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20 Free CBA Sample Questions with Answers

By Ibrahim Yesilay · Published · Updated

Here are 20 free CBA sample questions with answers, taken from the GoldenKube question bank and grouped by exam domain. Every question has the correct answer marked and a written explanation, so you can check what you know and see why the wrong options fail. Certified Backstage Associate is a multiple-choice exam; this set is independent practice and not affiliated with the Linux Foundation.

How to use these CBA practice questions

Work through the 20 CBA sample questions in one sitting without looking anything up. For each question, decide on an answer first, then open the answer and read the explanation, including when you were right, because a correct guess and a correct line of reasoning look identical until the exam rewords the question. Mark every question as right, wrong or guessed, and count a guess as wrong when you score yourself. Give the set about 30 minutes, which is the average time per question on the real exam multiplied by twenty. The aim is to find out which exam domains are already solid and which ones need study before you buy the exam.

The official exam format is 60 questions in 90 minutes, with a passing score of 75%, according to the Linux Foundation documentation checked on 2026-10-23.

With JavaScript enabled, each answer starts collapsed behind a Show answer button so you can test yourself. Without JavaScript, and for any crawler or screen reader that reads the raw page, every answer and explanation is already visible below its question.

These questions were written for GoldenKube practice. They are not copied from the real exam, and nothing on this page tells you what the real exam will ask.

  • Read the question twice and underline the constraint words: "most", "least", "first", "only", "not".
  • Eliminate options you can prove wrong before you pick between the rest.
  • Where a question says to select all that apply, every correct option must be chosen and none of the wrong ones.
  • Read the explanation even for questions you got right; it often names the nearby concept the exam likes to swap in.

Backstage Development Workflow (5 questions)

Question 1

Which file contains the primary application configuration shared between the Backstage frontend and backend?
  1. A.settings.yaml – the primary settings file for all Backstage configuration
  2. B.backstage.config.yaml – the root configuration file for Backstage settings
  3. C.config.yaml – the standard YAML configuration file used across the platform
  4. 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 2

What command compiles a Backstage project without starting the development server?
  1. A.yarn tsc
  2. B.yarn compile
  3. C.yarn build
  4. D.yarn make

Correct answer: C

The yarn build command compiles the Backstage project without starting the development server, creating a production-ready build.

Question 3

What is the recommended approach for running a Backstage application in Docker?
  1. A.Single-stage build with a Node.js base image
  2. B.Multi-stage build separating build and runtime environments
  3. C.Using an official Backstage Docker image
  4. D.Building directly on an Alpine Linux base image

Correct answer: B

The recommended approach for Docker builds is using multi-stage builds to separate the build environment from the runtime environment, resulting in smaller and more secure containers.

Question 4

How is a Backstage application's codebase organized by default?
  1. A.As a single monolithic package with all frontend and backend code bundled together
  2. B.As independent microservices with separate repositories per capability area
  3. C.As a collection of Docker containers orchestrated by Docker Compose files
  4. D.As Yarn workspaces inside a packages/ directory containing separate frontend and backend packages

Correct answer: D

A Backstage application is a Yarn workspace monorepo. The packages/ directory contains at least packages/app (the React frontend) and packages/backend (the Node.js backend). Additional plugins can be added as separate workspace packages, allowing them to be developed and versioned independently while sharing common dependencies.

Question 5

What is a key difference between frontend and backend plugins in Backstage?
  1. A.Frontend plugins manage API integrations, while backend plugins manage UI components.
  2. B.Frontend plugins handle user interfaces, while backend plugins manage server-side logic.
  3. C.Backend plugins are required for CI/CD integration, while frontend plugins handle entity ingestion.
  4. D.Backend plugins render UI components dynamically, while frontend plugins are static.

Correct answer: B

Frontend plugins handle UI components and user interaction, while backend plugins manage server-side logic like APIs and integrations.

