Kubernetes for Developers Certification Course + Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) Exam Voucher Bundle

Kubernetes is a high-velocity open source orchestration tool to deploy, scale, and update containerized applications. Kubernetes for Developers (LFD259) will teach you how to containerize, host, deploy and configure an application in a multi-node cluster.

The Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) exam certifies that candidates can design, build and deploy cloud-native applications for Kubernetes.

Who Is It For:

This certification is for Kubernetes engineers, cloud engineers and other IT professionals responsible for building, deploying, and configuring cloud native applications with Kubernetes.

What You’ll Learn:

This course will teach you how to containerize, host, deploy, and configure an application in a multi-node cluster. Starting with a simple Python script, you will define application resources and use core primitives to build, monitor and troubleshoot scalable applications in Kubernetes. Working with network plugins, security and cloud storage, you will be exposed to many of the features needed to deploy an application in a production environment.

What It Prepares You For:

The Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) can design, build and deploy cloud-native applications for Kubernetes.A CKAD can define application resources and use Kubernetes core primitives to create/migrate, configure, expose and observe scalable applications.The exam assumes working knowledge of container runtimes and microservice architecture.The successful candidate will be comfortable:– working with (OCI-compliant) container images– applying Cloud Native application concepts and architectures– working with and validating Kubernetes resource definitions

Merit Global is an authorized trainer partner of Linux Foundation for their certification programs. We distribute certification exam vouchers at good discounts.

Course Content:
• Chapter 1. Course Introduction
• Chapter 2. Kubernetes Architecture
• Chapter 3. Build
• Chapter 4. Design
• Chapter 5. Deployment Configuration
• Chapter 6. Understanding Security
• Chapter 7. Exposing Applications
• Chapter 8. Application Troubleshooting

CKAD Exam Domains & Competencies:


Application Design and Build (20%)

• Define, build, and modify container images
• Choose and use the right workload resource (Deployment, DaemonSet, CronJob, etc.)
• Understand multi-container Pod design patterns (sidecar, init, and others)
• Utilize persistent and ephemeral volumes



Application Deployment (20%)

• Use Kubernetes primitives to implement deployment strategies such as blue/green and canary
• Understand Deployments and perform rolling updates
• Use the Helm package manager to deploy existing packages
• Use Kustomize for configuration management



Application Observability and Maintenance (15%)

• Understand API deprecations
• Implement probes and health checks
• Use built-in CLI tools to monitor Kubernetes applications
• Utilize container logs
• Debug applications running in Kubernetes



Application Environment, Configuration and Security (25%)

• Discover and use resources that extend Kubernetes (CRDs and Operators)
• Understand authentication, authorization, and admission control
• Understand requests, limits, and quotas
• Use ConfigMaps to manage application configuration
• Define resource requirements
• Create and consume Secrets
• Understand ServiceAccounts
• Apply application security concepts such as SecurityContexts and capabilities



Services and Networking (20%)

• Demonstrate a basic understanding of NetworkPolicies
• Provide and troubleshoot access to applications via Services
• Use Ingress rules to expose applications

Before starting this course, you should be familiar with:

• Linux concepts and command line.
• Package managers.
• Git and GitHub.



The CKAD Certification focuses on the skills required to be a successful Kubernetes Application Developer in industry today. The exam assumes working knowledge of container runtimes and microservice architecture.

To successfully complete the lab exercises in this course, access to a Linux server or Linux desktop/laptop is required. Access to a public cloud provider, or VirtualBox on your machine is also needed. Detailed instructions to set up your lab environment are provided in the course.

If using a cloud provider like GCP or AWS, you should be able to complete the lab exercises using the free tier or credits provided to you. However, you may incur charges if you exceed the credits initially allocated by the cloud provider, or if the cloud provider’s terms and conditions change.

The Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) exam certifies that candidates can design, build and deploy cloud-native applications for Kubernetes. The CKAD was created by the Linux Foundation and the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) as a part of their ongoing effort to help develop the Kubernetes ecosystem. The exam is online, proctored, performance-based test that requires solving multiple tasks from a command line running Kubernetes.

Once enrolled you will receive access to an exam simulator, provided by Killer.sh, allowing you to experience the exam environment. You will have two simulation attempts (36 hours of access for each attempt from the start of activation). The simulation includes 20-25 questions that are exactly the same for every attempt and every user, unlike the actual exam. The simulation will provide graded results.

The CKAD exam environment will be aligned with the most recent K8s minor version within approximately 4 to 8 weeks of the K8s release date.

As organisations increasingly build and deploy cloud‑native applications, Kubernetes has become a critical platform for container orchestration. The Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) certification, offered by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), validates your specialised skills in designing, building, deploying and troubleshooting applications on Kubernetes.

CKAD focuses on real‑world developer tasks, including application design, configuration, observability, and managing services and networking in Kubernetes environments. This makes it ideal for developers, cloud engineers and DevOps professionals who want to demonstrate their ability to work with modern, scalable cloud‑native applications.

CKAD certification offers strong career and salary benefits in the United States and globally. Certified professionals with Kubernetes and cloud‑native skills are in high demand and employers often reward these capabilities with competitive compensation:

• 1. U.S. roles such as Kubernetes Application Developer and related cloud‑native developer positions typically earn between $110,000 and $140,000 per year, depending on experience and location.
• 2. Professionals with broader cloud skillsets—including DevOps Engineer and Cloud Engineer roles—often see salaries in the range of $105,000 to $145,000+ per year in the U.S. job market.
• 3. In more specialised or senior positions—such as Site Reliability Engineer, Cloud Native Architect or Senior Kubernetes Developer—total compensation can exceed $150,000 per year in many tech hubs.

Beyond financial rewards, CKAD certification strengthens your professional credibility, demonstrates your practical cloud‑native development skills and positions you for career growth in software engineering, DevOps, and cloud application roles.

By earning the Certified Kubernetes Application Developer certification, you establish yourself as a highly capable developer in the fast‑growing Kubernetes ecosystem—ready to contribute to modern cloud projects and pursue advanced roles in cloud and container‑native engineering.

He is an experienced cloud and containerization specialist with deep expertise in Kubernetes, Docker and Linux system administration. With years of hands-on experience managing Linux servers, deploying containerized applications and orchestrating Kubernetes clusters across diverse environments, he brings practical insights into building scalable, resilient and secure cloud-native solutions. Known for his clear and engaging teaching style, he simplifies complex concepts in Linux, containers and Kubernetes, guiding learners through real-world labs and scenarios. His training equips professionals with the skills to confidently manage cloud-native applications and leverage Linux and Kubernetes effectively in production environments.

Online Course:

CKAD Exam Voucher: