Becoming a Kubestronaut: Kubestronaut Footprints

Onur Rıdvanoğlu
Dec 5, 2024
17 min read

Becoming a Kubestronaut is more than just a badge of honor—it's a testament to one's deep commitment to mastering the Kubernetes ecosystem. In today's cloud-native world, Kubernetes has become the backbone of modern infrastructure, driving innovation and scalability for businesses of all sizes.

My name is Onur Rıdvanoğlu, and I'm currently a Senior Cloud Platform Engineer at Logo Yazılım. Over the past few years, I’ve immersed myself in the world of Kubernetes, striving not only to understand but to master every aspect of this powerful tool. Achieving the Kubestronaut title has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my career, and I’m excited to share my footprints of the Kubestronaut journey.

In this blog post, I’ll take you through my path to becoming a Kubestronaut, highlighting the motivations, challenges, and strategies that helped me reach this milestone. Whether you're just starting out in your Kubernetes journey or you're on your way to earning your first certification, I hope my experiences can provide some valuable insights and inspiration for your own path forward.

What is a Kubestronaut?

A Kubestronaut is a special title given to those who have successfully passed every certification offered by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) related to Kubernetes. Announced on March 22, 2024, this program celebrates the dedication and hard work of individuals who have mastered the entire Kubernetes ecosystem by earning five key certifications:

CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator): This is a hands-on exam, which you'll be doing the exam in a remote lab, trying to complete all scenarios. You'll do all kinds of things from creating or upgrading a cluster to creating a pod with specific requirements.
CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer): This is also a hands-on exam same as CKA. If you have passed CKA, you can easily pass this exam. CKAD focuses on the developer side of things such as creating config maps, secrets, deployments, etc.
CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist): This is also a hands-on exam same as before. This one dives into the security aspects of Kubernetes, testing your knowledge of securing clusters, managing access, and protecting sensitive data. This one will need comprehensive studying using different tools such as seccomp, Trivy by Aquasec, kube-bench, CIS Benchmarks, etc.
KCNA (Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate): This exam is a test-based exam consisting of 60 questions with 90 minutes to answer. Covers more cloud-native topics and tools. Perfect for those new to the cloud-native world, this certification provides a solid foundation in Kubernetes and related technologies.
KCSA (Kubernetes Security Specialist Associate): This exam is a test-based exam consisting of 60 questions with 90 minutes to answer. Certification emphasizes security even further, complementing the advanced knowledge required by the CKS.

Be sure to tune in for future posts, where I’ll be creating a separate blog post for each certification—CKA, CKAD, CKS, KCNA, and KCSA.

The journey can be challenging, but it's also incredibly rewarding, as you’ll gain a comprehensive skill set that’s highly valued in the cloud-native community.

Whether you're looking to advance in your career or simply deepen your knowledge, becoming a Kubestronaut is a milestone worth celebrating!

Why I Wanted to Become a Kubestronaut?

Well... I always had a love-hate relationship with Kubernetes. I knew my way around the cluster but I never fully understood the main principles and theories of its own. That's why I've always wanted to improve my knowledge both on the hands-on and theoretical side of things. It's the main reason why I started the Kubestronaut Program.

I've wanted to take the CKA certification for a long time -I wanted to take the exam while I was working at Ericsson in the second quarter of 2023- but I've never found the courage to do so. With the encouragement of my collague (Oğuz - cheers mate) I've decided to take on the exams.

Preparation Strategies for Each Certification

Each of the CNCF Kubernetes certifications comes with its own set of challenges, and preparing for them required a tailored approach. Here’s how I tackled each certification, the strategies I used, and the resources that helped me succeed.

CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator)

The CKA certification was the first step in my Kubernetes journey, and it focused on the fundamental skills needed to manage and administer Kubernetes clusters.

I took on this exam first because it really covers most of the other exams. Like if I passed then I'll be sure to pass on CKAD and KCNA, because CKA actually covers all of these exam topics all together.