Backstage Infrastructure (4 questions)

Question 6

What is the recommended database for production Backstage deployments?
  1. A.SQLite – upgraded with WAL mode for production-level performance and reliability
  2. B.MySQL – the primary production database fully supported by Backstage
  3. C.MongoDB – the recommended document database for flexible catalog data storage
  4. 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 7

What database does a standalone Backstage installation use by default?
  1. A.PostgreSQL – the production-grade database installed by default for all environments
  2. B.MySQL – Backstage's default database for both development and production use cases
  3. C.SQLite with an in-memory database – the default for development, not suitable for production
  4. 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 8

What is the recommended database for a production Backstage deployment?
  1. A.SQLite
  2. B.MongoDB
  3. C.PostgreSQL
  4. D.MySQL

Correct answer: C

PostgreSQL is the recommended database for production Backstage deployments due to its reliability, feature set, and compatibility.

Question 9

Which configuration correctly sets up a PostgreSQL database connection in Backstage?
  1. A.
    database:
  client: postgresql
  url: postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/backstage
  2. B.
    backend:
  database:
    client: postgres
    connection:
      host: postgres-host
      user: postgres-user
      password: postgres-password
  3. C.
    postgres:
  host: postgres-host
  username: postgres-user
  password: postgres-password
  database: backstage
  4. D.
    databases:
  main:
    type: postgres
    connection:
      host: postgres-host
      user: postgres-user
      password: postgres-password

Correct answer: B

This configuration correctly sets up a PostgreSQL database connection in Backstage under the 'backend.database' section.

Backstage Catalog (4 questions)

Question 10

How can you add a TechDocs connection to an entity in the catalog?
  1. A.By setting spec.docs.enabled: true
  2. B.By adding an annotation backstage.io/techdocs-ref: dir:.
  3. C.By creating a separate docs.yaml file
  4. 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 11

Which of the following would you configure to refresh catalog locations on a schedule?
  1. A.
    catalog:
  refresh:
    interval: 60
  2. B.
    catalog:
  cron: "*/30 * * * *"
  3. C.
    catalog:
  locations:
    - schedule:
        frequency: { minutes: 30 }
  4. D.
    catalog:
  processingInterval: 30

Correct answer: C

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

Question 12

Which Backstage entity kind is used to represent an organizational team or business unit?
  1. A.User – represents collections of individuals organized into teams
  2. B.Group – represents organizational entities such as teams and business units
  3. C.Organization – the top-level entity for organizing teams in the catalog
  4. D.Team – a specialized entity kind for representing development teams

Correct answer: B

The Group entity kind represents organizational structures such as teams, squads, business units, or departments. Groups have spec.type (e.g., team, business-unit), spec.parent (for hierarchy), spec.children (sub-groups), and spec.members (User references). Groups are used extensively as the value for spec.owner on other entities to express ownership.

Question 13

Which entity kind is specifically designed to describe a software interface such as an OpenAPI or AsyncAPI specification?
  1. A.API – specifically designed to represent software interfaces and their specifications
  2. B.Interface – the entity kind for documenting API contracts and specifications
  3. C.Service – used to represent APIs exposed by backend microservices
  4. D.Endpoint – the entity kind for individual API operations and endpoint definitions

Correct answer: A

The API entity kind describes an interface that can be exposed by a component. It supports multiple definition formats via spec.type: openapi (OpenAPI/Swagger), asyncapi (AsyncAPI), graphql (GraphQL schema), and grpc (Protocol Buffers). API entities enable teams to discover, consume, and document interfaces across the organization.

Customizing Backstage (7 questions)

Question 14

How are Backstage plugins typically added to an existing Backstage application?
  1. A.By installing the plugin package with yarn, then wiring it into the app and backend code
  2. B.By downloading plugin archives from the Backstage marketplace and extracting them locally
  3. C.Using the backstage-cli plugin:install command which handles all registration automatically
  4. D.Through the Backstage admin web interface under the Plugin Management section

Correct answer: A

Adding a Backstage plugin involves: (1) installing the npm package with yarn add, (2) importing and registering the plugin in packages/app/src/App.tsx for frontend plugins, and (3) adding the backend plugin to packages/backend/src/index.ts for backend plugins. Some plugins also require configuration entries in app-config.yaml. The process is intentional to give teams explicit control.

