KCNA study guide · 2026

The 4 KCNA domains, explained

4 domains and 13 official topics. Kubernetes Fundamentals carries the most weight at 44%. Each guide explains what the domain covers, how its questions are framed and where candidates lose marks.

Start with Domain 1 See all domains
Questions
60 multiple-choice questions
Time
90 minutes
Passing score
75%
Outline
CNCF KCNA Exam Curriculum, revision published November 2025 (current as of October 2026)

Exam blueprint

Bar widths follow the official weights. Weight ranges are drawn at their midpoint.

  1. 1 44%
  2. 2 28%
  3. 3 16%
  4. 4 12%
  1. 1 Kubernetes Fundamentals
  2. 2 Container Orchestration
  3. 3 Cloud Native Application Delivery
  4. 4 Cloud Native Architecture

All 4 domains

13 official topics 37–49 hrs suggested study

  1. Domain 01 44%

    Kubernetes Fundamentals

    The largest KCNA domain, worth 44% of the score. It tests Kubernetes core objects and architecture, everyday administration with kubectl, how the scheduler places Pods, and how container images and runtimes work underneath.

    Inside this domain

    • Kubernetes Core Concepts
    • Administration
    • Scheduling
    • Containerization

    Watch for etcd as the hub

    Topics
    4
    Questions est.
    ~26
    Study time est.
    16–20 hrs
  2. Domain 02 28%

    Container Orchestration

    The second-largest KCNA domain at 28%. It covers how Pods talk to each other and the outside world, how access is secured, how to diagnose failing workloads, and how data persists beyond a container.

    Inside this domain

    • Networking
    • Security
    • Troubleshooting
    • Storage

    Watch for kube-proxy as the Pod network

    Topics
    4
    Questions est.
    ~17
    Study time est.
    10–14 hrs
  3. Domain 03 16%

    Cloud Native Application Delivery

    Worth 16% of the KCNA, double its earlier weight. It covers how applications get from source code to a cluster through CI/CD, GitOps, packaging tools and release strategies, and how to debug them once they run.

    Inside this domain

    • Application Delivery
    • Debugging

    Watch for Push pipeline as GitOps

    Topics
    2
    Questions est.
    ~10
    Study time est.
    6–8 hrs
  4. Domain 04 12%

    Cloud Native Architecture

    The smallest KCNA domain at 12%, now including observability. It covers metrics, logs and traces, cloud native design principles and open standards, autoscaling and serverless, and how the CNCF and Kubernetes communities are organised.

    Inside this domain

    • Observability
    • Cloud Native Ecosystem and Principles
    • Cloud Native Community and Collaboration

    Watch for Prometheus push

    Topics
    3
    Questions est.
    ~7
    Study time est.
    5–7 hrs

Study the heaviest domains first

Marks follow weight. This order puts the most marks behind you first, across about 37–49 hrs of study.

  1. 1 Kubernetes Fundamentals 44% · 16–20 hrs
  2. 2 Container Orchestration 28% · 10–14 hrs
  3. 3 Cloud Native Application Delivery 16% · 6–8 hrs
  4. 4 Cloud Native Architecture 12% · 5–7 hrs

Try one

Practice questionDomain 1: Kubernetes Fundamentals

A platform team wants exactly one log-collection Pod on every worker node, including nodes added later by the autoscaler. Which Kubernetes object should they use?

One trap from every domain

The answer that looks right, and the clue that gives it away.

  • Domain 1

    etcd as the hub

    Clue Wording such as 'which component do clients send requests to'.

  • Domain 2

    kube-proxy as the Pod network

    Clue A question about how Pods on different nodes reach each other.

  • Domain 3

    Push pipeline as GitOps

    Clue Words such as 'drift', 'reconcile' or 'source of truth'.

  • Domain 4

    Prometheus push

    Clue Options describing scraping or a /metrics endpoint.

Other DevOps & Containers certifications

Study guides for exams that overlap with KCNA.

Practise what you read

KCNA domains: common questions

How many domains are in the KCNA exam?

KCNA has 4 domains with 13 official topics between them: Kubernetes Fundamentals, Container Orchestration, Cloud Native Application Delivery and Cloud Native Architecture.

Which KCNA domain carries the most weight?

Kubernetes Fundamentals is the heaviest at 44%, followed by Container Orchestration (28%). The lightest is Cloud Native Architecture (12%). Weights come from CNCF / The Linux Foundation's official outline.

What is the KCNA exam format?

Questions: 60 multiple-choice questions. Time allowed: 90 minutes. Passing score: 75%.

How long should I study for KCNA?

Our planning estimate is 37–49 hrs across all domains, split by weight. It is an editorial estimate, not an official figure, so adjust it to your experience and to how you score on practice questions.

Where should I start?

Start with Kubernetes Fundamentals, because it carries the most marks, then work down by weight. Use the checklist on each domain page to confirm you can do what the domain asks before moving on.

Which outline is this guide based on?

This guide follows CNCF KCNA Exam Curriculum, revision published November 2025 (current as of October 2026), published by CNCF / The Linux Foundation. It was last reviewed in October 2026.

Domain names, weights and topics come from CNCF / The Linux Foundation's official outline (CNCF KCNA Exam Curriculum, revision published November 2025 (current as of October 2026)). Question counts and study hours are editorial planning estimates, not official figures. Last reviewed October 2026.