Course Materials: KodeKloud is the my go to platform for studying all of these exams. Which covers both theoretical and hands-on practice where after watching a section KodeKloud will test you in their own encapsulated environment which did wonders on me to be honest. I spent a significant amount of time setting up and managing clusters using tools like kubeadm, Minikube, and even managed Kubernetes services like EKS.
Official Documentation: The exam is open-book, and Kubernetes’ official documentation is the best reference. I made sure I was familiar with the structure and could navigate it quickly. A deep understanding of key sections such as kubectl, networking, storage, and logging was crucial.
Hands-On Practice and Simulated Exams: After I'm done with studying and solving KodeKloud exams, I solved the Killer Shell exam simulations on CKA. This helped me get comfortable with the time pressure and the types of questions I could expect.
Possible Questions: There some key questions that I suggest that you work on are, pv and pvc claims, role/clusterrole and rolebindings/clusterrolebindings depending on the resource, creating ingress controllers, CSR approval and creation and Upgrading or adding a node to the cluster is possible exam questions that you can come across. Beware that these are only suggestions and may not be present in the real exam since the exam changes each time.

CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer)

I entered this exam after passing the CKA and that made everything more easy to be honest. The CKAD exam was more focused on application development and running workloads in Kubernetes. Here’s how I prepared:

Course Materials: As I mentioned before since I passed the CKA before entering the CKAD I only focused areas that I dont have much information on. Especially on Observability (Readiness/Liveness Probes, Jobs & Cronjobs and Helm CheatSheet). I used my go to platform KodeKloud as usual.
Helm and Kubernetes Manifests: I familiarized myself with Helm to simplify deployments and templating, and focused on basic Helm commands (You are not excepted to know very detailed information about Helm, only list, update repos or pull and install specific applications).
Hands-On Practice and Simulated Exams: After I'm done with studying and solving KodeKloud 's ligtning exams and mock exams, I solved the Killer Shell exam simulations on CKAD. This helped me get comfortable with the time pressure and the types of questions I could expect.
Possible Questions: Some questions you may encounter in the exam are: pod resource utilization, some container commands (It was not Docker, it was podman which are essentially the same), rollback or rollout some deployments.Please beware that these are only suggestions and may not be present in the real exam since the exam changes each time.

KCNA (Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate)

The KCNA certification is ideal for those who are new to the Kubernetes and cloud-native world, providing a solid foundation. I found this certification is quite easy honestly. After passing CKA and CKAD gets you couraged, so this exam probably be much easier for you if you follow my certification path.

Broader Ecosystem: KCNA isn't just about Kubernetes—it covers a variety of cloud-native tools like Prometheus, Istio, ArgoCD, GitOps and Helm. I made sure to familiarize myself with these tools and their roles in CNCF environments.
Course Materials: I only worked through topics that I didn't know before on KodeKloud (topics like, Envoy, Service Mesh, Istio, CSI & CNI) and reviewed the official CNCF resources to gain a solid understanding of the foundational principles.
Mock-up Exams and Simulated Exams: I solved KodeKloud 's mock exams. Unfortunately there is no Killer Shell exam on KCNA. Instead I found some test online which were not bad but questions feels random honestly, so I dont recommend those. I found some mock-up exams in Udemy but they were really bad, felt like they wrote some random questions. So in general, solving the KodeKloud's mock-ups is more than enough you don't need to waste time searching for extra exams which I believe meaningless.
Possible Questions: Some questions you may encounter in the exam are: basic Kubernetes commands, KEP and SIGs, some CNCF projects, Open Standards, Istio, Prometheus and ArgoCD. These topic are the ones that you need to know theoretically only, you will not be needing very deep dive information about these. Please beware that these are only suggestions and may not be present in the real exam since the exam changes each time.

CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist)

The CKS certification was the one that I was scared of to be honest because even after passing CKA, CKAD and KCNA, I still felt like I'm missing a lot on securty side of the things and I was right! CKS covers some different topics on security on Kubernetes and also on Linux system security. That's why I spent more time on studying to this exam. Here’s how I approached it:

Course Materials: I used my go to platform KodeKloud as usual. I finished the whole course on CKS which made me understand better with Labs at the end of each section.
Tools for Security: I learned about security tools like kube-bench, kube-hunter, kubesec, AquaSec Tracee, AppArmor and Trivy. These tools help in identifying and mitigating security risks in Kubernetes environments.
Hands-On Practice and Simulated Exams: After I'm done with studying and solving KodeKloud 's ligtning exams and mock exams, I solved the Killer Shell exam simulations on CKS. This helped me get comfortable with the time pressure and the types of questions I could expect.
Possible Questions: Some questions you may encounter in the exam are: AppArmor profiles and applying them on container or pod level, CIS standards and solving CIS issues by examining the CIS report, kubesec, kubebench, Pod Security Standards and Pod Security Admissions, OPA Gatekeeper, etc..These are the topics that I can remember unfortunately but please beware that these are only suggestions and may not be present in the real exam since the exam changes each time.