Question 15

How would you add a custom icon to the Backstage sidebar?
  1. A.
    <SidebarMenu>
  <MenuItem icon={CustomIcon} to="/custom" text="Custom Page" />
</SidebarMenu>
  2. B.
    <Sidebar>
  <SidebarItem icon={CustomIcon} to="custom" text="Custom Page" />
</Sidebar>
  3. C.
    <BackstageMenu>
  <MenuLink icon={<CustomIcon />} path="/custom" label="Custom Page" />
</BackstageMenu>
  4. D.
    <AppSidebar>
  <NavItem icon={CustomIcon} route="/custom" title="Custom Page" />
</AppSidebar>

Correct answer: B

This code correctly adds a custom icon to the Backstage sidebar using the SidebarItem component inside a Sidebar.

Question 16

Which command creates a new backend plugin?
  1. A.yarn new --select backend-plugin
  2. B.yarn create-backend-plugin
  3. C.backstage add backend-plugin
  4. D.yarn plugin --backend

Correct answer: A

The command to create a new backend plugin is yarn new --select backend-plugin.

Question 17

What is the correct way to create a new entity card in the catalog entity page?
  1. A.
    <EntityCard>
  <CustomContent />
</EntityCard>
  2. B.
    import { EntityLayout } from '@backstage/plugin-catalog';

<EntityLayout.Card title="Custom Card">
  <CustomContent />
</EntityLayout.Card>
  3. C.
    import { InfoCard } from '@backstage/core-components';

<InfoCard title="Custom Card">
  <CustomContent />
</InfoCard>
  4. D.
    <Card>
  <CardHeader title="Custom Card" />
  <CardContent>
    <CustomContent />
  </CardContent>
</Card>

Correct answer: C

The InfoCard component from @backstage/core-components is the standard way to create cards in Backstage.

Question 18

Which file is the primary entry point for registering and configuring plugins in a Backstage frontend application?
  1. A.packages/app/src/plugin-config.ts – the dedicated plugin registration configuration file
  2. B.packages/app/src/backstage.config.ts – the Backstage-specific configuration module
  3. C.packages/app/src/App.tsx – the root application component where plugins are imported and registered
  4. D.packages/app/src/plugins.yaml – the YAML manifest that lists all installed plugins

Correct answer: C

packages/app/src/App.tsx is the central file for customizing a Backstage frontend. Plugin pages are added by importing the plugin's exported route components and adding them to the <FlatRoutes> in the createApp() call. The EntityPage component imported here defines what appears on catalog entity detail pages. This file is the main customization surface for platform engineers building their developer portal.

Question 19

Which JavaScript framework is used to build the Backstage frontend?
  1. A.Angular – Backstage uses Angular's component model and dependency injection system
  2. B.Vue.js – the Backstage frontend is built with Vue.js and the Composition API
  3. C.Svelte – Backstage uses Svelte for its compiler-based reactive UI framework
  4. D.React – the Backstage frontend is built with React and TypeScript

Correct answer: D

Backstage's frontend is a React single-page application (SPA) built with TypeScript. All frontend plugins are React components. Backstage uses React Router for navigation, Material UI for the component library, and provides custom hooks and context providers via the @backstage/core-plugin-api package for plugin development.

Question 20

Which file specifies the configuration schema for a Backstage plugin?
  1. A.schema.json
  2. B.config.d.ts
  3. C.plugin.yaml
  4. D.manifest.json

Correct answer: B

config.d.ts specifies the configuration schema for a plugin, defining expected structure and types referenced in package.json.

