Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS) exam price, length, validity and renewal

CNCF · CKS

Price	$445 per attempt, US list priceExam only; includes one retake and two exam simulator attempts. Bundles with a course or THRIVE-ONE subscription cost more
Length	120 min
Questions	15 to 20 performance-based tasks
Format	Performance-based tasks solved on a command line running Kubernetes
Passing score	67%
Valid for	2 years
Renewal	Retake and pass the same exam before it expires; the renewed certification is valid 2 years from the new pass date
Prerequisites	Must have passed the Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam before attempting CKS
Level	Specialty (CNCF calls it Intermediate)
Delivery	Online proctored (PSI)
Languages	English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese
Status	ActiveExam based on Kubernetes v1.35
Source	training.linuxfoundation.org/certification/certified-kubernetes-security-specialist/Last checked Nov 6, 2026

Other CNCF exams

CNCF program

Exam	Level	Price	Length	Valid for
Certified Argo Project Associate (CAPA)CAPAA foundational exam on automation, delivery and infrastructure as code.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
Certified Backstage Associate (CBA)CBAA foundational exam on automation, delivery and infrastructure as code.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate (CNPA)CNPAFor platform engineers, DevOps practitioners, SREs, cloud native developers, infrastructure architects and IT professionals validating foundational platform engineering skills.	Foundational	$250	120 min	2 years
Certified GitOps Associate (CGOA)CGOAFor DevOps engineers, platform and software engineers, CI/CD practitioners and other team members who build internal developer platforms with GitOps built in.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
Cilium Certified Associate (CCA)CCAA foundational exam on running and building on Kubernetes.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA)KCNAFor beginners showing foundational knowledge of Kubernetes and the wider cloud native ecosystem.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
Kubernetes and Cloud Native Security Associate (KCSA)KCSAPre-professional exam for people starting in cloud native security who want to show foundational security knowledge.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
Kyverno Certified Associate (KCA)KCAA foundational exam on running and building on Kubernetes.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
Linux Foundation Certified IT Associate (LFCA)LFCAA pre-professional certification for people new to IT or starting a career as an administrator or engineer, covering fundamentals including cloud computing.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
Model Context Protocol Associate (MCPA)MCPANewFor practitioners proving foundational knowledge of Model Context Protocol concepts, use cases and implementation considerations for agentic AI systems.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
OpenTelemetry Certified Associate (OTCA)OTCAA foundational exam on automation, delivery and infrastructure as code.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
Prometheus Certified Associate (PCA)PCAA foundational exam on automation, delivery and infrastructure as code.	Foundational	$250	90 min	2 years
PyTorch Certified Associate (PTCA)PTCANewFor early-stage practitioners with some Python and machine learning experience who are beginning to use PyTorch.	Foundational	$250	120 min	2 years
Istio Certified Associate (ICA)ICAAn associate exam on running and building on Kubernetes.	Associate	$250	120 min	2 years
PTCA Certification PathwayUnverifiedAn associate exam on cloud concepts, administration and day-to-day operations.	Associate	$299	120 min	-
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)CKAFor Kubernetes administrators who install, configure, troubleshoot and manage production Kubernetes clusters.	Associate	$445	120 min	2 years
Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD)CKADFor developers who design, build and deploy cloud native applications on Kubernetes.	Associate	$445	120 min	2 years
Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS)LFCSFor Linux system administrators proving distribution-independent administration skills in a performance-based exam that simulates on-the-job tasks.	Associate	$445	120 min	2 years
Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineer (CNPE)CNPENewFor experienced platform engineers, senior DevOps and SRE practitioners, platform architects and infrastructure engineers who design and evolve production-grade platforms.	Professional	$445	120 min	2 years
Certified Kubernetes Network Engineer (CKNE)CKNEBetaUnverifiedValidates hands-on skill in Kubernetes networking, security and troubleshooting for platform engineers, network engineers and SREs.	Specialty	$445	120 min	2 years

Track

Security

Red Hat Certified Specialist in Identity ManagementTests creating, configuring and managing RHEL authentication services and integrating them with Red Hat and non-Red Hat technologies.Red Hat · EX362 · Specialty · 180 min · valid 3 years Security

Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Advanced Cluster SecurityFor platform engineers and security administrators who secure applications on OpenShift with Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes.Red Hat · EX430 · Specialty · 240 min · valid 3 years Security

