Exam version policy

KubeDojo runs two tracks on purpose. Mixing them is how learners fail exams and how agents rewrite the wrong files.

Track A — Exam pin (certifications)

Field	Value
Current pin	Kubernetes 1.35
Applies to	CKA, CKAD, CKS, and associate tracks that declare the same target
Verified	2026-09-14 (LF FAQ + CKA/CKAD/CKS product pages still say v1.35)
Source of truth	docs/pins/kubernetes.yaml → exam_pin

Rules

• Cert modules teach the exam environment version, not “whatever is newest on kubernetes.io”.
• Upstream GA of 1.36 or 1.37 does not by itself authorize a cert-corpus rewrite.
• Bump the pin only after web-verified evidence that the Linux Foundation / CNCF exam (or published curriculum PDF) moved.
• The LF note that exam environments “align with the most recent K8s minor version within approximately 4 to 8 weeks” is a forecast. It is not proof that today’s exam already moved.

How to verify the exam pin

Agents and editors must re-check these official pages on the same day before changing exam_pin (all must agree):

Source	What to read
LF FAQ — exam environment	“What application version is running in the Exam Environment?”
CKA	“The exam is based on Kubernetes v…”
CKAD	same sentence
CKS	same sentence

Re-verified 2026-09-14: CKA, CKAD, and CKS still state Kubernetes v1.35. Record the date and a verbatim quote in docs/pins/kubernetes.yaml when the pin moves.

Look for the inline target callouts already used in cert part-0 modules (for example CKA exam strategy). Prefer linking here rather than inventing a second story per lesson.

Track B — Latest-stable (Release Radar)

Field	Value
Supported minors	1.37, 1.36, 1.35 (upstream three-branch window)
Home	Release Radar
Source of truth	docs/pins/kubernetes.yaml → latest_stable_track

Rules

• Teach deltas: Stable graduations, removals, on-by-default betas that change operator behavior.
• Do not clone CKA/CKAD/CKS per minor.
• When a minor leaves upstream support, archive it on the Release Radar index; keep history, drop “supported now”.

Shared fundamentals

Pods, Deployments, Services, RBAC, scheduling basics, and troubleshooting method stay in the cert and prerequisites tracks. Release Radar assumes that foundation and shows what changed.

What agents must not do

• Rewrite every cert module on each Kubernetes minor.
• Treat busybox:1.36 image tags as a cluster version pin.
• Document every alpha feature as production guidance.
• Silently bump exam_pin without LF/CNCF verification.

Standing playbook: docs/release-maintenance/kubernetes-minor-release-playbook.md.