Score yourself

The Linux Foundation lists a passing score of 75% for CBA. On a set of 20 questions that is 15 correct. Reaching 15 here is a useful signal and not a prediction: 20 questions is a small sample, and the real exam covers every domain in its published weights. Use the table below to decide what to do next. Count only the questions you answered correctly without help, and be strict about it: a question you got right for the wrong reason belongs in the missed pile. Then repeat the exercise a few days later with a different set from the full bank so that you are measuring understanding and not memory of these specific questions.

Count your misses per domain, using the headings above. One missed question in a domain is noise; three misses in one domain is a study plan. The practice mode on GoldenKube does this sorting for you by sending you back to the domains where you are weakest.

Correct out of 20What it suggestsWhat to do next
18 to 20The basics are solid in the domains sampled.Move to harder mixed practice and check the domains this set did not cover.
15 to 17Close to the benchmark, with some gaps.Review every missed explanation, then practise the domains where you missed questions.
11 to 14Several domains need real study.Read the official curriculum for those domains, then return to practice.
0 to 10You are early in your preparation.Start from the curriculum and the project documentation, then retry this set.

Backstage Development Workflow: what it tests

Backstage Development Workflow covers how you create, run and extend a Backstage app. Expect scaffolding a new app, the structure of a Backstage monorepo with its frontend and backend packages, running locally, adding and wiring plugins, testing and building, and the role of the CLI. Questions ask which package or command belongs to which step and what happens when you add a plugin. A typical trap is confusing the app you create with the packages published by the project: your app consumes plugin packages and composes them, and a change in your repository is not a change to Backstage itself. Following the order of operations from creation to build resolves most questions.

Walk through creating an app and adding one plugin from memory, naming each package and file touched. The exam describes the same sequence in different words.

Backstage Infrastructure: what it tests

Backstage Infrastructure covers how a Backstage instance is configured and run. Expect the app configuration files and how they layer, database choices and why a production deployment moves beyond the default development database, authentication providers and sign-in, caching, search, documentation hosting with TechDocs, and deployment on containers and Kubernetes. Questions ask where a setting belongs or what a component is for. A common trap is carrying development defaults into production, such as an in-memory or local database, which the exam presents as a reason a deployment loses data or cannot scale. Questions in this domain read like short operations scenarios, so it helps to picture the instance running in a real environment.

Read through a sample app-config file and name the purpose of every top-level key. Configuration questions then become recognition of keys you have already seen.

Backstage Catalog: what it tests

Backstage Catalog is about the software catalog that sits at the heart of Backstage. Expect entity kinds such as Component, API, Resource, System, Domain, Group and User, the descriptor files that define entities, the metadata fields, relations between entities, locations and how the catalog ingests data, and processors that validate and enrich it. Questions describe something to model and ask which kind or relation fits. The trap is mixing up similar kinds, for example a System, which groups related components, with a Domain, which groups related systems. Knowing the hierarchy and the ownership relations answers most of this domain. Check the relation words in the question, such as owns, depends on and provides, because they usually point straight to the answer.

Model a small product you know as entities with relations, writing down kind, owner and dependencies for each. The practice of choosing a kind is exactly what the questions require.

Customizing Backstage: what it tests

Customizing Backstage is the largest CBA domain. Expect building and installing plugins, the frontend and backend plugin systems, extension points, theming and branding, software templates in the scaffolder with parameters, steps and actions, the permissions framework that gates actions, and ways to integrate other tools. Questions ask how to achieve a customisation and which mechanism supports it. A frequent trap is picking a heavy solution for a light need, such as a new plugin when a template or a theme change would do. Read for the smallest mechanism that satisfies the requirement and check it against the options. Read the verbs in the question carefully, since adding a page, changing a theme and automating a task are handled by different mechanisms.

List the extension points you know and attach one realistic need to each. Matching needs to mechanisms is the main skill in this domain, and it also helps in the infrastructure questions.

What a 20-question CBA sample can and cannot tell you

A set of 20 questions is a screening test, not a measurement. With only a few questions per domain, one lucky guess or one unlucky wording moves your result by five percentage points, and a domain with only two questions behind it says almost nothing about that domain's true strength. The set is also fixed, so after one read-through it measures your memory of these items and not your command of CBA. Use it to choose where to start studying, not to decide whether you are ready, and then rely on the larger bank, where questions repeat only after a gap and the app tracks which domains stay weak.

