On 08.06.2020 and in less than 48 hours of the exam, I got an email that I passed from the first try and I'm now a Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) 🎉🎉
Well, as you know, there is no DevOps without Dev and Ops ... but this time it was a bit different! :-)
Last year when I was planning to take the exams, I've decided to set different goals for each certificate.
For CKA, my main goal was to have a deeper technical understanding of Kubernetes and learn more even for details that are out of the exam scope. With production experience and enough research, that was straightforward and I got my CKA in September 2019.
Technically I was ready for CKAD exam directly after CKA, but I've decided to postpone it 6 months to understand some other aspects related to Kubernetes ... the human aspects :-)
So for CKAD, my main goal was to understand and find how to make a smooth Kubernetes transformation in DevOps manner, especially for engineers without Ops background e.g. software engineers.
I've reviewed multiple CKAD curriculums and analyzed their content and structure. I've read many real case scenarios about the difficulties of moving to Kubernetes.
I've collected feedback from many engineers from different backgrounds (dev, ops, qa, data, etc) about the problems they had when they started using Kubernetes.
So beside the certificate itself, now I've much more than the technical part. I've got a better understanding of how to make Kubernetes adoption easier and smoother ... and I'm pretty happy with the results :-)
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Resources wise, still the content by Mumshad Mannambeth is the best on many levels. I used Kubernetes Certified Application Developer (CKAD) for final revision and practice.
For the exam tips, please check the full list here, I've added more few points: Now I'm a Certified Kubernetes Administrator + 10 exam tips