KCSA (Kubernetes Security Specialist Associate)

Finally, the KCSA certification is a security-focused certification that complements the CKS, further emphasizing best practices for securing Kubernetes and cloud-native environments. Since I assume you've passed all of the other exams (especially CKS) you pass this one much easier. Here's how I tackled it:

Course Materials: While I was entering this exam there was not any course on KodeKloud related to the KCSA but they released one so I suggest you study that course throughly. What I did was, I read the Kubernetes official documentation on Security and its all sub documents.
Hands-On Practice and Simulated Exams: I couldn't find much material on mock-up exams or even some simple questions related to the KCSA. So after reading the documentation I directly tackled the KCSA exam.
Possible Questions: Some questions you may encounter in the exam are: STRIDE rule and abbreviation, Kubernetes component usage (what happens if a specific k8s component goes down), shared responsiblilty model, container escape, what does privileged escelation means, Pod Security Standards and Pod Security Admissions, what label enforces a policy in a namespace?, When does Admission Control happens (after or before authentication or authorization), RBAC verb list, etc..These are the topics that I can remember unfortunately but please beware that these are only suggestions and may not be present in the real exam since the exam changes each time.

Challenges I Faced and How I Overcame Them

Becoming a Kubestronaut wasn’t all smooth sailing, and along the way, I hit a few bumps in the road that tested my patience and determination. It wasn’t just about mastering technical skills—it was also about managing time, staying motivated, and applying what I’d learned in real-world scenarios. Here are a few of the challenges I faced and how I pushed through them.

1. Time Management Struggles

One of the biggest challenges for me was finding the time to study while balancing my full-time job and social life. As a Senior Cloud Platform Engineer, my days were filled with managing infrastructure, managing applications, solving problems, and supporting the team. Trying to squeeze in study sessions for the certifications seemed like a lot at times.

How I Managed It: I set a goal to study 3 hours a day. I set up a study schedule that worked around my work hours. I treated study time like a work meeting—non-negotiable and focused. I focused on one certification at a time instead of trying to study for everything all at once.

2. The Overwhelm of Kubernetes

Kubernetes is huge. Honestly, at times it felt like there was so much to learn, and I was struggling to keep up with all the different concepts, from networking and storage to debugging and deployment. It was easy to feel overwhelmed by the vastness of the ecosystem.

How I Tackled It: First, I made up my mind about the certification roadmap. CKA→CKAD→KCNA→CKS→KCSA. Then, I broke things down into bite-sized pieces, especially in terms of a certifications. Rather than trying to learn everything in one go, I focused on one area at a time—like mastering deployments before moving on to networking. To make things easier, I kept cheat sheets and quick-reference notes for concepts I knew I’d need to look up often on my iPad.

3. Putting Knowledge into Practice

Passing the exams required more than just reading and memorizing. I needed to actually apply what I’d learned by setting up clusters, deploying applications, and troubleshooting problems. That was a whole different level of challenge.

How I Handled It:I dove into hands-on labs as much as I could. Platforms like KodeKloud gave me practical exercises that helped reinforce my learning. Also, since I work as a Senior Platform Engineer in my full-time job, I get to manage different Kubernetes clusters which helped me increase my real-world Kubernetes experience.

4. Security and Troubleshooting Struggles

The CKS and KCSA certifications focused heavily on security, which was a whole new ballgame for me. Learning how to secure clusters, manage access, and troubleshoot security issues was definitely a tough challenge.

How I Got Through It: I spent extra time learning about Kubernetes security best practices. I studied things like RBAC (Role-Based Access Control), secrets management, and image scanning, CIS benchmarks and how to read these kinds of reports. Hands-on practice was key, so I used tools like kube-bench and Trivy to test and secure clusters. I also worked on intentionally vulnerable clusters to understand how security issues arise and how to fix them. The more I practiced, the more comfortable I became with Kubernetes security.

5. Dealing with Exam Nerves

When it came to the exams, the pressure was on. Time constraints and the open-book format meant I had to think quickly and make sure I could find the right information without wasting precious time.

