CKAD Certification Preparation
Comprehensive preparation for the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) exam. Master application design, deployment, observability, security, and networking in Kubernetes through hands-on labs aligned with the current CKAD exam Kubernetes version. This course covers 100% of CKAD exam domains with practical exercises that mirror the actual exam environment.
Course Preview
Why This Course is Different
Get everything you need to master platform engineering and advance your career
Certificate of Completion
Earn a certificate while gaining real-world skills that go beyond traditional certification prep
Hands-on Labs
21 practical labs with real-world scenarios in pre-configured cloud environments
Expert-Led
Learn from Sam Gabrail, Former HashiCorp Sr. Solutions Engineer with 18+ years experience
Community Support
Join our community where members help each other and collaborate on learning
What You'll Master
Design and build optimized container images for Kubernetes deployments
Select appropriate workload resources (Deployments, DaemonSets, Jobs, CronJobs) for different use cases
Implement multi-container Pod patterns including sidecars, init containers, and ambassadors
Configure persistent and ephemeral storage for stateful applications
Implement deployment strategies including rolling updates, blue/green, and canary deployments
Package and deploy applications using Helm and Kustomize
Configure application health checks with liveness, readiness, and startup probes
Secure applications using RBAC, SecurityContexts, and ServiceAccounts
Manage application configuration using ConfigMaps and Secrets
Expose applications using Services, Ingress, and NetworkPolicies
Debug and troubleshoot Kubernetes applications effectively
Work with Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) and Operators
Master kubectl commands for exam efficiency
Course Curriculum
SECTION 1 – APPLICATION DESIGN AND BUILD (20%)
Master the fundamentals of designing and building cloud-native applications for Kubernetes, including container image creation, workload resource selection, and multi-container Pod patterns
- •Community
- •Base Image Selection and Dockerfile Fundamentals
- •Multi-Stage Builds and Image Layering
- •Container Security and Runtime Image Minimization
- •Pods and ReplicaSets
- •Deployments and Stateless Scaling
- •StatefulSets and Stateful Workloads
- •Jobs and CronJobs
- •Multi-Container Pod Design Patterns
- •Persistent and Ephemeral Volumes
- •Building Container Images for KubernetesLab
- •Workload Resources and Multi-Container PodsLab
- •Persistent Storage ConfigurationLab
- •Application Design and BuildQuiz
SECTION 2 – APPLICATION DEPLOYMENT (20%)
Learn to deploy applications effectively using Kubernetes primitives, implement various deployment strategies, and leverage package managers like Helm and Kustomize
- •Deployment Fundamentals and Rolling Updates
- •Advanced Deployment Strategies
- •Helm Concepts and Release Model
- •Helm Repositories and Chart Installation
- •Helm Values and Templating Basics
- •Helm Upgrade, Rollback, and Release Management
- •Kustomize for Configuration Management
- •Rolling Updates and RollbacksLab
- •Blue/Green and Canary DeploymentsLab
- •Deploying Applications with HelmLab
- •Kustomize Configuration ManagementLab
- •Application DeploymentQuiz
SECTION 3 – APPLICATION OBSERVABILITY AND MAINTENANCE (15%)
Develop skills in monitoring, debugging, and maintaining Kubernetes applications, including health checks, logging, and troubleshooting techniques
- •Kubernetes API and Deprecations
- •Probes and Health Checks
- •Monitoring Kubernetes Applications
- •Debugging in Kubernetes
- •Implementing Health ChecksLab
- •Monitoring and LoggingLab
- •Debugging Application IssuesLab
- •Application Observability and MaintenanceQuiz
SECTION 4 – APPLICATION ENVIRONMENT, CONFIGURATION AND SECURITY (25%)
Master application configuration, security controls, and resource management in Kubernetes, including RBAC, Secrets management, and security contexts
- •Custom Resources and Operators
- •ServiceAccounts and Kubernetes Identities
- •RBAC Objects and Bindings
- •Admission Control and the Request Pipeline
- •Resource Management
- •ConfigMaps and Secrets
- •Application Security
- •Working with CRDs and OperatorsLab
- •RBAC and ServiceAccountsLab
- •Resource Requests, Limits, and QuotasLab
- •ConfigMaps and Secrets ManagementLab
- •Securing ApplicationsLab
- •Application Environment, Configuration and SecurityQuiz
SECTION 5 – SERVICES AND NETWORKING (20%)
Learn to expose applications using Kubernetes networking primitives, including Services, Ingress, and NetworkPolicies
- •Kubernetes Networking Fundamentals
- •Services Deep Dive
- •Ingress and Ingress Controllers
- •Network Policies
- •Service Configuration and DiscoveryLab
- •Ingress ConfigurationLab
- •Network PoliciesLab
- •Services and NetworkingQuiz
SECTION 6 – EXAM PREPARATION AND PRACTICE
Prepare for the CKAD exam with practice scenarios, time management strategies, and mock exams
- •CKAD Exam Tips and Strategies
- •Imperative Resource Creation
- •Dry-Run and YAML Generation
- •Fast Editing, Patching, and Retrieval
- •Exam Workflow and Command Shortcuts
- •Speed DrillsLab
- •CKAD Practice Exam 1Lab
- •CKAD Practice Exam 2Lab
Course Features
Hands-on Labs
Lots of hands-on labs to learn by doing
Join our Community
Community support to ask questions and collaborate
Test Your Knowledge
Quizzes to help you grasp the material well
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Hi there, I'm Sam
I'm a husband and father of two wonderful boys. I'm also very passionate 🔥 about all things technology. From when I was 10, I had a dream to become a computer 💻 engineer one day. Here I am today living the dream!
Thanks for visiting TeKanAid Academy. My goal is to teach you all things DevOps. Below are some of the things I've done over the years. I'm confident that I can help you achieve your dreams too.
- 18+ years of experience in various Information Technology fields from Telecommunications, Computer Networks, Digital Transformation, DevOps, Cybersecurity, and IoT
- President of TeKanAid Solutions Inc. building online content in the DevOps space
- Previous – Sr. Solutions Engineer at HashiCorp
View my Certifications
Terraform: Authorized HashiCorp Instructor
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HashiCorp Authorized Instructors are experienced DevOps professionals who deliver official HashiCorp training courses in person and virtually.
Issued by HashiCorp Partner Network (HPN)
Vault: Authorized HashiCorp Instructor
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HashiCorp Authorized Instructors are experienced DevOps professionals who deliver official HashiCorp training courses in person and virtually.
Issued by HashiCorp Partner Network (HPN)
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate (002)
Verify my certificate
Earners of the HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate certification know the basic concepts, skills, and use cases associated with open source HashiCorp Terraform.
Issued by HashiCorp
HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate (002)
Verify my certificate
Earners of the HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate certification know the basic concepts, skills, and use cases associated with open source HashiCorp Vault.
Issued by HashiCorp
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