KCNA: Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate Certification Exam

About KCNA exam

The Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) exam is designed to provide a certification for individuals who are just beginning their cloud native journey. It demonstrates a basic understanding of Kubernetes and cloud native technologies. This exam is ideal for candidates who want to validate their foundational knowledge in cloud native concepts and ecosystem.

This exam is suitable for both technical and non-technical backgrounds. While prior experience with Kubernetes or cloud technologies is helpful, it's not strictly required.

Exam Information

• The exam consists of approximately 60 multiple-choice questions
• Exam duration is 90 minutes
• The passing score is 75%
• There is no negative marking for wrong answers
• The exam is proctored and can be taken online

Exam Topics

• Kubernetes Fundamentals (46%)
• Container Orchestration (22%)
• Cloud Native Architecture (16%)
• Cloud Native Observability (8%)
• Cloud Native Application Delivery (8%)

How to Study the Topics

Kubernetes Fundamentals

• Understand basic Kubernetes concepts and architecture
• Learn about Kubernetes API primitives
• Study Kubernetes networking and storage concepts
• Familiarize yourself with Kubernetes security principles

Container Orchestration

• Learn about container basics and runtime
• Understand orchestration fundamentals
• Study container orchestration in Kubernetes

Cloud Native Architecture

• Understand cloud native architectural principles
• Learn about autoscaling and serverless architectures
• Study service mesh and API gateways

Cloud Native Observability

• Learn about monitoring and logging in cloud native environments
• Understand tracing in distributed systems
• Study Kubernetes-specific observability tools and practices

Cloud Native Application Delivery

• Understand CI/CD principles in cloud native contexts
• Learn about GitOps
• Study declarative application delivery

Additional Tips

• Use the official CNCF KCNA Curriculum for a structured learning path
• Practice with hands-on labs using tools like Minikube or kind
• Take advantage of free resources like Kubernetes documentation and CNCF training
• Join Kubernetes and cloud native community forums for discussions and insights
• Take practice tests to familiarize yourself with the exam format
• Aim for a score of 85% or higher in practice tests to ensure a comfortable margin for passing the actual exam

Conclusion

The KCNA certification is an excellent starting point for individuals interested in Kubernetes and cloud native technologies. It validates your foundational knowledge of these technologies and the cloud native ecosystem. This certification can be valuable for developers, IT professionals, or anyone looking to demonstrate their understanding of cloud native concepts, regardless of their technical background.

Remember to always check the official CNCF (Cloud Native Computing Foundation) certification page for the most up-to-date information on exam content, structure, and preparation resources.