A second limit is style. Written practice questions share one author voice, while a real exam draws on many writers and reads differently. Treat any practice score, here or elsewhere, as one input next to the official curriculum, hands-on experience with the technology, and the documentation of the project itself.

A one-week plan after the CBA sample set

After the sample set, spend a week turning the result into a plan. Start with the domains where you missed questions and read the matching part of the official curriculum before you try more questions, because practice is far more useful once you can explain the topic. Return to practice in short daily sessions, review every missed question the next day, and leave the last day for a fresh mixed set. Keep a simple note of which concepts caused misses; the same three or four ideas usually explain most of them, and naming them is what turns practice into progress.

The largest CBA domain is Customizing Backstage, at 32% of the published weights. If two domains tie for weakest in your tally, start with the heavier one, and keep the other 3 domains ticking over with short reviews.

Adjust the pace to your calendar. If you have more time, spread the same steps over two or three weeks and add a second mixed session at the end of each week. If you have less, keep days 1 to 3 and day 6 and accept a rougher picture. What matters is that every study session starts from a specific weak domain and ends with a check, not that the plan is followed to the letter.

DayTask
1Tally misses per domain and rank the domains from weakest to strongest.
2Read the official curriculum and documentation for the weakest domain.
3Practise that domain in the app and read every explanation.
4Repeat the exercise for the second weakest domain.
5Review the questions you missed on days 3 and 4 without looking at notes.
6Do a mixed session across all domains and compare the result with this page.
7Rest, then retake the 20 questions on this page and note which misses persist.

Practice the full CBA bank

These 20 questions are a small slice of the GoldenKube CBA bank, which holds more than 100 questions. In practice mode the app serves the questions you are due to review first, then the domain where you are weakest, and it brings missed questions back after a gap until you answer them correctly. You can answer 10 questions as a guest without an account; after that a free account keeps your progress, and no credit card is asked for at any point. Each answer comes with the same kind of written explanation you saw on this page, so a wrong answer is always followed by the reasoning that fixes it.

Practice mode shows one question at a time and gives the verdict and explanation as soon as you answer. A focus option lets you stay inside a single domain until it feels solid, which is the natural next step after finding your weakest domain on this page. There is no timer and no exam simulation in practice mode; the goal is learning, not performance under pressure.

Practice CBA

Frequently asked questions

Are these the real CBA exam questions?

No. They are practice questions written for GoldenKube to cover the published CBA domains. GoldenKube does not have the real exam, does not claim any overlap with it, and does not sell or share exam content. Use them to find gaps in your understanding, not to predict what you will be asked.

How many CBA questions does GoldenKube have?

The CBA bank holds more than 100 questions as of 2026-10-23. This page shows 20 of them. The full bank is available in practice mode, where the app chooses what to show you next based on what you have already answered and what you got wrong.

Do the answers come with explanations?

Yes. Every question on this page has the correct answer marked and a written explanation of why it is correct and, where useful, why the other options are not. Only questions that have an explanation are published on public pages, and where a question carries references they are listed under the explanation.

Is this free?

Yes. Reading this page needs no account. In the practice app you can answer 10 questions as a guest, and then you create a free account to continue. No credit card is requested at any point.

How were these 20 questions chosen?

A script picks them with a fixed seed, so the set does not change between visits. It considers only questions that have a written explanation and tries to follow the published domain weights. The domain labels in the bank do not always match the official wording, so a domain can be thinly represented in a single set of 20; the full bank is the better measure of coverage.

How often is this page updated?

The exam facts and the domain list were last checked against the Linux Foundation pages on 2026-10-23, and the page shows its update date at the top. When the curriculum changes or questions are added, corrected or removed in the bank, the page is reviewed again.

Independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by CNCF or The Linux Foundation.