CNCF · Official Blueprint

CKS Exam Domains & Blueprint

The official CNCF CKS exam covers 6 domains. Domain weights tell you exactly how much of the exam each topic represents — and where to invest your study time.

CKS Domain Weight Summary

#DomainWeightQuestions
1Cluster Setup
%
2Cluster Hardening
%
3System Hardening
%
4Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities
%
5Supply Chain Security
%
6Monitoring, Logging, and Runtime Security
%

Detailed Domain Breakdown

%

Domain 1: Cluster Setup

Covers the core concepts, terminology, and skills tested under the Cluster Setup section of the official exam blueprint.

%

Domain 2: Cluster Hardening

Covers the core concepts, terminology, and skills tested under the Cluster Hardening section of the official exam blueprint.

%

Domain 3: System Hardening

Covers the core concepts, terminology, and skills tested under the System Hardening section of the official exam blueprint.

%

Domain 4: Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities

Covers the core concepts, terminology, and skills tested under the Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities section of the official exam blueprint.

%

Domain 5: Supply Chain Security

Covers the core concepts, terminology, and skills tested under the Supply Chain Security section of the official exam blueprint.

%

Domain 6: Monitoring, Logging, and Runtime Security

Covers the core concepts, terminology, and skills tested under the Monitoring, Logging, and Runtime Security section of the official exam blueprint.

How to Use Domain Weights in Your Study Plan

The heaviest domain on the CKS is "Cluster Setup" at null%. Start here and return to it regularly.

Allocate study time proportional to domain weight — a 25% domain deserves roughly 25% of your prep hours.

Never skip a low-weight domain. A 10% domain still represents 5–7 exam questions — enough to make the difference between pass and fail.

Use JT Exams domain analytics to track your accuracy per domain automatically. The system routes extra questions to your weak areas.

Practice every CKS domain

JT Exams tracks your accuracy per domain automatically and routes you toward your weakest areas — no manual configuration needed.

No credit card · Cancel anytime

CKS Concept Guides

Related Exam Domains