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This lesson gives a clear, concise overview of the Cilium Certified Associate (CCA) exam: who should take it, what competencies it validates, how the exam is delivered, and the domain breakdown you should study. It’s aimed at platform and cloud engineers working with Kubernetes who want foundational knowledge in networking, security, and observability using Cilium. Cilium Certified Associate (CCA) is an entry-level certification that validates your ability to connect, secure, and observe Kubernetes clusters using Cilium. Passing demonstrates familiarity with Cilium’s architecture, features, common use cases, and the basic operational commands and troubleshooting patterns.
A presentation slide titled "Cilium Certified Associate (CCA) – Overview" with three cards: "Who is it for," "About the certification," and "What it demonstrates." It summarizes an entry-level certification that validates foundational knowledge in connecting, securing, and observing Kubernetes clusters using Cilium and the features/benefits/use cases it covers.
This overview focuses on the knowledge you’ll be expected to demonstrate: Cilium architecture, network policy, observability (Hubble), eBPF fundamentals, installation/operations, Cluster Mesh, and external networking (BGP). Use the domain weights below to prioritize study time.
Exam logistics
ItemDetails
DeliveryOnline, proctored
Question typeMultiple-choice only (no hands-on labs)
Duration90 minutes
Passing score75%
Certification validity2 years
The exam is proctored — the proctor has access to your webcam and microphone. Prepare your environment (lighting, background, and ID) and follow the proctor’s instructions to avoid interruptions or disqualification.
The image is a "Certification Details" slide showing five colored cards that list exam info: Exam Format: Online, Question Type: Multiple choice, Duration: 90 minutes, Passing Score: 75% to pass, and Validity: 2 years. Each card has a small icon and a gradient-colored header.
Domains and competencies The exam is organized into topic domains. The table below shows approximate weightings to help prioritize study.
DomainApprox. weight
Architecture20%
Network Policy18%
eBPF16%
Service Mesh16%
Network Observability8%
Installation & Configuration8%
Cluster Mesh8%
BGP and External Networking6%
Architecture — 20%
  • Understand Cilium’s role within a Kubernetes environment and how it complements the Kubernetes control plane and data plane.
  • Know the major components and responsibilities: Cilium agent, Cilium operator, datapath components (e.g., eBPF programs), and clustering support.
  • Understand IPAM approaches and the datapath models that Cilium supports (how pod addressing and routing are handled).
  • Be able to reason about where policy enforcement and observability hooks exist in the architecture.
A slide titled "Domains and Competencies" with a donut chart showing topic breakdowns (e.g., Architecture 20%, Network Policy 18%, eBPF 16%, Service Mesh 16%, plus other 10%/6% segments). To the right is an "Architecture" box listing Cilium-related points: its role in Kubernetes, Cilium architecture, IPAM with Cilium, component roles, and datapath models.
Network Policy — 18% Service Mesh — 16%
  • Know basic service mesh concepts and common use cases (mTLS, traffic routing, observability).
  • Understand ingress routing using Kubernetes Ingress resources and the newer Gateway API; know why the Gateway API addresses limitations of legacy Ingress: https://gateway-api.sigs.k8s.io/ and https://kubernetes.io/docs/concepts/services-networking/ingress/
  • Be familiar with Cilium options for encrypting traffic in transit and approaches to East-West and North-South encryption.
  • Understand differences between traditional sidecar-based meshes and sidecar-less architectures and how Cilium can enable sidecar-less or lighter-weight proxying.
Network Observability — 8%
  • Be familiar with Hubble (Cilium’s observability tool) and how it provides flow visibility and troubleshooting: https://www.cilium.io/docs/concepts/hubble/
  • Know how to enable L7 protocol visibility, use Hubble CLI to inspect flows, and use the Hubble UI for graphical insights.
Installation & Configuration — 8%
  • Know how to install and configure Cilium using the Cilium CLI and common workflows for verifying health and connectivity: https://docs.cilium.io/en/stable/gettingstarted/
  • Be able to perform common operational checks and run connectivity tests.
Example common Cilium CLI commands: 
# Install Cilium into the cluster
cilium install

# Show cluster and Cilium status
cilium status

# Run a connectivity test suite
cilium connectivity test

# Inspect Cilium configuration
cilium config
Cluster Mesh — 8%
  • Understand Cluster Mesh concepts and how it enables multi-cluster connectivity and service discovery across clusters: https://docs.cilium.io/en/stable/concepts/clustermesh/
  • Know how Cluster Mesh supports cross-cluster load balancing and the trade-offs involved (consistency, latency, and operational overhead).
eBPF — 16%
  • Understand the role of eBPF in Cilium’s architecture: how kernel eBPF programs implement networking, security, and observability features.
  • Know the advantages eBPF provides over legacy iptables-based approaches: improved performance, programmability, lower latency, and finer-grained control. Learn more at https://ebpf.io/
BGP and External Networking — 6%
  • Understand egress and external connectivity considerations and how Cilium integrates with external routers and networks.
  • Know the basics of advertising services and routes to external networks (for example using BGP) so cluster services can be reachable outside the cluster.
A presentation slide titled "Domains and Competencies" with a donut chart breaking down topics (Architecture 20%, Network Policy 18%, eBPF 16%, Service Mesh 16%, Network Observability 10%, Installation & Configuration 10%, Cluster Mesh 10%, BGP and External Networking 6%). To the right is a "BGP" panel listing bullet points about egress connectivity requirements and connecting Cilium‑managed clusters to external networks.
Study strategy and resources
  • Start with conceptual understanding: architecture, identity-based security, and eBPF fundamentals.
  • Practice reading and reasoning about policies — translate policy intent into expected behavior.
  • Use the Cilium CLI to install a test cluster, inspect status, run connectivity tests, and explore Hubble flows.
  • Prioritize domains by weight: focus first on Architecture, Network Policy, eBPF, and Service Mesh, then cover Observability, Installation, Cluster Mesh, and BGP.
References and further reading

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