Introduction

For those unfamiliar, the Kubestronaut Program is a CNCF initiative that recognizes individuals who have passed all 5 available Kubernetes certifications.

For complete information about the program, visit: https://www.cncf.io/training/kubestronaut/.

My Journey

Before discussing my Kubestronaut journey, I’d like to briefly talk about my journey with Kubernetes.

I’ve been working with Kubernetes for approximately 6 years, so I had a solid foundation for most certifications.

My Journey with Kubernetes

I’ve worked with Kubernetes in bare metal, Azure, AWS, and OpenShift implementations, across Banking, Telecommunications, E-commerce, Logistics, and Food industries.

I’ve built and managed a variety of applications, from conventional business applications to data services. Additionally, I’ve led initiatives to build and evolve IDPs, managing both application clusters and tooling clusters.

My Kubestronaut Journey

My Kubestronaut journey began on October 8, 2024, when I obtained the KCNA certification, and ended on January 23, 2025, when I received the CKS results.

After completion, I created a GitHub repository where I shared all the courses I took, with tips for each certification and my personal notes (apologies for my terrible handwriting).

Here’s a summary of my journey:

• 10/08/2024 — [KCNA] Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate Exam

  • Required score: 75 🎯
  • My score: 93 ✅

• 11/11/2024 — [CKA] Certified Kubernetes Administrator

  • Required score: 66 🎯
  • My score: 99 ✅

• 12/29/2024 — [KCSA] Kubernetes and Cloud Native Security Associate

  • Required score: 75 🎯
  • My score: 87 ✅

• 12/30/2024 — [CKAD] Certified Kubernetes Application Developer

  • Required score: 66 🎯
  • My score: 98 ✅

• 01/22/2025 — [CKS] Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist

  • Required score: 67 🎯
  • My score: 74 ✅ 😰

Some Important Points

a) Initially, I planned to take CKAD right after CKA, since the content overlaps by about 70%, but since I was moving houses, my schedule didn’t work out as expected. Hehe.

b) I finally moved around December 16, while reviewing content for CKAD, I rushed through studies for KCSA, which helped me recover some lost time.

c) Obviously, I have more difficulty with multiple-choice exams.

d) CKS is truly challenging.

Problems I Encountered During Exams [for Mac Users]

The first four exams went smoothly. There were no issues with PSI Secure Browser or my internet connection.

However, during CKS, I encountered a problem that I think could be useful to share to help you on your journey.

In the “close applications” step of exam preparation, PSI asked me to close an application called SidecarRelay, which had also been flagged in other exams, but in those cases, I managed to close it without problems.

However, during CKS, every time I tried to terminate the SidecarRelay process, it would restart on its own.

Obviously, I was shocked.

After several frustrated attempts, I searched Google and found this Reddit post describing the same problem.

The last comment from user SeriousBattle8727 (thank you, dude, you’re a hero!) said:

“I went through the same problem on CKA. As a workaround, I created a new admin user in a clean state.”

I followed the advice and it worked perfectly, so I was able to start the exam (just three minutes before being disqualified).

Journey Overview

Although I had been working with Kubernetes for some time, being on this journey taught me many new things and really helped me improve my ability to guide my team in daily decisions and challenges.

Since I had never worked deeply with security (I only had basic to intermediate experience), the KCSA and CKS certifications were incredibly important.

They taught me a lot about Kubernetes itself, but also about fundamental operating system and networking concepts and practices. And that’s exactly what Kubernetes is all about, right?

Additionally, during this journey, I made many connections with other people who were also taking the exams and received a lot of support from my teammates, who are also finishing their own journey.

You all made this journey much cooler than it would have been, thank you!

Conclusion

The Kubestronaut Program is a CNCF initiative that recognizes individuals who have passed all 5 available Kubernetes certifications.

Working with Kubernetes daily is a huge advantage when it comes to passing certifications, but studying and preparing properly is what really makes the difference in going through this journey more easily.

After completion, I created a repository where I documented all the details, the courses I took, and my personal notes, to contribute to anyone who wants to venture into this same challenge.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the exams, suggestions for improving the repo, or any other reason — I’ll be very happy to help.

And last but not least, a HUGE thank you to:

• James Spurin, for the incredible KCNA course;
• Mumshad Mannambeth and the KodeKloud team, for the CKA, CKAD, KCSA, and CKS courses, and practice exams;
• Thiago Sinji Shimada Ramos, for the incredible work on the Kubernetes Security KCSA Mock Exam app;
• Yongkang H., for the kubestronaut he profile, where he shares tips and discount coupons for certifications.