This Is What the CBA Exam Looks Like
In one line
CBA is a multiple-choice exam, and you must score 75% or higher within 90 minutes to pass.
Why read this first
The most common failure in studying for a certification is caused not by not knowing the content but by walking in without knowing the shape of the exam. If you do not know what the passing score is, how tight the time is, or which domains have many questions, you cannot set your preparation priorities.
Official specification
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | Multiple choice |
| Time limit | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 75% |
| Number of questions | 60 |
| Exam fee | $250 (includes one retake) |
| Validity | 2 years |
These values come from the candidate documents on docs.linuxfoundation.org. The certification introduction page does not state the passing score or the number of questions, so if you prepare by looking only at that, you walk into the exam without knowing the passing score.
Domain weights
| Domain | Weight | Questions in this practice exam |
|---|---|---|
| Backstage Development Workflow | 24% | 15 questions |
| Backstage Infrastructure | 22% | 13 questions |
| Backstage Catalog | 22% | 13 questions |
| Customizing Backstage | 32% | 19 questions |
More questions come from domains with larger weights. Use this ratio as the basis when allocating study time. This practice exam also distributes its questions in the same ratio.
Where the answers split
When you grade a practice exam, the questions you miss cluster in one form. You get them wrong not because you do not know the content but because you missed which of two similar concepts was being asked about. When one of the pairs below comes to mind as you read a question, first separate them using the criterion in the third column.
| This | That | What separates them |
|---|---|---|
| Software Catalog | Software Template | What creates something new is the Template |
| Entity | Component | Component is one kind of Entity |
| TechDocs | A documentation link in the catalog | If it builds the repository's Markdown and serves it, it is TechDocs |
| plugin | backend plugin | If it provides an API, it is backend |
| catalog-info.yaml | app-config.yaml | If it registers the thing itself, it is catalog-info |
This does not mean to memorize the table. If you mark which pair each missed question hit, the place to study again becomes far narrower than a domain name.
What you can consult while solving
In a multiple-choice exam, you cannot look at any materials. Documentation, searching, and notes are all not allowed. This is the biggest difference from a practical exam.
What you actually experience on exam day
Many people know all the content yet lose time by panicking over the procedure.
The exam is taken on PSI's Bridge platform with online proctoring. The procedure in which the proctor checks over video takes up to 30 minutes, during which the questions do not open and the time limit does not start. Even so, you must keep your schedule free for the 30-minute check-in plus the exam time.
There are four things confirmed at check-in. Agreeing to the confidentiality agreement, a government-issued ID that matches the registered name exactly, showing the room by panning the webcam around, and closing unapproved software. Because of the last item, turning off background programs such as Slack or cloud sync in advance saves time.
There are several conditions that are easy to get caught on when taking the exam in Korea. The ID must have a signature, so a passport is the safest. You can use only one monitor, and dual monitors are not supported. There must be no objects on the desk or under it, writing on paper is prohibited, and reading the questions aloud is not allowed either. On a company network or VPN, AWS S3 access is sometimes blocked and you get caught in the pre-check.
You can change a reservation only until 24 hours before the start. And if you book and do not show up, you not only lose the exam fee but also lose your retake eligibility. The result arrives by email within 24 hours after the end.
The exam fee includes one retake, and you must complete both the exam and the retake within 12 months of the original purchase date. There is no official waiting period, so you can retake right after receiving the result. Rather than postponing because you are not perfectly prepared, it is often better to take it once and find out which domain is weak.
The certification is valid for 2 years. The CARE program introduced in 2026 overlaps with this. If you pass CKA or CKAD, KCNA is renewed automatically, and if you pass CKS, KCSA and CKA are renewed automatically. However, you must earn the lower-level certification first for this chain to work. If you earn CKA first and KCNA later, that CKA will not renew KCNA. If you are aiming for Golden Kubestronaut, this order decides the renewal burden for the following years.
How to use this practice exam
The time limit is set the same as the real exam. The remaining time is shown at the top of the screen, and when time runs out it is submitted automatically and unanswered questions are treated as wrong. That is because the real exam also grades only what you have answered at that point.
It is important to sit and finish it in one go. If you look things up as you go, your score rises but that score does not predict the real exam. What you want to check is not whether you know, but whether you clear the passing score within the time limit.
After reading the explanations of the questions you missed, study again the domains those questions belong to.