The Cloud Native Computing Foundation or also known as CNCF is the best platform that brings the top developers, vendors, and users in a space where they run the largest open-source developer conferences. Furthermore, it offers certification programs for individuals who want to validate their ability to use Kubernetes products.

CNCF Certification Path

On the official website, you will find different Kubernetes certificates offered by CNCF that will help you confirm your skillset and start your journey as an IT specialist. Also, careful preparation for any of the proposed certifications will broaden your skills and allow you to develop the Kubernetes ecosystem in your enterprise. All in all, you can get the following designations: the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD), Kubernetes Certified Service Provider (KCSP), and Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS). Below you will find a detailed description of some of them, including the corresponding exams.

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)

This certification path is a great step in the process to allow the individuals to demonstrate their competence in the command line environment. Through such a certificate, you’ll get a chance to demonstrate your skills in the Kubernetes ecosystem development and establish yourself as a successful Kubernetes Administrator in the job market. It is for this purpose that the candidates must achieve a passing score of 66% on the relevant CKA online exam. After the registration process and payment of the $300 fee, which also includes one retake attempt, you will get 2 hours to do the performance-based problems and solve them from a command line. Thus, to write this official test on the first try, applicants first have to master the following topics: cluster architecture, installation, and configuration, services & networking, workloads and scheduling, storage, and finally, troubleshooting.

Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)

The CKAD certification targets the users who are competent in performing the responsibilities of Kubernetes Application Developers such as designing, building, configuring, and exposing cloud-native apps for Kubernetes. Moreover, the CKAD certificate holders can define the application resources and utilize core primitives to work with applications and tools in Kubernetes including building, monitoring, and troubleshooting processes. Besides, applicants must be capable of using an OCI-Compliant Container Runtime, understand cloud-native application architectures and concepts, as well as using program languages such as Python, Java, Node.js, and Go. Thus, to assure employers that the candidate can fully perform the duties of a Kubernetes Application Developer, you must pass the CKAD certification exam to attain the appropriate designation. This online proctored test includes a range of performance-based questions that are expected to be solved in 2 hours. According to the exam curriculum, on the scheduled day, you must be able to show your knowledge of topics like core concepts of Kubernetes, configuration, Multi-Container Pods, Pod design, observability, services and networking, and state persistence. It should also be noted that to register for this evaluation, you have to pay $300 which already includes an additional attempt to retake the test.

Kubernetes Certified Service Provider (KCSP)

The KCSP certification path is the designation for companies that aim to provide professional Kubernetes deployment support services. In other words, thanks to this certificate, the organization confirms that their staff includes Kubernetes practitioners who have a deep knowledge of advanced practices for securing Kubernetes platforms and container-based apps during the build, deployment as well as runtime. The requirements for this certification include a business model for an enterprise end-user that involves putting an engineer who works with a customer onsite or remotely. In addition, the organization must achieve CNCF partner status and ensure that there are 3 or more CKA-certified engineers on board. Thus, a company that fills out a special form on the official website and meets all the KCSP requirements is guaranteed support in faster and more effective implementation of new apps, as well as in meeting the operational and production needs.

Training Courses Recommended for CNCF Certifications

It is worth noting that CNCF has announced a lot of training programs with the collaboration of the Linux Foundation. These informative courses are so helpful for the candidates who want to prepare for the CNCF certification exams. So, you will get guidelines from the real Kubernetes experts and can polish your skills before taking an actual test. All in all, you can opt for the following:

• Kubernetes Fundamentals (LFS258) Training Course

  The training program is developed for candidates who wish to take the CKA test and are already familiar with Linux concepts and command lines. So, for the price of $299, you get one-year access to 35 hours of instructional material, which also includes labs for practical application of what you've learned. In more detail, thanks to this online self-paced course, you will learn how to properly install and set up a production-grade Kubernetes cluster, deploy through services, along with the basic principles for self-construction of Kubernetes such as pods and deployments. Thus, this learning resource is recommended for independent preparation for the CKA certification exam as it covers all official test objectives.

• Kubernetes for Developers (LFD259)

  If you are applying for the CNCF Certified Kubernetes Application Developer title, you are recommended to take this preparatory program designed specifically for the successful passing of the CKAD exam. As a result, you will not only learn how to host, containerize, configure, and deploy apps in a multi-node cluster, but also become proficient in working with cloud storage, security, and network plugins. So, you start your preparation with a simple Python script that allows users to define applications and utilize the core primitives to monitor the applications in Kubernetes. Besides, this training course will also expose you to different features that are used for state persistence and deploying applications in a production environment. All in all, by purchasing this program for $299 you get 12 months’ access to 35 hours of lectures and lab classes, so you can cover all domains tested yourself and become CKAD certified.

Conclusion

As you already understand, you can take help from these CNCF designations and become Kubernetes certified professionals who get an offer from leading companies and can qualify for a high-paying position. For instance, having the Kubernetes skill can earn you around $116k annually according to Payscale.com. At the same time, without practice, it's a bit difficult to grasp all the concepts of the CNCF exams. That’s why it's important to register for the official training courses to prepare well and broaden your skills to open the door of limitless opportunities.

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