Decision Trainer· k8s Flashcards
Start training

Kubernetes scenario practice

Make the right kubectl call under pressure.

Short incident scenarios with graded feedback — practice the decisions you make in real clusters, not isolated trivia.

Start free — Pod DebuggingBrowse all topics

850+ scenario casesNo account needed~5 min per session

scenario · pod_debuggingStandard

A Pod in namespace shop keeps restarting. Status: CrashLoopBackOff.

?What is your best next step?

1kubectl delete pod api-7f8b9c -n shop
2kubectl describe pod api-7f8b9c -n shop
3kubectl logs api-7f8b9c -n shop
4kubectl rollout restart deployment/api -n shop

✓ Best first step

Describe shows Events, exit codes, and probe failures — then logs --previous.

How a session works

Five minutes, three beats — the same arc CKA and on-call practice both reward: orient, decide, then sequence.

  1. Warm up

    Two quick foundation prompts refresh the concepts you need before the incident hits.

  2. Decide

    Read realistic terminal output, then pick the best first kubectl step from graded options.

  3. Sequence

    When the fix takes more than one move, order the runbook — describe before delete.

Full topic catalog850 scenarios · 7 core paths
Free

Pod Debugging

Read pod status, events, and container failures — decide the first diagnostic step under pressure.

66 training itemsStart free →
Free

Service Connectivity

Trace traffic from Service to Endpoints to Pods — find where connectivity breaks.

60 training itemsStart free →
Free

Deployment Rollouts

Unstick rollouts, compare ReplicaSets, and choose safe recovery when releases stall.

60 training itemsStart free →
Free

Scheduling & Resources

Pending pods, taints, affinity, and quotas — decide why the scheduler refused your workload.

58 training itemsStart free →
Free

Config & Secrets

ConfigMaps, Secrets, and env wiring — trace missing keys and mount failures before restarting pods.

59 training itemsStart free →
Free

Security & RBAC

Forbidden errors, ServiceAccounts, and token mounts — pick the right permission check first.

58 training itemsStart free →
Free

Storage & Volumes

PVC binding, volume mounts, and attach errors — debug storage before blaming the app.

59 training itemsStart free →

Certification

CKA & CKAD exam prep

100 scenario cases per exam — open during early access.

Free

CKAD Exam Prep

Application-focused decisions — probes, rollouts, multi-container pods, Jobs, and manifest debugging under exam pressure. 100 scenario cases.

130 training itemsStart free →
Free

CKA Exam Prep

Cluster operations under pressure — nodes, control plane, networking, storage, and etcd. 100 scenario cases.

130 training itemsStart free →

Platform & GitOps

Helm, Kyverno & Argo CD

Helm, Kustomize, Kyverno, and Argo CD scenarios — open during early access.

Free

Helm Releases & Rollbacks

Failed upgrades, stuck releases, and values drift — decide whether to inspect history, diff manifests, or rollback first.

46 training itemsStart free →
Free

Kustomize Bases & Overlays

Build failures, patch merge issues, and generator side effects — decide whether to kustomize build, diff output, or fix kustomization.yaml first.

46 training itemsStart free →
Free

Kyverno & Admission Policies

PolicyReports, validate/mutate/generate rules, and blocked pods — find the policy layer before changing workloads.

46 training itemsStart free →
Free

Argo CD & GitOps

OutOfSync apps, sync failures, and rollback vs fix-forward — trace Git state, live cluster, and controller health.

46 training itemsStart free →

Job interviews

Kubernetes interview prep

Interview-style scenarios — open during early access.

Free

Kubernetes Interview Prep

Explain trade-offs, prioritize checks, and walk through incidents — the way real technical interviews ask. 300 training items.

300 training itemsStart free →
Common questionsFAQ
Do I need a Kubernetes cluster to practice here?

No. Every scenario includes realistic kubectl output and incident context. You decide the next command from what you see — the same reading you'd do on a real cluster, without provisioning nodes or installing a control plane in this app.

What's included in the free Pod Debugging path?

During early access, every topic is open — including Pod Debugging, all core paths, CKA/CKAD prep, platform/GitOps, and interview scenarios. Pod Debugging is still the best place to start.

What happens in a typical five-minute session?

Core topics: two foundation warm-ups, four incident scenarios (pick the best first kubectl step), then one runbook ordering exercise. CKA, CKAD, and platform topics add a third warm-up and may include a second runbook — still designed for a short sitting, not a multi-hour lab.

CKA or CKAD — which exam pack should I choose?

CKAD practice focuses on workloads — Deployments, probes, Services, ConfigMaps, Jobs, and manifest fixes. CKA practice focuses on cluster operations — nodes, networking, storage, and control-plane troubleshooting. The Linux Foundation does not require CKA before CKAD (or the reverse); pick the lens that matches your role.

Is this enough to pass the CKA or CKAD exam on its own?

No. Official CKA and CKAD exams are performance-based: you work in a live environment, create and edit resources, and verify fixes under a two-hour clock with roughly 15–20 tasks. Use Decision Trainer to drill diagnostic order under pressure; pair it with hands-on cluster practice (kind, minikube, or a cloud sandbox) and the official curriculum.

Is this official CNCF or Linux Foundation training?

No. Decision Trainer is independent, unofficial practice. Kubernetes®, CKA®, and CKAD® are registered trademarks of The Linux Foundation. This site is not affiliated with CNCF or The Linux Foundation.

How is this different from a kubectl cheat sheet?

Cheat sheets list commands. Here you choose the best next step from terminal output while a pod is CrashLooping or a Service has no Endpoints — closer to on-call triage and exam scenarios than memorizing syntax in isolation.

Do I need an account — and is there a subscription?

No account is required to start. Progress stays in your browser until you sign up. A free account syncs training history across devices. There is no subscription — during early access everything is open.