CKAD
A free CKAD mock exam on a real cluster
The CKAD is a hands-on exam. You get a terminal and a set of tasks, and you have to make the cluster end up in the right state. Reading about Deployments won't get you through it. Typing them under time pressure will.
KubeLab's free mock, Mission 01 · Sillage, is a full CKAD-style exam: 16 questions, four 30-minute sections. Each session starts its own isolated cluster with kubectl and helm in the browser. Grading checks the actual cluster state as you go, not a multiple-choice answer.
The public CNCF curriculum splits the exam into five domains (weights as published by the CNCF; check the official curriculum for the current version):
- 20%Application Design and Build
- 20%Application Deployment
- 15%Application Observability and Maintenance
- 25%Application Environment, Configuration and Security
- 20%Services and Networking
In practice that means: multi-container and init-container Pods, Jobs and CronJobs, volumes, rolling updates, Helm and Kustomize, probes, logs and debugging, ConfigMaps, Secrets, SecurityContexts, ServiceAccounts, resource requests and limits, Services and NetworkPolicies.
The Sillage mock covers this ground across its four sections: init containers, Jobs, CronJobs and tmpfs volumes; rollbacks, Helm, Kustomize and an HPA; Secrets, securityContext, the Downward API and ConfigMaps; liveness probes, a NetworkPolicy, a NodePort Service and jsonpath output.
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01
Do one mock cold.
Take it timed, before you study more. The score tells you which domains to work on.
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02
Learn the imperative shortcuts.
kubectl run,kubectl create deploy,kubectl expose,--dry-run=client -o yaml. Generating YAML beats writing it by hand. -
03
Get fast with the docs.
You can use kubernetes.io during the exam. Know where the NetworkPolicy and probe examples live.
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04
Retake until it's boring.
Retakes on KubeLab are unlimited. A section only unlocks the next one above 70%, so you can't skip the parts you're weak on.
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05
Finish with killer.sh.
Your exam registration includes two killer.sh sessions, and its interface is the closest to the real exam. Keep those for the last week.
| KubeLab | killer.sh | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free CKAD mock with an account; €15/month for everything | 2 sessions included with exam registration |
| Environment | Own isolated cluster per session, browser terminal | Remote environment, 36h per session |
| Grading | Live, against cluster state | Automatic score |
| Question variety | 9 mocks, 157 questions (CKAD + CKA), plus 20 Helm/Kustomize lab tasks | Two sessions in total, then used up |
| Exam UI fidelity | Plain browser terminal, not a PSI replica | Closest to the real exam |
The honest take: these aren't exclusive. Use free scenarios to learn a topic, timed mocks to build speed, and killer.sh as a final dress rehearsal.
Is the free mock actually free?
Yes. Create an account with email or Google and you get the full Sillage mock, flashcards and the YAML reference. No card.
Are these real exam questions?
No. The questions are written from the public curriculum. KubeLab is not affiliated with the CNCF or the Linux Foundation, and sharing real exam content breaks the candidate agreement anyway.
Does it look like the real exam?
No. It's a plain browser terminal, not a copy of the PSI desktop. For the exam interface, use your killer.sh sessions.
What does the paid plan add?
All 9 mocks (5 CKAD, 4 CKA), plus Helm and Kustomize scenario labs (20 tasks), for €15/month. Cancel anytime from the billing portal and you keep the free mock.