CKS Certification Test (Kubernetes Security)

The CKS Certification Test (Kubernetes Security) is a free advanced-level, 25-minute skill test from Science of Apps. Readiness practice for the Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) exam — cluster setup and hardening, host and system hardening, minimising microservice vulnerabilities with Pod Security and secrets management, software supply chain security, and monitoring, auditing and runtime security. Score 70% or more on its 25 questions to earn a verifiable CKS Exam Readiness certificate (SOA-CKS). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Kubernetes security concepts (Kubernetes), Pod Security Standards (Kubernetes), Auditing (Kubernetes) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Read the five skill areas on this page, then take the 25-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a CKS Exam Readiness certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: Kubernetes security concepts (Kubernetes); Pod Security Standards (Kubernetes); Auditing (Kubernetes); Trivy documentation (Aqua Security (open source)); CIS Kubernetes Benchmark (Center for Internet Security); Network Policies (Kubernetes). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Five skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Cluster Setup and Hardening (Network policies and CIS benchmarks, API server and kubelet and RBAC and service accounts); System Hardening (Host OS hardening, AppArmor and seccomp and Least privilege on nodes); Minimising Microservice Vulnerabilities (Pod Security Standards, Secrets management and Isolation and mTLS); Supply Chain Security (Image hygiene, Scanning and SBOMs and Signing and admission control); Monitoring, Logging and Runtime Security (Audit logging, Runtime detection and Incident handling). Every question is an original scenario based on a published standard, official documentation or research, named under the question.

Kubernetes administrator, Cloud security engineer, DevSecOps engineer, Platform engineer and Site reliability engineer. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist) skills, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

Yes. The CKS Certification Test (Kubernetes Security) is free and covers all of these: 25 scenario questions in 25 minutes, each answer explained with the source it comes from, so it works as interview and exam practice. It isn't a full course, so use the areas you miss as your study list. Scoring 70% or more earns a verifiable certificate.

No. It is an independent practice test written to the publicly available CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist) content outline, for checking your readiness before you book the real exam. Science of Apps is not affiliated with The Linux Foundation, and passing earns a Science of Apps certificate rather than the official credential.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

25 questions — 5 from each of 5 skill areas — with a 25-minute limit. You need 70% (18 of 25) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Advanced: assumes years in the role or deep specialist knowledge. It has 25 scenario questions — 5 from each of 5 skill areas — and a 25-minute limit. You need 70% (18 of 25) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.