What the Linux Foundation KCNA is and who it is for
The Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) is an entry level certification from the Linux Foundation and the CNCF. It validates foundational knowledge of Kubernetes and the wider cloud native ecosystem, covering architecture, containers, observability and application delivery. It is a common starting point for candidates progressing toward the CKA, CKAD or CKS.
It is for you if you are new to Kubernetes and want a structured first credential, if you work alongside platform or DevOps teams and need to speak their language, or if you plan to take one of the hands on Kubernetes certifications later and want the concepts settled first. It tests understanding rather than deep administration skill, but understanding across a lot of ground.
Linux Foundation KCNA at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam code | KCNA |
| Questions | 60 |
| Time allowed | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 75% |
| Exam fee | US$250 per attempt, one free retake included |
| Where you sit it | Online proctored |
| Certification valid for | 2 years |
What is on the exam
Four domains, and the weighting is lopsided. Kubernetes fundamentals alone is 44%, and together with container orchestration it makes up 72% of the exam.
Kubernetes fundamentals (44%). Nearly half the marks. This is the core of Kubernetes: its architecture and the job of each control plane and node component, the API and how you interact with it, and the main resources such as pods, deployments, services and namespaces. You also need to understand scheduling, labels and how Kubernetes keeps the actual state of a cluster matching the desired state. If you know this domain well, you are most of the way there.
Container orchestration (28%). Why orchestration exists and what it solves. Container fundamentals and runtimes, networking between containers and services, storage for workloads that need it, security basics, and the service mesh idea. Questions test whether you understand how the pieces fit together, not whether you can recite commands.
Cloud native application delivery (16%). How applications get from code to a cluster: continuous integration and delivery, GitOps and application delivery practices. Mostly conceptual, but it carries more weight than it looks, so do not leave it to the last day.
Cloud native architecture (12%). The ideas behind cloud native design: autoscaling, serverless, microservices, community and governance around open source projects, the roles people play in a cloud native organisation, and open standards. Observability now sits inside this domain rather than on its own: metrics, logs and traces, what each is for, and the tools used to collect and view them, along with cost management. Expect questions on concepts and on the purpose of the CNCF and its projects, and direct questions on observability terms.
Why people fail it
The KCNA includes one free retake in its US$250 fee, which sounds generous until both attempts are used without a pass. At that point you pay the full fee again from scratch. The safety net encourages candidates to sit early “to see what it is like”, and then the second attempt comes round before they have fixed what went wrong the first time.
Many candidates prepare from documentation, videos and generic practice questions that look nothing like the real exam, then walk in hoping the material they covered matches what comes up. Kubernetes documentation is enormous, and reading it front to back gives you breadth without any sense of which details the exam cares about. The result is candidates who recognise every term but hesitate between two plausible answers.
The pass mark is the other problem. 75% is higher than many exams ask for, so a candidate who is solid on fundamentals but guessing across architecture and application delivery can fall just short. Those two domains are 28% of the exam between them, and at a 75% pass mark the smaller domains still decide results. And 60 questions in 90 minutes leaves enough time to think but not enough to agonise over every one.
A study plan that fits the exam
Six weeks, weighted to the domains: two weeks on Kubernetes fundamentals, about a week and a half on orchestration, the rest of weeks 4 and 5 on application delivery and architecture, and one for timed practice. If you can, run a small local cluster alongside, because seeing a pod reschedule teaches more than reading about it.
- Week 1: Kubernetes fundamentals, part one. Architecture, the control plane and node components, and the API. Try the free KCNA practice questions at the end of the week to see how the exam words its questions.
- Week 2: Kubernetes fundamentals, part two. Pods, deployments, services, namespaces, scheduling and labels. Work the fundamentals questions in the KCNA practice question pack and read every explanation, including why each wrong option is wrong. This domain is 44% of your score, so do not move on until it feels solid.
- Week 3: container orchestration, part one. Runtimes and container networking. Relate each back to the Kubernetes resources from weeks 1 and 2.
- Week 4: orchestration, part two, then application delivery. Storage, security and service mesh for the first half of the week, then continuous integration and delivery, GitOps and application delivery practices.
- Week 5: cloud native architecture. Autoscaling, serverless, microservices, open standards and how the CNCF and its projects are governed, plus metrics, logs, traces and cost management, since observability now sits in this domain. End with a mixed set across all four domains.
- Week 6: timed runs. Use the questions only PDF for full sittings of 60 questions against the 90 minute limit, score by domain, and spend the remaining days on whatever came out lowest.
On exam day
The KCNA is online proctored, so you sit it from home or another private room. Check the room, desk, webcam and computer requirements on the Linux Foundation page in advance and run the system check on the computer you will actually use. Clear your desk and make sure you will not be interrupted.
You have 90 minutes for 60 questions. Set a steady pace, answer the questions you are sure of quickly, and flag anything that needs more thought so you can come back with the time you have saved. Read every option before choosing, because many questions offer two answers that are nearly right. The passing score is 75%, so answer every question.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I fail? Can I retake it?
Yes. The US$250 fee includes one free retake, so your first failure costs nothing extra. If you fail the retake as well, you pay the full US$250 again. Check the Linux Foundation’s current retake rules, including any time limit on using the free retake, when you book. Treat the retake as a second chance after fixing your gaps, not as a practice run.
Is the practice question pack enough on its own?
No. The pack is 300 practice questions mapped to the KCNA exam objectives, each with the correct answer, the reasoning and a note on every wrong option, plus a questions only PDF for timed runs. It shows you the style of the exam and points at the domains you are weak in. It is not a course, and it does not replace learning Kubernetes properly from the documentation or a training course, ideally with a real cluster in front of you.
Should I take the KCNA before the CKA, CKAD or CKS?
It is a common starting point for candidates heading toward those certifications. It gives you the vocabulary and concepts first, so the hands on exams can focus on skills rather than terminology. If you already work with Kubernetes every day, you may choose to go straight to one of them.
When you are ready to practise, get the 300 question KCNA pack for US$39, pass or your money back.