The Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) is a performance-based, hands-on exam: you solve real tasks on live clusters in a terminal, not multiple-choice questions. It is built on six official domains and you must hold a current Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) credential before sitting it.

The six domains and their published weightings are: Cluster Setup (15%), Cluster Hardening (15%), System Hardening (10%), Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities (20%), Supply Chain Security (20%), and Monitoring, Logging & Runtime Security (20%). The last three together are 60% of your score — invest there.

This course mirrors that structure so each module maps to where the points are. In this prep edition the final check is a 45-question knowledge exam; the real exam is task-based with a 67% passing bar in a two-hour window.

Exam tip: the cluster has open-book access to kubernetes.io, GitHub and the official docs. Practise navigating the docs fast — finding the right YAML snippet under time pressure is a tested skill in itself.

🔐 Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)