How I Overcame It: To prepare for the exam environment, I took practice exams on Killer Shell under timed conditions. This helped me get used to the format and the stress of answering questions quickly. During the actual exams, I made sure to stay calm and focused. If I didn’t know something right away, I would quickly consult the official Kubernetes documentation. The key was to pace myself and stay methodical in my approach. Be sure to get familar with the Kubernetes Official Documentation, how to navigate through the topics and more importantly knowing where to find what saved me an incredible amount of time on the exam.

6. Staying Motivated

There were definitely times when I felt a little burnt out or lost focus. With so much to learn and so many challenges to tackle, it was easy to get discouraged.

How I Stayed Motivated:

I kept reminding myself why I started this journey in the first place. Becoming a Kubestronaut wasn’t just about passing exams—it was about mastering Kubernetes, staying ahead in the cloud-native world, and becoming a trusted expert in the field.

Celebrating small wins along the way, like completing a practice exam or mastering a tough concept, kept me going. Plus, connecting with others who were going through the same process helped keep the motivation high.

But perhaps most importantly, I received incredible emotional and mental support from my girlfriend, family, and friends. They were always there to listen, encourage me when I felt stuck, and celebrate my achievements. Their support was invaluable and kept me going, even on the toughest days. I truly love them and am so grateful for everything they’ve done for me throughout this journey. Love you guys!

Tips and Tricks

As I worked towards becoming a Kubestronaut, I picked up a few strategies and tools that really helped me along the way. Here are some of the tips and tricks that made a big difference in my preparation and performance.

1. Killer.sh Exams: A Game-Changer

One of the most helpful resources during my certification journey was Killer.sh exams. These exams are a fantastic simulation of the real Kubernetes certification exams. When you purchase the certification from the Linux Foundation, you'll get access to Killer.sh for free, and it’s one of the best ways to prepare.

Here’s how I used it: Once you activate a Killer.sh exam, you get a 36-hour window to complete the session. It’s important to note that the 36 hours are time-based, not usage-based. This means you have 36 hours from the moment you activate the session, even if you don’t use it all at once. I found that my first attempt was a bit of a shock—I couldn’t even get through all the questions! Killer.sh is tougher than the real exam, so it really pushes you to be prepared.

What worked best for me was to repeatedly take the Killer.sh exams until I felt comfortable with the material. It’s okay if you don’t do well on the first few tries. The key is to keep practicing and to get used to the pressure and format of the exam. As I took the exam multiple times, I began to score better each time, and that gave me the confidence to sit for the real exam. Once I was consistently scoring well on Killer.sh, I knew I was ready for the real deal.

2. Mastering the Official Kubernetes Documentation

One thing that saved me a lot of time during the exams—and in my daily work—was becoming intimately familiar with the official Kubernetes documentation. Kubernetes is vast, and you won’t remember everything, so knowing where to find the information quickly is crucial.

During the exams, you’ll be allowed to use the official documentation, so being able to navigate it efficiently can make all the difference. I spent time getting to know the structure of the documentation and familiarized myself with common commands and concepts I might need. This way, I wasn’t wasting time searching for information during the exam. Being able to quickly find what I needed in the docs gave me a big advantage and saved me valuable minutes during both practice exams and the real test.

3. Hands-On Practice is Key

You can’t get around it—hands-on practice is essential. No amount of reading or studying will make you fully prepared if you haven’t actually worked in a Kubernetes environment. I spent a lot of time working with real Kubernetes clusters, setting them up, and troubleshooting. The more you practice, the more comfortable you become, and this is especially important for the performance-based questions in the exams.

Using platforms like Play with Kubernetes and Katacoda for interactive exercises helped me get practical experience.

4. Don’t Rush—Take Breaks

Studying for certifications can be intense, and it’s easy to burn out if you don’t take breaks. I made sure to give myself time to recharge during my study sessions. Whether it was going for a walk or taking a short break to relax, stepping away from the material for a bit helped me come back with a clearer mind and renewed focus.

With these tips and tricks, I felt much more confident in my preparation for the Kubernetes certifications. From using Killer.sh exams to navigating the official documentation, each strategy played a crucial role in helping me achieve my goal of becoming a Kubestronaut. I hope these tips help you on your own journey to Kubernetes mastery!

What’s Next on My Kubernetes Journey?

Becoming a Kubestronaut is just the beginning of my Kubernetes journey to be honest. While the certifications are a major milestone, the learning never really stops. Kubernetes is constantly evolving, and staying up to date with the latest features, updates, and best practices is key to remaining proficient in this fast-paced ecosystem.

