Right now, Docker skills are highly sought after, and getting a docker certification is a great way to validate your skills and experience with Docker. Docker currently offer the Docker Certified Associate certification, otherwise known as the Docker DCA, which is a multiple choice exam designed to test your real world docker skills.
I’ve put this post together to help prepare for the docker certification exam by sharing some useful content, from this site and from elsewhere.
The docker certification exam has 55 multiple choice questions designed to test your knowledge of Docker’s products, including Docker Engine, Swarm, Docker Trusted Registry, and Universal Control Plane. For me, it offers a structured way to learn about container technology, and whilst you may be more into Kubernetes than Docker Swarm – it will certainly help expand and reinforce your knowledge of containers. The Docker DCA certification is valid for 2 years.
| exam details |
| The docker dca exam is currently made up of a combination of multiple choice and discrete option multiple choice (DOMC) questions. The certification is designed to validate professionals with a minimum of 6 to 12 months of Docker experience. You can find the docker exam blueprint / study guide here. |
| docker certification questions |
The certification exam can be broken down as follows:Orchestration 25% Images and Registry 20% Installation and Configuration 15% Networking 15% Security 15% Storage and Volumes 10% |
| how long is the docker exam? |
| The docker dca exam is currently 90 minutes long. This exam is remotely proctored to a Windows or Mac device, and is available globally in English. |
| what does the docker certification exam cost? |
| The Docker DCA exam is currently USD $195 or Euro €175 Check here for latest details. |
Docker Certified Associate Study Resources
As I have been working through the exam objectives, I have been writing articles about many of the topics covered by the certification, which are listed below, loosely categorised:
| installing and running | |
| Installing Docker on Centos 7 | How to install the Docker Engine on Centos 7 |
| Docker Exec | How to use Docker Exec effectively |
| How to copy a Docker Image | Commands used to copy a docker image |
| Where Are Docker Images Stored | Docker image location on Linux and Windows Docker hosts |
| Docker DCA – Running Docker Containers | All about how to run Docker containers |
| Listing Docker Containers and Images | How to list Docker containers and images |
| Linux namespaces and cgroups | Understanding Linux cgroups and namespaces |
| All about DockerFiles | Building Docker Images using DockerFiles |
| Docker Inspect | How to use docker inspect |
| All about Docker Images | Docker Images |
| Docker Compose | Docker Compose Tutorial |
| Docker Private Registry | How to create a private registry |
| configuring docker | |
| Configure Docker Logging Drivers | All about how to configure logging |
| storage and networks | |
| A Quick Look at Docker Storage Drivers | How to configure docker storage drivers |
| docker swarm | |
| Docker DCA – Creating a Docker Swarm | How to create a Docker Swarm |
| Locking and Unlocking a Swarm | How to configure auto-lock |
| Docker Services | Create and Manage docker services |
| docker cheatsheets | |
| docker swarm cheat sheet | all about docker swarm commands |
| docker compose cheat sheet | all about docker compose commands |
My Favourite Docker Certification Books
There are a lot of great docker books to help you on your journey to becoming Docker Certified. In this section I will list some of the ones I have used whilst studying for the Docker Certified Associate exam. Hopefully they may help you also get your dca certificate!
| Docker Deepdive. This is the ultimate book for learning Docker, brought to you by Docker Captain and leading educator in the container ecosystem Nigel Poulton. |  |
| Docker in Practice, presents nearly 120 practical techniques, hand-picked to help users get the most out of Docker. |  |
Final Thoughts
I’ll be adding to the content here as I work through the docker certification objectives, so bookmark this page and keep checking back. I’ll also be posting to Twitter as new content is added, so be sure to follow me there! Here’s to success on your Docker certification journey!