CBA vs CNPA: which certification should you take first?

CBA and CNPA side by side

Values are read from official Linux Foundation pages; each has a source link and the check date. Independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by CNCF or The Linux Foundation.

How CBA and CNPA differ

CBA (Certified Backstage Associate) is a multiple-choice exam in the Golden requirement group of the Golden Kubestronaut program, and CNPA (Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate) is a multiple-choice exam in the Golden requirement group. Both use the same exam style, so the real difference is subject matter rather than how you are tested. CBA: Multiple-choice exam on the Backstage development workflow, infrastructure, software catalog and customization. CNPA: Multiple-choice exam on platform engineering fundamentals, platform observability and security, delivery, platform APIs, developer experience and measurement. The table above sets format, questions, duration, passing score, price, validity, prerequisites and the number of domains side by side, each value read from the official Linux Foundation pages and dated.

Because both are multiple-choice, the study method is the same for either one: learn the concepts, then check yourself with questions that explain why each answer is right or wrong.

What CBA and CNPA cover

CBA is organised into 4 domains and CNPA into 6. The heaviest CBA domain is Customizing Backstage (32%), while the heaviest CNPA domain is Platform Engineering Core Fundamentals (36%). Domain weights come straight from each official certification page and show where the Linux Foundation expects most of your preparation time to go. If your own work sits mainly in one heavy domain of an exam, that exam will feel closer to your daily job; if the heavy domains are unfamiliar, plan more study time for that exam. The lists below give every domain with its weight, checked against the official pages on the date shown at the top of this page.

• CBA: Backstage Development Workflow, 24% of the exam
• CBA: Backstage Infrastructure, 22% of the exam
• CBA: Backstage Catalog, 22% of the exam
• CBA: Customizing Backstage, 32% of the exam
• CNPA: Platform Engineering Core Fundamentals, 36% of the exam
• CNPA: Platform Observability, Security, and Conformance, 20% of the exam
• CNPA: Continuous Delivery & Platform Engineering, 16% of the exam
• CNPA: Platform APIs and Provisioning Infrastructure, 12% of the exam
• CNPA: IDPs and Developer Experience, 8% of the exam
• CNPA: Measuring your Platform, 8% of the exam

Who should take CBA

CBA suits people who build or operate a Backstage developer portal. It covers the Backstage development workflow, infrastructure, the software catalog and customization. It fits platform and developer-experience engineers who maintain the portal, write plugins or model services in the catalog, and want to show specific Backstage knowledge. CBA is a multiple-choice exam with 4 domains, led by Customizing Backstage (32%), and it sits in the Golden requirement group of the program. The table above gives its questions, duration, passing score, price and validity with their sources. Choosing is easier when you compare the domain list with the work you actually did in the last month, and the official certification page remains the place to confirm the current curriculum before you book.

• You run or plan a Backstage instance.
• You model services and ownership in the software catalog.
• You customize Backstage with plugins and templates.
• You want a tool-specific certification.

Who should take CNPA

CNPA suits people who design and run internal platforms more broadly. It covers platform engineering core fundamentals, platform observability, security and conformance, continuous delivery, platform APIs and provisioning infrastructure, internal developer platforms and developer experience, and measuring your platform. It fits platform engineers, architects and leads who care about the whole product, not one portal. CNPA is a multiple-choice exam with 6 domains, led by Platform Engineering Core Fundamentals (36%), and it sits in the Golden requirement group of the program. The table above gives its questions, duration, passing score, price and validity with their sources. Choosing is easier when you compare the domain list with the work you actually did in the last month, and the official certification page remains the place to confirm the current curriculum before you book.

• You design platforms and decide what self-service they offer.
• You think about developer experience and platform metrics.
• You want a vendor-neutral view of platform engineering.
• You plan toward the hands-on CNPE exam later.

Can you take both, and in which order?

You can take both; both are required for Golden Kubestronaut, and the Linux Foundation lists no prerequisite statement for CBA and none for CNPA. CNPA gives the wider frame in which a tool like Backstage fits, so it is a sensible first read, but its GoldenKube question bank is not available yet. CBA practice is available now, so CBA is the exam you can prepare for here today. Prerequisites as published by the Linux Foundation: CBA: not published by the Linux Foundation. CNPA: None. Each is listed as its own certification in the program, so passing one never counts toward the other. Whichever you choose first, book the exam only when you can answer questions across every domain, not just the heaviest one.

The program page records that CNPA became required on a specific date; read it there rather than relying on older lists. For CNPA, study from the official curriculum until the GoldenKube bank is released.

How GoldenKube helps with CBA and CNPA

GoldenKube is a free practice app for the multiple-choice certifications in the Golden Kubestronaut program. CBA has a live GoldenKube question bank: every question comes with an explanation, you get instant feedback, and questions you miss come back for review until you have mastered them. The GoldenKube question bank for CNPA is not available yet; it is coming, and until then the official curriculum is the place to study from. You get 10 free guest answers, then a free account; no credit card is needed. Practice does not replace the official curriculum, and passing practice questions does not guarantee a pass on the real exam.

CBA has a live question bank with explanations. For CNPA, the bank is coming; the certification page on GoldenKube will show when practice is available.

Verdict: CBA or CNPA first?

Take CBA first if you want to practise on GoldenKube today or if Backstage is part of your platform; take CNPA when you want the broader platform engineering frame and have studied from the official curriculum. Both are required, both are multiple-choice, and neither depends on the other.

Next steps

• CBA

  Practice questions available

  Practice CBACBA certification page

• CNPA

  Question bank coming

  CNPA certification page

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• CBA certification page (Linux Foundation), checked 23 Oct 2026
• CNPA certification page (Linux Foundation), checked 23 Oct 2026