Certified Backstage Associate (CBA) Fact Sheet¶
Exam Overview¶
Exam Code: Not stated by the Linux Foundation page (it uses CBA as the purchase SKU) Exam Name: Certified Backstage Associate Level: Associate Duration: 90 minutes Format: Online, proctored, multiple choice Questions: Not stated on the Linux Foundation page Passing Score: Not stated on the Linux Foundation page Cost: USD 250 exam only; USD 495 with the THRIVE-ONE annual subscription (listed 2026-11-07) Valid For: 2 years Prerequisites: None formally; the page lists the experience level as Beginner and calls a foundation in IT infrastructure, cloud, DevOps and security "essential for success"
Verified facts and sources (checked 2026-11-07)¶
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Name, duration, format | Certified Backstage Associate, 90 minutes, online proctored multiple choice | LF CBA page |
| Validity | 2 years | LF CBA page |
| Price | USD 250 exam only; USD 495 bundled | LF CBA page |
| Attempts | The page says "Two exam attempts" in one section and "One Retake" in another | LF CBA page |
| Question count, passing score, exam code | Not stated (CBA is the purchase SKU) | LF CBA page |
| Domains and weights | 24 / 22 / 22 / 32 | CNCF curriculum (CBA_Curriculum.pdf) and the LF page agree |
Verify before booking. Prices and policies change. Confirm on the official page. Items marked "not stated" were not on the pages read, so this guide does not guess them.
Exam Domains¶
Backstage Development Workflow (24%)¶
- Build and run Backstage projects locally
- Understand local development workflows
- Compile a Backstage project with TypeScript
- Download and install dependencies with NPM/Yarn
- Use Docker to build a container image of a Backstage project
Backstage Infrastructure (22%)¶
- Understand the Backstage framework
- Configure Backstage
- Deploy Backstage to production
- Understand Backstage client-server architecture
Backstage Catalog (22%)¶
- Understand how and why to use the Backstage Catalog
- Populate the Backstage Catalog
- Using annotations
- Working with manually registered entity locations
- Troubleshooting entity ingestion
- Working with automated ingestion
Customizing Backstage (32%)¶
- Understand frontend versus backend plugins
- Customizing Backstage plugins
- Make changes to React code in Backstage App
- Using Material UI components
Quick reference¶
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Frontend dev server port | 3000 |
| Backend port | 7007 |
| Preferred production database | PostgreSQL (SQLite for tests) |
| Only required config file | app-config.yaml |
| Which config wins? | Local files, loaded last |
| Default config visibility | Backend-only |
| Default ingested kinds | Component, API, Location |
| Orphan annotation | backstage.io/orphan: 'true' |
| Frontend plugin install | yarn --cwd packages/app add ... |
| Backend plugin install | yarn --cwd packages/backend add ... |
| Plugin scaffolder | yarn new |
| Container build | Host build: yarn install --immutable, yarn tsc, yarn build:backend, then docker image build |