Now that I’ve completed all the CNCF Kubernetes certifications, I plan to dive deeper into the areas I found most challenging, especially like security and networking.

But that’s not all! As much as I love Kubernetes, I also work extensively with AWS in my full-time role, and I see it as the next big step in my certification journey. I’m excited to start pursuing AWS certifications in areas like Solutions Architect, DevOps Engineer, and SysOps Administrator, as they align perfectly with the work I’m doing and will provide a well-rounded foundation in cloud infrastructure management.

The plan is to keep pushing my limits, combining my Kubernetes expertise with my AWS knowledge, and continuously improving my skills. I’ll be documenting my journey as I go, so keep an eye out for new posts on AWS certifications and my experiences with them!

As always, the goal is to grow, evolve, and stay ahead in this ever-changing tech landscape. The Kubernetes and AWS paths are endless, and I’m excited to see where they take me next!

Personal Anecdotes

Throughout my Kubernetes certification journey, there were many moments that not only tested my knowledge but also gave me a deeper appreciation for the process. I thought it would be fun to share a few personal stories to give you a better picture of what it was like to go through this adventure.

The "First Attempt" Disaster

I’ll never forget the first time I tried a Killer.sh exam. I was super pumped, feeling like I was totally prepared, and excited to see how well I would do. But when I actually sat down to take the exam, it was a reality check. I couldn’t even finish all the questions in the given time!

The exam was so much harder than I had anticipated, and I ended up scoring terribly.

At first, I was frustrated. It felt like a punch in the gut after all the hours of studying. But looking back, that first “disaster” was actually the best thing that could have happened. Eventhough the real exam is much easier than that, it showed me how much more practice I needed. I realized that just reading about Kubernetes wasn’t enough; I had to dive in, practice under pressure, and accept that failure was part of the process.

The Power of My Support System

Another important piece of my journey was the support I received from my girlfriend, family, and friends. They were my rock during the stressful times. Whenever I felt exhausted or overwhelmed, I would step away from studying and spend time with my girlfriend or friends. Having a coffee, or just chatting about anything other than Kubernetes would help clear my mind and reset my focus. These breaks were so important. They allowed me to come back to my studies feeling refreshed, with a clearer perspective and improved my motivation. I can’t emphasize enough how much this time with loved ones helped me maintain my mental clarity and stay on track during the toughest parts of the journey.

Even when I was buried in practice exams, my family and friends were there to encourage me. They celebrated my small victories , like passing each exam one by one, and helped me keep my spirits up when things got rough. I can’t emphasize enough how much this emotional support meant to me—learning how to balance intense study sessions with downtime and family time was key to maintaining my motivation.

The Final Exam

The day I took the KCSA exam was another unforgettable moment. I took the CKS exam the night before. Hands-on exams took around 24 hours to be announced and test-based exams will be directly mailed to you after you finish your exam. So by the time I finish the KCSA exam I'd knew whether I would be Kubestronaout or not. The nerves were real—I felt like it was my first time taking an exam all over again. But having gone through so many real exams, practice exams and study sessions, I felt prepared. When I finally clicked the button to submit my answers, it was a mix of relief and excitement. I don't know how but I knew I've passed since exam felt easy somehow. When I got the notification that I had passed, it was one of the happiest moments of my career.

Conclusion

Becoming a Kubestronaut has been an incredible journey, filled with challenges, learning moments, and personal growth. Also having the Kubestronaut title and having your picture up on kubestronaut website feels quite prestigious honestly.

Along the way, I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge that will benefit me in my career, but most importantly, I’ve discovered the power of persistence, hands-on practice, and the support of a community that constantly inspires me to do my best. Whether it’s through Killer.sh exams, official documentation, or simply pushing through tough times, I’ve learned that the journey is just as valuable as the destination.

As I look to the future, I’m excited to continue my Kubernetes journey and expand my expertise into AWS certifications. With each new challenge, I’ll keep learning and growing, documenting my experiences, and sharing them with others.

If you’re thinking about starting your own journey toward becoming a Kubestronaut or pursuing any certification, I hope my story and tips inspire you. The path may seem daunting, but with dedication, resources, and the right mindset, you’ll get there. Keep learning, keep exploring, and enjoy the ride. The sky's the limit!