Kubernetes-and-Cloud-Native-Associate (KCNA) Exam Guide

Exam Overview

• Duration: 1.5 hours
• Passing Score: 75%
• Certification Validity: 3 years
• Prerequisite: None
• Cost: $250 USD (Includes 1-year exam eligibility with a free retake within the year)
• Result: Emailed 24 hours after exam completion

Tip: Linux Foundation offers several discounts throughout the year during events like CyberMonday, Kubecon, and others. Be sure to take advantage of these opportunities.

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Official KCNA Curriculum

The KCNA exam consists of 60 MCQ questions covering the following key topics:

Topic	Weightage
Kubernetes Fundamentals	46%
Container Orchestration	22%
Cloud Native Architecture	16%
Cloud Native Observability	8%
Cloud Native Application Delivery	8%

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Useful Keys & Common Acronyms in Kubernetes

• K8s: Kubernetes
• CNCF: Cloud Native Computing Foundation
• NetPol: Network Policies
• PV: Persistent Volumes
• PVC: Persistent Volume Claims
• CSI: Container Storage Interface
• CNI: Container Network Interface
• CI/CD: Continuous Integration & Continuous Deployment
• RBAC: Role Based Access Control
• OCI: Open Container Initiative
• CRI: Container Runtime Interface
• SMI: Service Mesh Interface
• SLO: Service Level Objectives
• SLI: Service Level Indicators
• SLA: Service Level Agreements

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Topic-Wise Detailed Breakdown

1. Kubernetes Fundamentals (46%)

1.1 Fundamental Kubernetes Resources

• Pods
• Deployments
• Services
• ReplicaSets
• Headless Services

Useful kubectl Commands:

kubectl get pods                         # List pods in current namespace
kubectl get pods -A                      # List pods across all namespaces
kubectl api-resources                    # List retrievable API resources
kubectl run nginx --image=nginx          # Run an NGINX pod
kubectl create deploy kcna --image=nginx # Create a deployment
kubectl create deploy kcna --replicas=5  # Create deployment with 5 replicas

1.2 Kubernetes Architecture

• Nodes
• Control Plane-Node Communication
• Kubernetes API Server

1.4 Containers

• What are Containers?
• Containers vs VMs
• Dockerfiles Best Practices

References:

• Kubernetes for Beginners
• Docker Tutorial for Beginners (Optional)
• Container Images Best Practices

1.5 Scheduling

• The Kubernetes Scheduler
• Scheduling Framework & Pod Assignment

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2. Container Orchestration (22%)

2.1 Container Orchestration Fundamentals

• What is Kubernetes?
• Containers vs. Pods

2.2 Runtime

• Container Runtimes (CRI, Docker deprecation)
• Runtime Classes

2.3 Security

• The 4C's of Cloud Native Security
• RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)
• Kubernetes Security Best Practices

2.4 Networking

• Cluster Networking
• Network Policies
• Services & Load Balancing

2.5 Service Mesh

• Introduction to Service Mesh (Istio, NGINX)

2.6 Storage

• Persistent Volumes (PV) and Persistent Volume Claims (PVC)
• Kubernetes Storage Best Practices

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3. Cloud Native Architecture (16%)

Topics Include:

• Characteristics of Cloud Native Architecture
• Twelve-Factor App
• CNCF Landscape
• Monolithic vs Microservices Architecture

3.1 Autoscaling

• Horizontal Pod Autoscaler (HPA)
• Kubernetes Autoscaling Best Practices

3.2 Serverless

• Serverless Architecture with Kubernetes
• Knative: Functions as a Service (FaaS)

3.3 Community & Governance

• Kubernetes Community & Values
• Governance Best Practices

3.4 Roles & Personas

• Kubernetes Roles & Use Cases

3.5 Open Standards

• OCI, CNI, CRI, CSI
• Service Mesh Standards

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4. Cloud Native Observability (8%)

4.1 Telemetry & Observability

• OpenTelemetry for Kubernetes
• Native Logging Mechanisms

4.2 Prometheus

• Monitoring Kubernetes with Prometheus
• Prometheus Query Examples & Cheat Sheet

4.3 Cost Management

• Cost Analysis & Optimization Strategies for Kubernetes

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5. Cloud Native Application Delivery (8%)

5.1 Application Delivery Fundamentals

• CI/CD Pipelines for Kubernetes
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

5.2 GitOps

• ArgoCD vs FluxCD: Choosing the Right Tool
• Push vs Pull Pipelines

5.3 CI/CD

• CI/CD Tools & Best Practices for Kubernetes

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References and Recommended Resources

1. Kubernetes Official Documentation
2. Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF)
3. Kubernetes Security Best Practices
4. Prometheus Monitoring
5. GitOps with ArgoCD

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Final Tips

1. Understand key Kubernetes resources such as Pods, Deployments, and Services.
2. Familiarize yourself with kubectl commands.
3. Master core concepts like RBAC, Networking, and Observability.
4. Practice Kubernetes scenarios using hands-on tools like Minikube or Rancher Desktop.
5. Take advantage of CNCF community resources and stay updated.

Good luck with your KCNA Certification!