CKA without tears: a 5-week study plan that works
The CKA exam is 2 hours of pure muscle memory. Here's the study plan we use in our cohorts — timed, specific, and brutal in the best way.
Samir Khan· 6 min· March 28, 2026
The CKA is less about knowledge and more about muscle memory under time pressure. Passing it is a function of repetitions, not reading.
Week 1–2: Fundamentals
Set up a three-node cluster with kubeadm. Break it. Fix it. Do this five times.
Week 3–4: Full domain practice
60-minute timed labs on each domain. No notes. No googling. No mercy.
Week 5: Full simulations
Two-hour, full-exam sims three times. If you score <70%, delay your exam booking by a week.