ICA - Istio Certified Associate¶
The Istio Certified Associate (ICA) certification validates hands-on skills with Istio service mesh, including installation, traffic management, security, and troubleshooting. This is a performance-based exam requiring practical Istio experience in a live environment.
Exam Details¶
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | Performance-based (hands-on) |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Questions | ~15-20 tasks |
| Passing Score | 68% |
| Cost | $250 |
| Validity | 2 years |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Delivery | Online proctored (PSI Secure Browser) |
| Open Book | Yes — Istio docs, Istio Blog, Kubernetes docs |
Performance-based Exam
The ICA exam is hands-on (similar to CKA/CKAD). You will work in a live terminal environment with real Istio clusters. No multiple-choice questions.
Domain Breakdown¶
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Installation & Configuration | 20% |
| Traffic Management | 35% |
| Security | 25% |
| Troubleshooting | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
pie title ICA Exam Domain Weights
"Installation & Configuration" : 20
"Traffic Management" : 35
"Security" : 25
"Troubleshooting" : 20Exam Tip
Traffic Management is the largest domain at 35%. Master VirtualService, DestinationRule, Gateway resources, traffic shifting, and resilience features (circuit breaking, retries, timeouts). Combined with Security (25%), these two domains account for 60% of the exam.
Key Resources¶
Official Resources¶
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| ICA Curriculum (PDF) | Official exam curriculum maintained by CNCF |
| ICA Certification Page | Registration, handbook, and exam policies |
| Istio Documentation | Official Istio docs (allowed during exam) |
| killer.sh | Official exam simulator (included with purchase) |
Courses¶
| Course | Platform |
|---|---|
| Istio Certified Associate (ICA) | KodeKloud |
| Istio Service Mesh | Tetrate Academy |
Community Resources¶
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| DevOpsCube ICA Study Guide | Blog-style study guide |
| Istio by Example | Practical Istio patterns |