Why I Made This Cheatsheet
Studying for the CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer) exam, I found myself constantly jumping between docs looking for the same kubectl commands and YAML templates.
So I compiled everything into one quick-reference cheatsheet. Sharing the key parts here — hopefully it saves you some time.
First Things First: Exam Setup
Run these immediately when your exam starts:
alias k=kubectl
alias kn='kubectl config set-context --current --namespace'
export do='--dry-run=client -o yaml'
export now='--force --grace-period=0'
These save massive time. Instead of typing kubectl 200 times, you type k.
Generate YAML Instantly
Don't write YAML from scratch. Generate it:
# Pod
k run nginx --image=nginx $do > pod.yaml
# Deployment
k create deployment nginx --image=nginx --replicas=3 $do > deploy.yaml
# Service
k expose deployment nginx --port=80 $do > svc.yaml
# Job
k create job my-job --image=busybox $do > job.yaml
# CronJob
k create cronjob my-cron --image=busybox --schedule="*/5 * * * *" $do > cron.yaml
Then edit the YAML as needed. Way faster than writing from memory.
Quick Resource Templates
Pod with Resource Limits
apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
name: myapp
spec:
containers:
- name: myapp
image: nginx
resources:
requests:
memory: "64Mi"
cpu: "100m"
limits:
memory: "128Mi"
cpu: "200m"
ConfigMap Usage
spec:
containers:
- name: app
envFrom:
- configMapRef:
name: my-config
volumeMounts:
- name: config-vol
mountPath: /etc/config
volumes:
- name: config-vol
configMap:
name: my-config
Probes (Know All Three!)
spec:
containers:
- name: app
livenessProbe:
httpGet:
path: /healthz
port: 8080
initialDelaySeconds: 15
periodSeconds: 10
readinessProbe:
tcpSocket:
port: 8080
initialDelaySeconds: 5
startupProbe:
exec:
command: ["cat", "/tmp/healthy"]
failureThreshold: 30
Must-Know Commands
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Switch context | k config use-context <name> |
| Set namespace | k config set-context --current --namespace=<ns> |
| Get all resources | k get all -A |
| Describe resource | k describe pod <name> |
| Logs | k logs <pod> -c <container> |
| Exec into pod | k exec -it <pod> -- /bin/sh |
| Delete fast | k delete pod <name> $now |
| Scale | k scale deployment <name> --replicas=5 |
| Rollback | k rollout undo deployment/<name> |
Exam Tips
Always check the context — each question specifies one
Use imperative commands — faster than writing YAML
Usekubectl explain—k explain pod.spec.containers
Don't get stuck — flag and move on
Bookmark the kubectl cheatsheet in your exam browser
Full Cheatsheet
I put together a complete 15+ page PDF covering all 5 exam domains:
- Application Design & Build
- Application Deployment
- Observability & Maintenance
- Environment, Config & Security
- Services & Networking
👉 Get the full CKAD Cheatsheet here
What Helped You?
If you've passed CKAD, what resources made the difference? Drop a comment — always looking to improve my prep!
Good luck to everyone studying. You got this! 🚀