PCA vs OTCA: which certification should you take first?
By Ibrahim Yesilay · Published · Updated
PCA tests Prometheus: metrics, PromQL, exporters and alerting. OTCA tests OpenTelemetry: the API and SDK, the Collector and observability pipelines. Both are multiple-choice Golden Kubestronaut requirements. They complement each other more than they compete, so the first one should match the tool your stack uses.
PCA and OTCA side by side
| Attribute | PCA | OTCA |
|---|---|---|
| Exam format | Multiple-choice | Multiple-choice |
| Hands-on? | No | No |
| Questions | 60 source | 60 source |
| Duration (minutes) | 90 source | 90 source |
| Passing score | 75% source | 75% source |
| Price (USD) | 250 source | 250 source |
| Validity (years) | 2 source | 2 source |
| Prerequisites | None source | None source |
| Exam domains | 5 | 4 |
| Program tier | Golden requirement | Golden requirement |
| GoldenKube support | Practice questions available | Practice questions available |
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 PCA and OTCA differ
PCA (Prometheus Certified Associate) is a multiple-choice exam in the Golden requirement group of the Golden Kubestronaut program, and OTCA (OpenTelemetry Certified 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. PCA: Multiple-choice exam on observability concepts, Prometheus fundamentals, PromQL, instrumentation and exporters, alerting and dashboarding. OTCA: Multiple-choice exam on observability fundamentals, the OpenTelemetry API and SDK, the Collector, and maintaining observability pipelines. 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 PCA and OTCA cover
PCA is organised into 5 domains and OTCA into 4. The heaviest PCA domain is PromQL (28%), while the heaviest OTCA domain is The OpenTelemetry API and SDK (46%). 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.
- PCA: Observability Concepts, 18% of the exam
- PCA: Prometheus Fundamentals, 20% of the exam
- PCA: PromQL, 28% of the exam
- PCA: Instrumentation and Exporters, 16% of the exam
- PCA: Alerting & Dashboarding, 18% of the exam
- OTCA: Fundamentals of Observability, 18% of the exam
- OTCA: The OpenTelemetry API and SDK, 46% of the exam
- OTCA: The OpenTelemetry Collector, 26% of the exam
- OTCA: Maintaining and Debugging Observability Pipelines, 10% of the exam
Who should take PCA
PCA suits people who monitor systems with Prometheus or plan to. It covers observability concepts, Prometheus fundamentals, PromQL, instrumentation and exporters, and alerting and dashboarding. If you write queries, define alert rules, or decide what to expose from services, the exam matches your work. It is a strong choice for SREs and operations engineers. PCA is a multiple-choice exam with 5 domains, led by PromQL (28%), 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.
- Prometheus is already your metrics system, or is about to be.
- You write or review PromQL queries and alert rules.
- You instrument services or run exporters.
- You want a focused, tool-specific observability exam.
Who should take OTCA
OTCA suits people who produce or route telemetry using OpenTelemetry. It covers observability fundamentals, the OpenTelemetry API and SDK, the Collector, and maintaining observability pipelines. It fits developers adding instrumentation to applications and platform engineers who run Collectors and decide where traces, metrics and logs go. OTCA is a multiple-choice exam with 4 domains, led by The OpenTelemetry API and SDK (46%), 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 instrument applications with OpenTelemetry SDKs.
- You deploy or tune OpenTelemetry Collectors.
- You care about vendor-neutral telemetry across traces, metrics and logs.
- You maintain pipelines that feed several backends.
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 for either. They overlap in observability fundamentals, so preparing for one gives you a head start on the shared concepts of the other. A good rule is to begin with the tool you actually use at work, because real experience makes the exam material stick faster. Prerequisites as published by the Linux Foundation: PCA: None. OTCA: 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.
If you use both in practice, many people take PCA first because Prometheus-style metrics concepts are a familiar reference point for OpenTelemetry metrics. That is a preference, not a program rule.
How GoldenKube helps with PCA and OTCA
GoldenKube is a free practice app for the multiple-choice certifications in the Golden Kubestronaut program. PCA 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. OTCA 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. 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.
Both banks are live, so you can switch between them in one session and see where the shared observability concepts overlap and where the tools diverge.
Verdict: PCA or OTCA first?
Take PCA first if Prometheus is your monitoring system; take OTCA first if your applications or Collectors speak OpenTelemetry. They are complementary rather than alternatives, and the Golden Kubestronaut program requires both, so the question is order, not choice.
Next steps
PCA
Practice questions available
OTCA
Practice questions available
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Prometheus and OpenTelemetry?
Prometheus is a monitoring system centred on metrics, queries and alerting. OpenTelemetry is a vendor-neutral standard and toolset for producing and moving telemetry. The two exams reflect that split: PCA is Prometheus-specific, OTCA is about instrumentation and pipelines.
Should I take PCA or OTCA first?
Start with the tool you use at work. If you have no preference, PCA first is a common choice because its metrics concepts are a useful reference for OpenTelemetry.
Is there overlap between PCA and OTCA?
Yes, in observability fundamentals such as signals and instrumentation ideas. The tool-specific parts differ: PromQL and alerting for PCA, the SDK and Collector for OTCA.
Are both required for Golden Kubestronaut?
Yes. PCA and OTCA are both in the 16-certification program, and Golden Kubestronaut requires all of them.
Can I practise both on GoldenKube?
Yes. Both are multiple-choice and both have live question banks with explanations. You get 10 free guest answers, then a free account; no credit card is needed.
Are PCA and OTCA multiple-choice?
Yes, both are multiple-choice exams. The table in this page lists the number of questions, duration, passing score and price for each, taken from the official pages.
Sources
- PCA certification page (Linux Foundation), checked 23 Oct 2026
- OTCA certification page (Linux Foundation), checked 23 Oct 2026
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