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Kubernetes & Containers

Master Kubernetes for the CKA — hands-on Learn + Break-fix labs, domain-weighted decks, a kubectl-speed drill, a recall exam, and Docker fundamentals.

Start here

CKA · D1 — Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration (25%)26 cards — step 1 of 6

Then get hands-on: Kubernetes lab — 34 scenarios.

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) — learning pathThe hands-on Kubernetes cert — Learn + Break-fix labs (the real practice), domain-weighted decks, a kubectl-speed drill, and a recall quiz, verified to the v1.35 curriculum.

Flashcard decks

6 decks · 107 cards · in study order
1CKA · D1 — Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration (25%)Domain 1: control-plane vs node components, RBAC, kubeadm install & version upgrades, etcd backup/restore, high availability, and the 2025 additions — Helm, Kustomize, and extending the API with CRDs/operators.262CKA · D2 — Workloads & Scheduling (15%)Domain 2: Deployments & rolling updates/rollbacks, ConfigMaps & Secrets, resource requests/limits, self-healing, and scheduling controls — nodeSelector, node affinity, taints & tolerations, and the HorizontalPodAutoscaler.163CKA · D3 — Services & Networking (20%)Domain 3: the Service types (ClusterIP/NodePort/LoadBalancer), Endpoints & selectors, Ingress and the new Gateway API, CoreDNS & in-cluster DNS, and NetworkPolicy for restricting Pod traffic.174CKA · D4 — Storage (10%)Domain 4: Volumes, PersistentVolumes & PersistentVolumeClaims, StorageClasses and dynamic provisioning, access modes, and reclaim policies — how a Pod gets durable storage.105CKA · D5 — Troubleshooting (30%)Domain 5 (the largest): diagnosing application failures, cluster & node component failures, resource/CPU-memory issues, networking problems, and reading logs & events — the core of the exam.226CKA · kubectl Speed & Imperative Commands (high-yield)CKA is a race against the clock. These are the imperative one-liners, --dry-run YAML generation, and speed aliases that let you produce and fix resources fast instead of writing manifests by hand. The highest-leverage exam-tactics deck.16

Practice exams

1 set
CKA Recall & Scenario QuizThe real CKA is 100% hands-on (kubectl in a live cluster) — this MCQ quiz does NOT replace that; it's a fast recall + weak-area drill to complement the hands-on Kubernetes labs. Draws 45 questions per attempt from a domain-weighted pool (D1 25% · D2 15% · D3 20% · D4 10% · D5 30%), scored at 66% (the real exam bar). Every question has a worked explanation and a per-domain weak-area breakdown. Progress saves in your browser — no login.

Kubernetes lab

live
Learn mode walks you through the core concepts on a real cluster; Break-fix mode drops you into broken clusters to diagnose and fix at a live kubectl prompt.

Docker lab

live
Containers are the unit Pods run — Learn mode teaches Docker step by step, Break-fix mode has you fix deliberately-broken containers at a real docker prompt.

YAML manifest drills

6 drills
Kubernetes is all YAML — practice writing valid manifests with the indentation and string-vs-boolean traps that bite in real clusters, graded live against a real YAML parser.

Curated resources

verified July 2026

Kubernetes has unusually good first-party documentation, so it leads here. The CKA is a hands-on exam — reading is necessary but not sufficient; pair every item below with the Learn and Break-fix labs on this site.

Official documentation

Kubernetes Documentation (home)free · officialThe canonical reference, and the only documentation you are allowed to open during the CKA exam — get fast at navigating it now, not on exam day.Kubernetes Conceptsfree · officialThe conceptual spine — workloads, services, storage, configuration and the control plane. Read this section in order rather than dipping in.kubectl Quick Reference (cheat sheet)free · officialThe imperative commands that save minutes on a timed exam. This page plus the kubectl-speed deck is the highest-yield hour in CKA prep.Kubernetes Basics tutorialfree · officialThe guided first pass if clusters are still new — deploy, explore, scale, update, in an in-browser cluster.

Exam-specific

CKA — official exam page (Linux Foundation)paid exam · free infoCost, format, retake policy, and the current exam version — check this before trusting any third-party summary of the curriculum.CNCF Certification Curriculum (GitHub)free · officialThe authoritative, versioned domain list for CKA/CKAD/CKS. This is the source of truth the decks on this site are verified against.Killer Shell — CKA scenariosfreeFree browser-based CKA practice scenarios from the team behind the exam simulator — the closest free thing to the real exam environment.

Going deeper

Kubernetes The Hard WayfreeBootstrap a cluster component by component with no automation. Overkill for passing the CKA, but nothing else makes the control plane click the same way.Helm documentationfree · officialThe package manager you will meet in every real cluster — charts, values, and releases. Not on the CKA, unavoidable on the job.