CBA practice exam: free questions, domains and format

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CBA, the Certified Backstage Associate, is the Linux Foundation multiple-choice exam on Backstage, the developer portal framework. This page lists its four domains and weights, the verified format and cost, five sample questions with answers, and how to start free practice.

By Ibrahim Yesilay · Published 23 Oct 2026 · Updated 23 Oct 2026

Last updated 23 Oct 2026 · Verified 23 Oct 2026 against the Linux Foundation certification page

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What is the CBA exam?

CBA is the Certified Backstage Associate exam from the Linux Foundation and CNCF. It is a proctored, online, multiple-choice exam on Backstage, the open source framework for building internal developer portals. It checks that you understand how a Backstage app is developed and configured, how its infrastructure is deployed and connected to databases and authentication, how the software catalog models components and relationships, and how the portal is customised with plugins, templates and themes. It is a knowledge exam: you read configuration and code fragments and decide what they do. Officially it is the Certified Backstage Associate certification, a multiple-choice exam in the Golden tier of the 16-certification Golden Kubestronaut program. The sections below cover its official domains, the verified format and cost, and its place in the path.

Expect questions on the catalog descriptor files and entity kinds, the app-config structure, the frontend and backend plugin systems, software templates and scaffolding, and TechDocs. Backstage is a TypeScript and React project, so comfortable reading of that code helps even though you never write it in the exam.

CBA exam domains and weights

CBA has four domains. Customizing Backstage is the largest at 32%, followed by Backstage Development Workflow at 24%, and Backstage Infrastructure and Backstage Catalog at 22% each. The spread is close to even, so no domain can be skipped. Customization covers plugins, extension points, themes and software templates, which is where most of the practical Backstage work happens. The development workflow domain is about creating, running and configuring an app, the infrastructure domain about deployment, databases, authentication and integrations, and the catalog domain about entities, relations and discovery. Weights come from the official certification page, checked on 23 October 2026. The official list has 4 domains: the largest is Customizing Backstage at 32% and the smallest is Backstage Catalog at 22%, so a sensible plan splits study time roughly in proportion to these weights.

A good order is workflow first, because it gives you a running app to reason about, then the catalog, since almost every other feature reads from it, then infrastructure, and finally customization, which ties plugins and templates back to the catalog.

Domain	Weight
Backstage Development Workflow	24%
Backstage Infrastructure	22%
Backstage Catalog	22%
Customizing Backstage	32%

Weights as published on the official certification page, checked 23 Oct 2026.

CBA exam format and cost

The CBA exam facts below were read from the official Linux Foundation pages on 2026-10-23, and every row of the table links to the page it came from. Format: Online, proctored, multiple-choice. Questions: 60. Duration: 90 minutes. Passing score: 75%. Price: 250 US dollars. Certification validity: 2 years. Prerequisites: not published by the Linux Foundation. Retake policy: One retake per exam purchase if a passing score is not achieved. Curriculum version: not published by the Linux Foundation. Prices and policies change, so confirm them on the official CBA page before you book. If the Linux Foundation changes a value, this page is updated and shows the date it was last verified.

Questions	60 source
Duration (minutes)	90 source
Passing score	75% source
Price (USD)	250 source
Validity (years)	2 source
Delivery	Online, proctored, multiple-choice source
Prerequisites	not published by the Linux Foundation
Retake policy	One retake per exam purchase if a passing score is not achieved source
Curriculum version	not published by the Linux Foundation

With 60 questions in 90 minutes you have about 90 seconds per question on average, which is enough to read a scenario carefully but not to agonise over one item. If every question counts equally, 75% of 60 is 45 correct answers, so one unknown topic does not decide the result. Flag a hard question, move on, and return to it at the end.

Treat the table as the single source for numbers on this page. If a row says the Linux Foundation does not publish a value, we print that instead of guessing, and the official CBA page remains the final word on registration and policy.

How GoldenKube practice works for CBA

GoldenKube turns the CBA bank into a practice loop. You answer one question at a time, see right away whether you were correct, and read an explanation of why. The next question is chosen for you: reviews that are due come first, then the domain where you are weakest, spread across all 4 exam domains so you do not only practise what you already know. A question you miss comes back on a spaced schedule until you answer it correctly, and a mock exam mode lets you test yourself under exam conditions. You can answer 10 questions as a guest with no sign-up; after that a free account saves your progress, with no credit card.

Adaptive order: due reviews first, then your weakest domain.
Spaced repetition: missed questions return until you have mastered them.
Every question carries an explanation, not just a right-or-wrong verdict.
Mock exam mode for a timed run once you are close to ready.

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5 sample CBA questions

The five questions below come from the GoldenKube CBA bank, and each one shows its correct answer and a written explanation. They are practice questions written for learning, not questions from the real exam, and they were picked once so the page stays stable. Use them as a quick check of your level: if you can explain why each wrong option is wrong, you are in good shape for this part of the syllabus, and if not, the explanation shows what to revise. The sample questions page holds a larger set, and the practice app holds the full bank with adaptive ordering and review.

Question 1

How can you add a TechDocs connection to an entity in the catalog?

