CNPA - Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate¶
The Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate (CNPA) certification validates foundational knowledge of platform engineering, including platform architecture, observability, security, CI/CD, GitOps, infrastructure provisioning, and developer experience.
Exam Details¶
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | Multiple Choice |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Questions | 60 |
| Passing Score | 75% |
| Cost | $250 |
| Validity | 2 years |
| Prerequisites | None |
| Delivery | Online proctored (PSI Secure Browser) |
Longer Duration
The CNPA has 120 minutes (vs. 90 minutes for most other associate exams), giving you 2 minutes per question.
Domain Breakdown¶
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Platform Engineering Core Fundamentals | 36% |
| Platform Observability, Security, and Conformance | 20% |
| Continuous Delivery & Platform Engineering | 16% |
| Platform APIs and Provisioning Infrastructure | 12% |
| IDPs and Developer Experience | 8% |
| Measuring your Platform | 8% |
| Total | 100% |
pie title CNPA Exam Domain Weights
"Platform Engineering Core Fundamentals" : 36
"Observability, Security & Conformance" : 20
"Continuous Delivery" : 16
"Platform APIs & Infrastructure" : 12
"IDPs & Developer Experience" : 8
"Measuring your Platform" : 8Exam Tip
Platform Engineering Core Fundamentals (36%) dominates the exam. Understand platform thinking, self-service, golden paths, declarative resource management, and DevOps practices. Combined with Observability, Security & Conformance (20%), these two domains account for 56% of the exam.
Key Resources¶
Official Resources¶
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| CNPA Curriculum (PDF) | Official exam curriculum maintained by CNCF |
| CNPA Certification Page | Registration, handbook, and exam policies |
| CNCF Platforms White Paper | CNCF guidance on platform engineering |
Courses¶
| Course | Platform |
|---|---|
| Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineering Associate (CNPA) | KodeKloud |
| CNPA Certification Prep | TeKanAid |
Community Resources¶
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Platform Engineering Community | Community hub for platform engineering |
| CNCF Blog — Introducing CNPA | CNPA announcement and overview |