You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
LINUX FOUNDATIONKubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA)
The Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) certification validates your foundational knowledge of Kubernetes and the broader cloud native ecosystem. Designed for beginners, it demonstrates your understanding of core concepts like container orchestration, cloud native architecture, and application delivery. Earning the KCNA proves you have the high-demand cloud skills that employers seek, helping you stand out in the job market and advance your career.
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration90 minutes
DeliveryLinux Foundation
Free questions390
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
4domains
13objectives
106concepts
$250exam fee
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) certification is your entry point into the world of Kubernetes and cloud native technologies. It confirms your understanding of the fundamental concepts and principles that underpin modern cloud native ecosystems, from container orchestration to cloud native architecture. This certification is ideal for individuals starting their Kubernetes journey or those in non-technical roles who need a solid grasp of the cloud native landscape.
By earning the KCNA, you demonstrate to employers that you possess the foundational knowledge required to contribute effectively in cloud native environments. The exam covers key areas such as Kubernetes fundamentals, container orchestration, cloud native application delivery, and observability. As a vendor-neutral certification from The Linux Foundation, it provides a strong, unbiased foundation for career growth and flexibility, complementing other certifications you may hold.
Who it’s for
The KCNA certification is designed for individuals who are new to Kubernetes and cloud native technologies, including students, developers, IT professionals, and those in adjacent roles like project managers or sales engineers. It is also suitable for professionals who want to validate their foundational knowledge before pursuing more advanced certifications like the CKA or CKAD. If you are looking to start a career in cloud native computing or need to understand Kubernetes concepts to better collaborate with technical teams, the KCNA provides a structured and recognized way to build and prove that knowledge.
Recommended experience
While there are no mandatory prerequisites, The Linux Foundation recommends some familiarity with cloud native concepts and basic Linux command-line skills. The official KCNA learning path and free introductory courses can help you prepare. Basic understanding of cloud computing concepts; Familiarity with Linux command line and open source software; Interest in Kubernetes and containerization; Completion of the free Introduction to Kubernetes course or the Kubernetes and Cloud Native Essentials (LFS250) course is recommended
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective Linux Foundation measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official Linux Foundation exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Kubernetes Fundamentals
- Kubernetes Core Concepts
- Scheduling
- Networking
- Security
- Storage
- Troubleshooting
Container Orchestration
- Containerization
- Administration
Cloud Native Application Delivery
- Application Delivery
- Debugging
- Observability
Cloud Native Architecture
- Cloud Native Ecosystem and Principles
- Cloud Native Community and Collaboration
On the day
The exam itself
Everything Linux Foundation publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
CertificationKubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA)
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration90 minutes
DeliveryLinux Foundation
LanguagesEnglish
Pricing$250
Certification levelAssociate
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path Linux Foundation lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA)
Credential earnedKubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) Associate level certification Renewal and maintenance
The KCNA certification is valid for two years. To maintain the credential, you must renew before it expires by passing the current version of the exam or completing a renewal process as defined by The Linux Foundation. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. Linux Foundation maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by Linux Foundation
Exam registration
Register for the exam through Linux Foundation, Linux Foundation’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official Linux Foundation certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does the KCNA relate to the CKA or CKAD certifications?
The KCNA is an entry-level certification that covers foundational Kubernetes and cloud native concepts. The CKA and CKAD are professional-level certifications that focus on hands-on administrative and application development skills. The KCNA can serve as a stepping stone to these more advanced certifications.
Do I need to earn the KCNA before taking the CKA?
No, the CKA does not require the KCNA as a prerequisite. However, the KCNA can help you build the foundational knowledge needed to succeed in the CKA exam.
Is the KCNA exam hands-on or lab-based?
No, the KCNA exam is a multiple-choice exam. It tests theoretical knowledge of Kubernetes and cloud native concepts rather than practical, hands-on skills.
What is the retake policy for the KCNA exam?
The KCNA exam includes one free retake. If you fail the exam on your first attempt, you can retake it once without additional cost. Further attempts may require purchasing a new exam voucher.
What job roles does the KCNA certification map to?
The KCNA is designed for individuals in roles such as cloud engineers, DevOps practitioners, site reliability engineers, and anyone working with cloud native technologies. It validates foundational knowledge that is valuable for roles that involve Kubernetes and containerized applications.
Can I recertify by passing a different exam?
The KCNA certification is valid for two years. To renew, you must pass the current version of the KCNA exam or complete the renewal process defined by The Linux Foundation. Passing a higher-level exam like the CKA does not automatically renew the KCNA.
Is the KCNA exam available in languages other than English?
The official exam page lists the exam as available in English. For information about other language options, please refer to the official Linux Foundation website or contact their support team.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 390 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept Linux Foundation measures — each one written out.
4domains
13objectives
106concepts
84free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official Linux Foundation exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Kubernetes Fundamentals187 questions
2Container Orchestration57 questions
3Cloud Native Application Delivery86 questions
4Cloud Native Architecture60 questions
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
Kubernetes Core Concepts12 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
60 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
390 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
390questions
84pages
13objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Kubernetes Fundamentals187 questions
2Container Orchestration57 questions
3Cloud Native Application Delivery86 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
106concepts
390free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from Linux Foundation
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
3official links
106concepts mapped
The source
Linux Foundation’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official Linux Foundation outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 13 objectives, 106 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When Linux Foundation changes the outline, this page changes with it.
13objectives on the outline→106concepts written→390free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.