A.By setting spec.docs.enabled: true
B.By adding an annotation backstage.io/techdocs-ref: dir:.
C.By creating a separate docs.yaml file
D.By adding a documentation field to spec

Correct answer: B

The backstage.io/techdocs-ref: dir:. annotation is used to indicate that TechDocs documentation exists in the same directory as the entity.

Question 2

Which file contains the primary application configuration shared between the Backstage frontend and backend?

A.settings.yaml – the primary settings file for all Backstage configuration
B.backstage.config.yaml – the root configuration file for Backstage settings
C.config.yaml – the standard YAML configuration file used across the platform
D.app-config.yaml – the primary configuration file shared between frontend and backend

Correct answer: D

app-config.yaml is the main configuration file for a Backstage application. It lives in the project root and contains settings used by both the frontend and backend, including app.baseUrl, backend.baseUrl, catalog configuration, integrations, and authentication settings. Configuration is shared to avoid duplication.

Question 3

What is the recommended database for production Backstage deployments?

A.SQLite – upgraded with WAL mode for production-level performance and reliability
B.MySQL – the primary production database fully supported by Backstage
C.MongoDB – the recommended document database for flexible catalog data storage
D.PostgreSQL – the recommended production-grade relational database for Backstage

Correct answer: D

PostgreSQL is the recommended database for production Backstage deployments. The Backstage backend uses the @backstage/plugin-database-backend package, which supports both PostgreSQL and SQLite. PostgreSQL provides persistent storage, ACID compliance, and the ability to run multiple Backstage backend replicas safely.

Question 4

What database does a standalone Backstage installation use by default?

A.PostgreSQL – the production-grade database installed by default for all environments
B.MySQL – Backstage's default database for both development and production use cases
C.SQLite with an in-memory database – the default for development, not suitable for production
D.MongoDB – the NoSQL database used by Backstage for flexible entity storage

Correct answer: C

Out-of-the-box, Backstage uses an in-memory SQLite database. This requires no external database setup, making it ideal for quick local testing and demos. However, because data is not persisted between restarts, SQLite is not suitable for production deployments—PostgreSQL should be used instead.

Question 5

Which of the following would you configure to refresh catalog locations on a schedule?

A.
```
catalog:
  refresh:
    interval: 60
```
B.
```
catalog:
  cron: "*/30 * * * *"
```

catalog:
  locations:
    - schedule:
        frequency: { minutes: 30 }

D.
```
catalog:
  processingInterval: 30
```

Correct answer: C

This configuration sets up scheduled refreshes for catalog locations, with a frequency of every 30 minutes.

Where CBA sits in the Golden Kubestronaut path

CBA is a Golden-tier certification, not one of the 5 core Kubestronaut certifications, and Golden Kubestronaut requires all 16 certifications in the program, so CBA is a required step. Its own prerequisites, per the Linux Foundation: not published by the Linux Foundation. The program page lists all 16 certifications side by side and marks which ones GoldenKube can practice today. Within the program it belongs to the platform engineering group: Backstage is a common foundation for internal developer platforms, so CBA connects directly to CNPA, which covers platform engineering concepts, and to CNPE, the hands-on platform engineer exam that includes self-service capabilities. Taking CBA gives you a concrete product to hang those ideas on.

Of the Golden exams it is the one closest to application development rather than cluster operations, which makes it a change of pace in the path. The program page shows all sixteen certifications and which of them GoldenKube practices today.

Frequently asked questions

What is the CBA exam?

CBA stands for Certified Backstage Associate. Multiple-choice exam on the Backstage development workflow, infrastructure, software catalog and customization. It is one of the 16 certifications in the Golden Kubestronaut program, in the Golden requirement tier.

How many questions are on the CBA exam?

60 questions, according to the Linux Foundation pages checked on 2026-10-23. Every question is multiple-choice. The exact count and format can change, so confirm it on the official page before booking.

What is the CBA passing score?

75% is the passing score published by the Linux Foundation, as checked on 2026-10-23. Aim to score clearly above it in practice, because the real exam will contain topics you have not seen.

How much does the CBA exam cost?

The exam price is 250 US dollars, with a certification validity of 2 years. Retake policy: One retake per exam purchase if a passing score is not achieved. Prices change, so check the official CBA page before you pay.

How long is the CBA exam?

90 minutes, per the Linux Foundation pages checked on 2026-10-23. Plan your pacing before the exam day: know roughly how long you can afford to spend on one question.

How hard is the CBA exam?

CBA is an associate-level, multiple-choice exam. The difficulty depends on background: candidates who have run a Backstage instance find the catalog and configuration questions familiar, while those who have only read about it must learn the file formats and the plugin model. GoldenKube has no pass-rate data and does not claim one. Customization carries the highest weight, so plugin and template questions deserve extra practice.

Is CBA required for Golden Kubestronaut?

Yes. Golden Kubestronaut requires all 16 certifications in the program, including CBA.

How do I start free CBA practice?

Open the CBA practice page and answer your first question. You get 10 free guest answers with no sign-up, then a free account keeps your progress, with no credit card. Every answer has an explanation, weak domains come up more often, and missed questions return on a spaced schedule.

Exam facts verified 23 Oct 2026 on the official CBA certification page.

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