CKS Mock Exam — k8s v1.35

Timed practice that mirrors the current CKS (17 tasks, 2h, six domains). Runs on kind (k8s v1.35.5) with the host-side / kernel bits on your Ubuntu VM.

Prereqs (Ubuntu VM)

docker, kind >= v0.32.0, kubectl v1.35, helm
host tools installed latest: kube-bench, trivy, kubesec, falco (v0.44.x), optional cosign
host must have AppArmor enabled (default on Ubuntu) for Task 7

Quickstart

chmod +x bootstrap.sh seed.sh
./bootstrap.sh     # creates 'cks' cluster (1 cp + 2 workers) + ingress-nginx
./seed.sh          # plants the target/vulnerable objects
# set a 2h timer, open exam.md, go.

Files

kind-config.yaml — cluster topology, v1.35.5 pinned digest, exam-files mount
bootstrap.sh — cluster + ingress controller + tooling checklist
seed.sh — objects for the kubectl-only tasks
exam.md — the 17 tasks (per-task setup + statement, no answers)
answers/solutions.md — worked solutions (don't peek until you've timed a full run)

Domain coverage (weights)

Cluster Setup 15 · Cluster Hardening 15 · System Hardening 10 · Microservice Vuln 20 · Supply Chain 20 · Monitoring/Logging/Runtime 20.

Reset

kind delete cluster --name cks && ./bootstrap.sh && ./seed.sh

Notes / kind caveats

Version: exam is on v1.35 per the Linux Foundation page. k8s 1.36 shipped ~May 2026; the exam env aligns "within 4–8 weeks" of a release, so it may have rolled to 1.36 by your date — verify on the LF exam page. Nothing in this set changes between 1.35/1.36. To bump: swap the digest in kind-config.yaml for a kindest/node:v1.36.x one.
AppArmor needs a real AppArmor host; works on Ubuntu, not on Docker Desktop/macOS.
gVisor (Task 11) pod stays Pending in kind (no runsc in kind's containerd) — the config is the graded artifact.
ImagePolicyWebhook / audit / encryption edit the live apiserver: always cp the manifest first so you can revert fast.

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