Hands-on lab exercises for Docker Certified Associate (DCA) certification
Based on the official DCA Study Guide v1.5 (January 2025) with full coverage of all 6 exam domains, including new Kubernetes topics.
This repository contains practical lab exercises designed to prepare you for the Docker Certified Associate (DCA) exam. The exercises cover:
- ✅ All 6 official DCA exam domains
- ✅ New Kubernetes topics added in Study Guide v1.5 (2025)
- ✅ Hands-on exercises with real Docker commands
- ✅ Docker Compose and Swarm stack examples
- ✅ Kubernetes manifests (Deployments, Services, ConfigMaps, PVCs)
- ✅ A complete sample application for practice
Before you start, you need:
| Requirement | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Docker | Docker 20.10+ | Docker 24.0+ |
| RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Disk | 10 GB free | 20 GB free |
| OS | Windows 10/11, macOS, Linux | Ubuntu 22.04 LTS |
# Verify Docker installation
docker --version
docker compose version
# Verify Docker daemon is running
docker info| Lab | Topic | Time | Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Setup & Verification | 15 min | - | Docker installation and architecture |
| 02 | Installation & Configuration | 30 min | 15% | daemon.json, logging, storage drivers |
| 03 | Images & Dockerfile | 45 min | 20% | Build, multi-stage, registry |
| 04 | Containers, Network & Storage | 60 min | 25% | Networks, volumes, inspect |
| 05 | Docker Swarm |
60 min | 25% | Cluster, services, stacks |
| 06 | Security | 30 min | 15% | DCT, secrets, MTLS |
| 07 | Kubernetes Basics 🆕 | 30 min | NEW | Pods, deployments, services |
| 08 | Exam Preparation | 20 min | - | DOMC format, tips, mock questions |
⚠️ Critical: Docker Swarm (Lab 05) accounts for 25% of the exam - the largest domain!
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/docker-dca-labs.git
cd docker-dca-labs/endocker version
docker info | grep -E "Storage Driver|Logging Driver"cd lab-01-setup
cat README.mdComplete labs 01 → 08 in order. Each lab builds on previous knowledge.
- Download from docker.com/products/docker-desktop
- Install and start Docker Desktop
- Enable Kubernetes in settings (for Lab 07)
- Visit labs.play-with-docker.com
- Log in with Docker Hub account
- Create multiple instances for Swarm labs
# Ubuntu/Debian
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Questions | 55 |
| Time | 90 minutes |
| Format | DOMC (Discrete Option Multiple Choice) |
| Administrator | Mirantis |
| Validity | 2 years |
| Cost | $199 USD |
| Proctoring | Online via Examity |
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Orchestration (Swarm) ████████████████ 25% │
│ Image Creation & Registry ████████████ 20% │
│ Installation & Configuration ██████████ 15% │
│ Networking ██████████ 15% │
│ Security ██████████ 15% │
│ Storage & Volumes ██████ 10% │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
⚠️ CRITICAL: In DOMC format, options are shown one at a time. You must answer YES or NO for each option. You CANNOT go back and change answers!
- 📖 Read the question carefully BEFORE seeing options
- 🧠 Think of the answer BEFORE seeing each option
⚠️ Some questions have MULTIPLE correct answers- ⏱️ Budget ~1.5 min per question
- 🎯 Be confident before answering - no way to go back!
- Evalle/DCA GitHub Repository - Exam objectives mapping
- Play with Docker - Free Docker environment
See CHEATSHEET.md for a complete command reference.
This project is licensed under the MIT License.
Good luck with your DCA certification! 🎯