Everything needed to plan for the CKS (CKS) exam: number of questions, time limit, passing score, and the official domain weightings. For the study checklist itself, see the CKS study guide.
CKS (CKS) is a Professional level Linux Foundation certification exam with about 17 questions in 120 minutes, requiring 67% to pass. It covers 6 official domains: Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities (20%); Supply Chain Security (20%); Monitoring, Logging and Runtime Security (20%); Cluster Hardening (15%); System Hardening (15%); Cluster Setup (10%).
Exam code
CKS
Questions
~17
Time limit
120 min
Passing score
67%
Official domains
6
Level
Professional
Provider
Linux Foundation
Practice questions
300+ on CertStud
| Domain | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities | 20% | Secure containerized applications |
| Supply Chain Security | 20% | Secure container supply chain |
| Monitoring, Logging and Runtime Security | 20% | Detect and respond to security events |
| Cluster Hardening | 15% | Secure cluster components and access |
| System Hardening | 15% | Minimize host OS footprint and secure Linux |
| Cluster Setup | 10% | Configure Kubernetes security from installation |
Percentages reflect published official domain weightings. Prerequisite knowledge and current scoring rules are confirmed on the Linux Foundation exam page before booking.
The CKS exam has approximately 17 questions. Question counts can vary slightly between deliveries, so treat 17 as the planning figure rather than a fixed number.
Candidates get about 120 minutes to complete the CKS exam, which works out to roughly 7 minute(s) per question at 17 questions.
The CKS exam requires 67% to pass. Scores are reported on a scaled rather than a raw percentage basis, so a passing result does not correspond to a simple count of correct answers.
The CKS exam covers 6 official domains: Cluster Setup (10%), Cluster Hardening (15%), System Hardening (15%), Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities (20%), Supply Chain Security (20%), Monitoring, Logging and Runtime Security (20%).
Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities carries the heaviest weighting on the CKS exam at 20% of the exam. Secure containerized applications
CKS is the exam code for CKS (Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist), a Professional level Linux Foundation certification exam covering 6 domains.
The CKS exam reports 67% on a scaled score. Plan for roughly 17 questions across 120 minutes, weighted by domain: 20% Minimize Microservice Vulnerabilities, 20% Supply Chain Security, 20% Monitoring, Logging and Runtime Security, 15% Cluster Hardening, 15% System Hardening, 10% Cluster Setup.
CertStud offers free CKS practice questions with detailed explanations, plus full-length practice exams and flashcards at https://certstud.com/certifications/linux-foundation/cks. Start with 10 free questions at https://certstud.com/try-free.