA course and completed their Ultimate CKA Mock Exam Series. To be honest, I didn’t feel fully ready even going into it—I struggled to score high in the mocks within a short time frame. That said, the questions in KodeKloud’s mocks felt similar in format. The problem was, when I sat for the real exam, nearly 40% of the questions covered areas that weren’t included in the course content or mock exams. Some topics were lightly mentioned in videos, but lacked any in-depth practice or mock coverage.
The questions that surprised me included working with StatefulSets and resource management, troubleshooting Helm charts (not just installing them), and Helm-based installations like setting up ArgoCD—where even basic commands like helm repo add argo-cd or helm install didn’t work and needed debugging. Another curveball was being asked to install a container runtime, which is more complex than the typical kubeadm install.
My biggest questions now are: how can I prepare for these expanded topics, and will KodeKloud be updating their course and mocks to match the new exam scope? Any insight or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Sorry to hear you did not pass.
Please redo all the course and ultimate mocks. New questions are added. After completing all, feel free to report back on any topics you still feel are not covered well enough
1 Like
Thank you for checking in, I really appreciate it. I’ll make sure to go through the entire course and all the updated mocks thoroughly. I’ll definitely reach out if I find any areas that still need more clarity. Thanks again!
I understand your situation—I’ve been there myself. I passed the updated CKA exam last month, and I completely get how overwhelming it can feel, especially with the February 2025 changes. The scope has definitely widened, and newer topics like Helm troubleshooting, StatefulSets, and installing custom runtimes can really throw you off if you’re not expecting them.
What helped me succeed was using a mix of different resources. I relied heavily on the official Kubernetes documentation, both while studying and during the exam. Learning how to navigate it quickly was key, since it’s the only reference allowed in the test environment.
I also took KodeKloud’s CKA course, which gave me a great starting point. But just like you noticed, it didn’t fully cover the newer or more complex topics. That’s where the KodeKloud community really helped—I found answers, tips, and practical discussions that filled in those gaps.
To go deeper, I added a Udemy course focused on real-world scenarios and troubleshooting. It helped me build the kind of problem-solving mindset the exam now demands. And for practice under pressure, I used Study4Exam’s CKA practice tests—those mocks were incredibly close to the real deal and helped build my speed and accuracy.
So don’t get discouraged. Diversifying your study sources and focusing on hands-on troubleshooting will definitely give you an edge. You’ve already taken a big step by identifying what went wrong—now it’s just about targeting those areas and pushing through. You’ve got this!
1 Like
Hi @Adam308
I recently took the CKA exam and encountered some unexpected questions.
You previously mentioned enrolling in a Udemy course focused on real-world scenarios and troubleshooting. Could you please share the name of that courses?
Additionally, I’m considering purchasing Study4Exam’s CKA practice tests. In your experience, are these practice tests beneficial for the actual exam? Is it worth it to purchase Study4Exam’s CKA practice tests?
Thank you for your guidance!
1 Like
Sorry for the late reply,
Thanks for reaching out! The Udemy course I enrolled in is “Kubernetes Certified Administrator by School of Devops®” by Mumshad Mannambeth. It’s hands-on and great for real-world troubleshooting, which helped a lot during my prep. As for Study4Exam’s CKA practice tests, they were very useful at my last moment before the exam started — they helped reinforce key concepts and kept me sharp under time pressure. While the real CKA is hands-on, these tests are a great supplement for quick revision. I’d definitely recommend using them alongside your main practice resources. Best of luck with your exam!
If you need more information, feel free to ask anytime!
3 Likes