The Linux Foundation / CNCF
The developer counterpart to CKA. Same format and same time limit, but the tasks are about building and running applications on a cluster rather than operating the cluster itself.
Online proctored, performance-based, solved entirely at a command line. Based on Kubernetes v1.35.
Straight from the published curriculum. The weights are how much of the exam each area is worth, so they are the honest guide to where your study time should go.
2 hours, $445. Online proctored, performance-based, solved entirely at a command line. The certification stays valid for 2 years.
5 domains. The heaviest is Application Environment, Configuration and Security at 25% of the exam, so it is the one worth over-preparing.
Building and running containers day to day. Reading and editing YAML quickly. One programming language well enough to debug a running service.
Yes. It is performance-based: you are given a live environment and a command line, and marked on what you actually do rather than what you can recognise. Reading alone does not prepare you for it.
Exam details from The Linux Foundation / CNCF, checked August 2026. Always confirm on their page before booking.