CCA Mock Exam and Practice Questions

Practise for the Cilium Certified Associate exam with mock exams in its real format: 60 multi-choice questions, 90 minutes and a 75% pass mark, with an explanation for every option. eBPF networking, observability, and security for Kubernetes.

CCA is one of the 16 certifications required for Golden Kubestronaut. See the full Golden Kubestronaut list →

CCA exam domains and topics

The official CCA curriculum splits the exam into 8 weighted domains. Under each are the competencies it lists — the topics the mock exams here are written against.

• Architecture 20% · ~12 questions
  • Understand the Role of Cilium in Kubernetes Environments
  • Cilium Architecture
  • IP Address Management (IPAM) with Cilium
  • Cilium Component Roles
  • Datapath Models
• Network Policy 18% · ~11 questions
  • Interpret Cilium Network Polices and Intent
  • Understand Cilium's Identity-based Network Security Model
  • Policy Enforcement Modes
  • Policy Rule Structure
  • Kubernetes Network Policies versus Cilium Network Policies
• Service Mesh 16% · ~10 questions
  • Know How to use Ingress or Gateway API for Ingress Routing
  • Service Mesh Use Cases
  • Understand the Benefits of Gateway API over Ingress
  • Encrypting Traffic in Transit with Cilium
  • Sidecar-based versus Sidecarless Architectures
• Network Observability 10% · ~6 questions
  • Understand the Observability Capabilities of Hubble
  • Enabling Layer 7 Protocol Visibility
  • Know How to Use Hubble from the Command Line or the Hubble UI
• Installation and Configuration 10% · ~6 questions
  • Know How to Use Cilium CLI to Query and Modify the Configuration
  • Using Cilium CLI to Install Cilium, Run Connectivity Tests, and Monitor its Status
• Cluster Mesh 10% · ~6 questions
  • Understand the Benefits of Cluster Mesh for Multi-cluster Connectivity
  • Achieve Service Discovery and Load Balancing Across Clusters with Cluster Mesh
• eBPF 10% · ~6 questions
  • Understand the Role of eBPF in Cilium
  • eBPF Key Benefits
  • eBPF-based Platforms versus IPtables-based Platforms
• BGP and External Networking 6% · ~4 questions
  • Egress Connectivity Requirements
  • Understand Options to Connect Cilium-managed Clusters with External Networks

Questions per domain are the official weight applied to the exam's 60 questions, rounded.

A free CCA sample question

What is in the CCA mock exams

• 3 full mock exams of 60 questions each: 180 original questions across all 8 domains.
• Exam simulation on the real 90-minute timer, with your score and a breakdown by domain at the end.
• Practice mode with the explanation after every answer, plus domain drills and a review of the questions you missed.
• The full mocks need a paid plan; the sample question on this page is free.

Prerequisites and background knowledge

Kubernetes networking fundamentals (Services, NetworkPolicy). Basic understanding of TCP/IP, iptables, and Linux networking concepts.

Official reference: cncf.io/training/certification/cca.

More CCA practice resources

Where to go after CCA

Once you pass CCA, these certs are natural next steps on the Golden Kubestronaut path: