CKS Exam Format and Domain Weights
CKS is a performance exam sat on live clusters, and it is the only Kubernetes certification with a prerequisite. This guide reads the blueprint out of the question bank, sets each domain against the pass mark, and is careful about which of the two sets of numbers on this site describes which exam.
Orientation Guide 1 of 40 Beginner
- Kubernetesapiserver v1.36.4, kubelet v1.36.3
- Runtimecontainerd 2.2.6
- CNICilium 1.18.1 - tunnel/VXLAN, with Hubble relay and UI
- Host OSUbuntu 26.04 LTS, kernel 7.0.0-29
- Built withkubeadm v1.36.3 - podSubnet 10.244.0.0/16, serviceSubnet 10.96.0.0/12
- TimeAbout 12 min
- Reviewed25 August 2026
Written against the versions above. The domain weights 15/15/10/20/20/20 are verified twice - against the vendor page and against the draw weights in `services/questionLoader.js`. The 50-question figure below is this site's mock size, not the real paper.
| Server Name | IP Address | OS | Roles | CPU | RAM | HDD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CKA6001 | 192.168.0.46 | Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | Control Plane Node (tainted NoSchedule) | 2 Core | 4 GB | 50 GB |
| CKA6001-NODE01 | 192.168.0.47 | Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | Worker Node | 2 Core | 4 GB | 50 GB |
| CKA6001-NODE02 | 192.168.0.48 | Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | Worker Node | 2 Core | 4 GB | 50 GB |
Before you start
-
The blueprint, and the two exams these numbers describe
Read it from the bank rather than from a forum post.
bash Example session cd ~/cksmock && python3 format.pyTHE REAL EXAM performance-based, roughly 2 hours of tasks on live clusters 67% to pass a currently valid CKA is required to certify no multiple-choice questions at all THIS SITE'S MOCK 50 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes drawn at the blueprint weights, 34 correct of 50 a study tool for the knowledge half, not the paper practice pool 871 questionsExpected resultThe real exam - performance-based, roughly 2 hours, 67%, a valid CKA required, no multiple-choice questions at all - then this site's mock at 50 questions in 120 minutes, over a practice pool of 871.
Success conditionYou can state what the exam is, and what a practice mock is, without mixing them up.
-
Where the weight actually sits
The same table, read for what to revise.
bash Example session cd ~/cksmock && python3 domains.py D domain wt per mock pool mocks -- ---------------------------------------- ---- --------- ------ ------- 1 Cluster Setup 15% 7.5 122 16.3 2 Cluster Hardening 15% 7.5 147 19.6 3 System Hardening 10% 5.0 137 27.4 4 Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities 20% 10.0 171 17.1 5 Supply Chain Security 20% 10.0 134 13.4 6 Monitoring, Logging and Runtime Security 20% 10.0 160 16.0 the three 20% domains are 60% of the paper between them: Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilit, Supply Chain Security, Monitoring, Logging and Runtime SeExpected resultThe six domains at 15/15/10/20/20/20, with pool depth per domain - and the closing line that the three 20% domains are 60% of the paper between them.
Success conditionYou know which three domains decide the result.
Troubleshooting
Booked CKS without a valid CKA.
Why: CKA must be current at the moment you pass CKS.
Fix:Check the expiry date first. Certifications run two years.
Revising by reading rather than by doing.
Why: The exam is performance-based; recognition is not enough.
Fix:Do every task on a cluster, against a clock.
Quoting 50 questions in 120 minutes as the exam format.
Why: That is this site's practice mock, not the paper.
Fix:The paper is ~2 hours of tasks at 67%.