Red Hat Certified Specialist in Security: LinuxValidates knowledge and abilities in securing Red Hat Enterprise Linux.Red Hat · EX415 · Specialty · 240 min · valid 3 years Security

Certified Implementation Specialist – Risk and Compliance (CIS-RC)The Certified Implementation Specialist – Risk and Compliance (CIS-RC) exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to configure, implement, and maintain ServiceNow Risk, Policy & Compliance, and Audit Management...ServiceNow · CIS-RC · Specialty · 90 min Security

Certified Implementation Specialist – Security Incident Response (CIS-SIR)The Certified Implementation Specialist – Security Incident Response (CIS-SIR) exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to configure, implement, and maintain a ServiceNow Security Incident Response solution.ServiceNow · CIS-SIR · Specialty · 90 min Security

Certified Implementation Specialist – Third-party Risk Management (CIS-TPRM)The Certified Implementation Specialist – Third-party Risk Management (CIS-TPRM) exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to configure, implement, and maintain the ServiceNow TPRM application.ServiceNow · CIS-TPRM · Specialty · 90 min Security

Certified Implementation Specialist – Vulnerability Response (CIS-VR)The Certified Implementation Specialist – Vulnerability Response (CIS-VR) exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to configure, implement, and maintain a ServiceNow Vulnerability Response instance.ServiceNow · CIS-VR · Specialty · 90 min Security$300

AWS Certified Security - SpecialtyA specialty exam on securing workloads on a platform.AWS · Specialty · 170 min · valid 3 years

Exam	Level	Price	Length	Valid for
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Identity ManagementEX362Tests creating, configuring and managing RHEL authentication services and integrating them with Red Hat and non-Red Hat technologies.	Specialty	-	180 min	3 years
Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Advanced Cluster SecurityEX430For platform engineers and security administrators who secure applications on OpenShift with Red Hat Advanced Cluster Security for Kubernetes.	Specialty	-	240 min	3 years
Red Hat Certified Specialist in Security: LinuxEX415Validates knowledge and abilities in securing Red Hat Enterprise Linux.	Specialty	-	240 min	3 years
Certified Implementation Specialist – Risk and Compliance (CIS-RC)CIS-RCThe Certified Implementation Specialist – Risk and Compliance (CIS-RC) exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to configure, implement, and maintain ServiceNow Risk, Policy & Compliance, and Audit Management...	Specialty	-	90 min	-
Certified Implementation Specialist – Security Incident Response (CIS-SIR)CIS-SIRThe Certified Implementation Specialist – Security Incident Response (CIS-SIR) exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to configure, implement, and maintain a ServiceNow Security Incident Response solution.	Specialty	-	90 min	-
Certified Implementation Specialist – Third-party Risk Management (CIS-TPRM)CIS-TPRMThe Certified Implementation Specialist – Third-party Risk Management (CIS-TPRM) exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to configure, implement, and maintain the ServiceNow TPRM application.	Specialty	-	90 min	-
Certified Implementation Specialist – Vulnerability Response (CIS-VR)CIS-VRThe Certified Implementation Specialist – Vulnerability Response (CIS-VR) exam confirms you have the knowledge and skills to configure, implement, and maintain a ServiceNow Vulnerability Response instance.	Specialty	-	90 min	-
AWS Certified Security - SpecialtyA specialty exam on securing workloads on a platform.	Specialty	$300	170 min	3 years

About this exam

For Kubernetes practitioners who hold the CKA and secure container-based applications and Kubernetes platforms during build, deployment and runtime.

What the official page says

Price: "Certification exam only - $445"
Duration: "Candidates have 2 hours to complete the tasks."
Questions: "The exams consist of 15-20 performance-based tasks."
Validity: "Certification Valid for 2 Years"

Certifications are valid for 2 years and are renewed by retaking and passing the exam before the expiration date, which extends them 2 years from the new pass date.

Each exam purchase includes one free retake, which must be taken within 12 months of the original purchase; SINGLE-attempt purchases and no-shows get no retake.

CNCF policy

Also read: docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/faq-cka-ckad-cks, docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/important-instructions-cks, docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/lf-handbook2/language, docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/exam-terms-of-service, cncf.io/training/certification/

Exam facts

Other CNCF exams

Cloud security exams from other vendors