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How Linux Foundation multiple-choice exams work

By Ibrahim Yesilay · Published · Updated

The 10 multiple-choice exams in the Golden Kubestronaut program (KCNA, KCSA, PCA, CCA, CAPA, CGOA, CBA, OTCA, KCA, CNPA) share one format and one set of candidate rules. This guide covers them once: the question count and time limit, booking and rescheduling, the ID and room checks, pacing on the day, how results arrive and how a retake works. Each exam guide links here and keeps its own pages for what is specific to that exam.

The format in numbers

Linux Foundation multiple-choice exams are delivered online and proctored remotely. The instructions page lists 60 questions and the FAQ lists 90 minutes and a 75% passing score, which is about 90 seconds per question. The exception is CNPA, with 85 questions in 120 minutes. The exams are scored automatically. The proctor watches audio, video and a shared screen for the whole session. The same numbers apply to KCNA, KCSA, PCA, CCA, CAPA, CGOA, CBA, OTCA, KCA, CNPA, so a routine that works for one of them carries over to the rest. What differs between them is the subject and the domain weights, which each exam guide covers.

  • 60 questions, 90 minutes, 75% to pass (CNPA: 85 questions, 120 minutes).
  • Online, remotely proctored through the PSI Bridge platform and the PSI Secure Browser.
  • Automatic scoring, with the score report emailed within 24 hours.

Booking, rescheduling and the purchase window

You buy the exam on its Linux Foundation certification page and then schedule a slot. The exam terms of service set three limits worth putting in a calendar. First, a purchase is valid for 12 months from the registration date, or until a corporate subscription expires if that is sooner. Second, a booking can be changed up to 24 hours before the start time and not after. Third, a no-show forfeits the fee and the retake for that purchase. In practice, book once your practice accuracy is stable across every domain, choose a time of day when you are normally alert, and reschedule early rather than risk the last-day cutoff if your preparation slips.

Persons subject to US sanctions prohibitions may not take Linux Foundation exams, according to the candidate documentation; check this before paying if it could apply to you.

The machine, the room and the ID check

The exam runs in the PSI Secure Browser on your own computer, and the instructions ask you to run the PSI Online Proctoring System Check beforehand. One active monitor is allowed; dual monitors and virtual machines are not. Work-provided devices are discouraged because their security software can interfere. The room must be private, quiet and well lit, with a clutter-free desk, nothing on the walls except decor, a closed door if there is one, and no bright light or window behind you. You stay in the camera frame for the whole session. At check-in you show an original, unexpired, government-issued photo ID with a signature, whose first and last name exactly match the verified name on your exam checklist.

  • Run the PSI system check on the exact machine and network you will use.
  • Plug the laptop in, close every other application and browser window, and pause bandwidth-heavy software.
  • Make sure the webcam can be moved to pan the room, and that on a Mac the PSI Secure Browser is allowed in Security & Privacy.
  • Check that the name on your ID matches your exam checklist before the day, not at check-in.

Pacing on the day

With 60 questions in 90 minutes you have about 90 seconds each, which is enough for a careful read but not for deliberating on every option. A simple routine works well: answer the questions you know on the first pass, flag anything that needs a second look, and spend the remaining time on the flagged ones rather than stalling early. A question that has taken more than twice the average is a good candidate to flag and leave. Read the last line of a question first so you know exactly what it asks, including whether it asks what is true or what is not. Options that are true in general but do not answer the scenario are the most common trap.

Using the pass mark to decide when to book

A 75% pass mark is a target for every domain, not only for your overall score. Track practice accuracy per domain and treat a domain you keep missing as a gap to close before booking, because a good average can hide a weak, heavily weighted domain. The domain weights on each certification page tell you how much of the exam a domain is expected to cover, so a weak large domain costs more than a weak small one. When your accuracy on new questions, not on questions you have already seen, sits comfortably above the pass mark in every domain for a week or more, you are ready to book. GoldenKube tracks accuracy per domain and brings missed questions back until you answer them correctly.

Results, retakes and renewal

Scores are emailed within 24 hours of finishing. If you do not pass, the terms of service grant one retake per exam purchase, to be taken within 12 months of the original purchase; exams marked as single-attempt do not include one. A no-show loses the retake, so reschedule instead of skipping a slot. The multiple-choice FAQ says certifications are valid for 2 years, and you renew by passing the exam again before it expires, which starts a new 2-year period from the new pass date. Before a retake, go back to the domains where your practice accuracy was lowest; the score report and your own error log are better guides than rereading everything from the start.

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Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on a Linux Foundation multiple-choice exam?

The multiple-choice instructions page lists 60 questions in 90 minutes, with a 75% passing score in the multiple-choice FAQ. CNPA is the documented exception at 85 questions and 120 minutes. Check the page of your exam before booking, because formats can change.

When do I get my result?

The multiple-choice FAQ says exams are scored automatically and the score report is emailed within 24 hours of finishing, barring exceptions or technical problems. Plan for up to a day of waiting before you know the outcome.

Can I reschedule a booked exam?

Yes, up to 24 hours before the start time, according to the exam terms of service. Inside the last 24 hours the booking can no longer be changed, and missing the exam counts as a no-show: the fee is forfeited and no retake is granted for that purchase.

How long do I have to use an exam purchase?

The terms of service give 12 months from the registration date to take the exam, or until a corporate subscription expires if that comes first. A retake must also be taken within 12 months of the original purchase.

Can I take the exam on a work laptop or a second monitor?

The instructions advise against work-provided devices, whose security software can interfere with the PSI Secure Browser. Only one active monitor is allowed, virtual machines are not allowed, and no other applications or browser windows may be open during the exam.

How do I renew a multiple-choice certification?

The multiple-choice FAQ says certifications are valid for 2 years and are renewed by passing the exam again before the expiry date; the renewed certification runs 2 years from the new pass date. It also notes that passing CKA or CKAD renews KCNA, and passing CKS renews KCSA.

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