No, you cannot take this course for free. When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. If you cannot afford the fee, you can apply for financial aid.

This Specialization doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Specialization Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more.

Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) Specialization

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Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) Specialization

Your Ultimate Resource for Acing the CKA Exam.

Deploy, manage, and troubleshoot Kubernetes and prepare for CKA certification.

Instructors: Pearson

3,611 already enrolled

Included with Learn more

6 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

from 19 reviews of courses in this program

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

4 weeks to complete

at 5 hours a week

6 course series

Get in-depth knowledge of a subject

from 19 reviews of courses in this program

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

4 weeks to complete

at 5 hours a week

What you'll learn

Build, configure, and manage Kubernetes clusters, including node maintenance, networking, storage, and security best practices.
Deploy, scale, and troubleshoot Kubernetes applications using deployments, services, Helm, and advanced scheduling and networking techniques.
Prepare for and practice the CKA exam with hands-on labs and two full-length, graded practice exams to validate your readiness.

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Taught in English

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

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Learn in-demand skills from university and industry experts
Master a subject or tool with hands-on projects
Develop a deep understanding of key concepts
Earn a career certificate from Pearson

Specialization - 6 course series

Master the essential skills to become a Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) with this comprehensive, hands-on course. Designed to cover every objective of the CKA exam, this program guides you through building, running, and managing Kubernetes clusters both in the cloud and on-premises. You’ll gain practical experience with cluster architecture, workload scheduling, networking, storage, security, and troubleshooting, reinforced by interactive labs and two full-length practice exams—ensuring you’re fully prepared to become CKA certified.

Applied Learning Project

This specialization is a comprehensive training resource designed prepare candidates for the CKA certification exam. The course is structured to provide both foundational knowledge and advanced skills necessary for managing Kubernetes clusters in real-world environments.

Certified Kubernetes CKA: Architecture, Installation, Config

Course 1, 6 hours

What you'll learn

Understand Kubernetes architecture, node roles, and ecosystem integration for both cloud and on-premises deployments.
Build and configure Kubernetes clusters using kubeadm, including networking and client setup.
Perform essential cluster management and node maintenance tasks, including monitoring, upgrades, and high availability.
Implement robust security settings, including API access controls, security contexts, and RBAC for users and service accounts.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Kubernetes

Category: Data Storage Technologies

Category: Systems Architecture

Category: Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Category: Containerization

Category: Linux Administration

Category: Command-Line Interface

Category: Authorization (Computing)

Category: Authentications

Category: Cloud-Native Computing

Category: System Configuration

Category: Security Controls

Category: Infrastructure Security

Category: Data Maintenance

Certified Kubernetes CKA: Workloads and Scheduling

Course 2, 4 hours

What you'll learn

Deploy and manage applications using deployments, daemonsets, and statefulsets.
Automate complex application deployments with Helm and Kustomize.
Control workload scheduling using labels, affinity/anti-affinity, taints, tolerations, and priorities.
Apply resource quotas and scaling strategies to optimize application performance.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Kubernetes

Category: Package and Software Management

Category: Application Deployment

Category: Containerization

Category: Configuration Management

Category: Cloud-Native Computing

Category: Scalability

Certified Kubernetes CKA: Services and Networking

Course 3, 3 hours

What you'll learn

Configure Kubernetes services, ingress controllers, and the Gateway API to manage application access.
Understand and manage cluster-level networking with CNI and CoreDNS.
Implement network policies to control traffic between pods and namespaces.
Gain hands-on experience with practical labs for real-world networking scenarios.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Kubernetes

Category: Network Administration

Category: General Networking

Category: Configuration Management

Category: Network Security

Category: Application Deployment

Category: Containerization

Category: API Gateway

Category: Cloud-Native Computing

Certified Kubernetes CKA: Storage

Course 4, 2 hours

What you'll learn

Configure and manage pod volumes, persistent volumes, and persistent volume claims in Kubernetes.
Set up and use storage classes for automatic storage provisioning.
Implement volume reclaim policies and manage data lifecycle.
Securely handle configuration and sensitive data with config maps and secrets.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Kubernetes

Category: Data Storage

Category: Data Persistence

Category: Data Storage Technologies

Category: Cloud-Native Computing

Category: Data Management

Category: YAML

Category: Command-Line Interface

Category: Configuration Management

Certified Kubernetes CKA: Troubleshooting

Course 5, 1 hour

What you'll learn

Monitor and analyze Kubernetes resources using logging and event tracking.
Troubleshoot issues with nodes, services, ingress, and cluster components.
Diagnose and resolve cluster access problems efficiently.
Apply troubleshooting skills in practical, hands-on lab scenarios.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Network Troubleshooting

Category: Kubernetes

Category: Debugging

Category: Problem Management

Category: System Monitoring

Category: Cloud-Native Computing

Category: Event Monitoring

Category: Network Monitoring

Certified Kubernetes CKA: Sample Exams

Course 6, 4 hours

What you'll learn

Gain hands-on experience with realistic, full-length Kubernetes practice exams.
Learn how to use grading scripts to assess your performance and progress.
Identify strengths and areas for improvement through detailed solution walkthroughs.
Build confidence and exam readiness with practical, scenario-based tasks.

Skills you'll gain

Category: Kubernetes

Category: Scenario Testing

Category: Test Tools

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructors

Pearson

268 Courses83,172 learners

Sander van Vugt

Pearson

51 Courses11,479 learners

Offered by

Pearson

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Frequently asked questions

This course is completely online, so there’s no need to show up to a classroom in person. You can access your lectures, readings and assignments anytime and anywhere via the web or your mobile device.

Yes! To get started, click the course card that interests you and enroll. You can enroll and complete the course to earn a shareable certificate. When you subscribe to a course that is part of a Specialization, you’re automatically subscribed to the full Specialization. Visit your learner dashboard to track your progress.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.