Kubernetes and Cloud Native Security Associate (KCSA) exam price, length, validity and renewal

CNCF · KCSA

Price	$250 per attempt, US list priceExam only; includes one retake. Bundles with a course or THRIVE-ONE subscription cost more
Length	90 min
Questions	60
Format	Multiple choice
Passing score	75%
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; passing CKS also renews KCSA automatically
Prerequisites	None
Level	Foundational (CNCF calls it Beginner)
Delivery	Online proctored (PSI)
Languages	English
Source	training.linuxfoundation.org/certification/kubernetes-and-cloud-native-security-associate-kcsa/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
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
Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)CKSFor Kubernetes practitioners who hold the CKA and secure container-based applications and Kubernetes platforms during build, deployment and runtime.	Specialty	$445	120 min	2 years

Track

SecurityUnverified$99

GitHub Advanced SecurityCandidates for this exam have experience using GitHub Advanced Security (GHAS) to secure code, secrets, and dependencies across the software development lifecycle.GitHub · GH-500 · Foundational SecurityUnverified$99

Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity FundamentalsThis certification is targeted to you, if you’re looking to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of security, compliance, and identity (SCI) across cloud-based and related Microsoft services.Microsoft · SC-900 · Foundational SecurityUnverified$100

Datadog Cloud SIEM for AWS FundamentalsEvaluates skills in implementing, configuring and managing Datadog Cloud SIEM for AWS environments, including threat detection and incident response.Datadog · Foundational · 120 min · valid 3 years Security$125

Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) CybersecurityValidates entry-level cybersecurity knowledge: security principles, network and endpoint security, vulnerability assessment and risk management, and incident handling.Cisco · 100-160 · Foundational · 50 min · valid 5 years Security

SAP Certified - Security AdministratorVerifies core knowledge of a Security Administrator in SAP system security, including SAP authorization and security concepts in SAP S/4HANA.SAP · C_SEC · Associate · 180 min · valid 1 year Security$70.50

HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate (003)An associate exam on securing workloads on a platform.HashiCorp · 003 · Associate · 60 min Security$165

Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator AssociateFor identity and access administrators who design, implement, and operate an organization's identity and access management by using Microsoft Entra.Microsoft · SC-300 · Associate · 100 min · valid 1 year SecurityUnverified$165

Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator AssociateAs an Information Security Administrator, you plan and implement information security of sensitive data by using Microsoft Purview and related services.Microsoft · SC-401 · Associate

Exam	Level	Price	Length	Valid for
GitHub Advanced SecurityGH-500UnverifiedCandidates for this exam have experience using GitHub Advanced Security (GHAS) to secure code, secrets, and dependencies across the software development lifecycle.	Foundational	$99	-	-
Microsoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity FundamentalsSC-900UnverifiedThis certification is targeted to you, if you’re looking to familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of security, compliance, and identity (SCI) across cloud-based and related Microsoft services.	Foundational	$99	-	-
Datadog Cloud SIEM for AWS FundamentalsUnverifiedEvaluates skills in implementing, configuring and managing Datadog Cloud SIEM for AWS environments, including threat detection and incident response.	Foundational	$100	120 min	3 years
Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity100-160Validates entry-level cybersecurity knowledge: security principles, network and endpoint security, vulnerability assessment and risk management, and incident handling.	Foundational	$125	50 min	5 years
SAP Certified - Security AdministratorC_SECVerifies core knowledge of a Security Administrator in SAP system security, including SAP authorization and security concepts in SAP S/4HANA.	Associate	-	180 min	1 year
HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate (003)003An associate exam on securing workloads on a platform.	Associate	$70.50	60 min	-
Microsoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator AssociateSC-300For identity and access administrators who design, implement, and operate an organization's identity and access management by using Microsoft Entra.	Associate	$165	100 min	1 year
Microsoft Certified: Information Security Administrator AssociateSC-401UnverifiedAs an Information Security Administrator, you plan and implement information security of sensitive data by using Microsoft Purview and related services.	Associate	$165	-	-

About this exam

Pre-professional exam for people starting in cloud native security who want to show foundational security knowledge.

What the official page says

Price: "$250 Exam only"
Duration: "Duration of Exam 90 minutes"
Questions: "consists of 60* multiple-choice questions"
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-mc, docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/important-instructions-mc, 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