CBA - Certified Backstage Associate

Multiple-choice exam | 90 minutes | Passing score: 66% | $250 USD | Launched 2025

Overview

The CBA (Certified Backstage Associate) validates your understanding of Backstage, the CNCF-incubating Internal Developer Portal created by Spotify. Unlike the Kubernetes certifications, CBA is not a hands-on exam — it’s multiple-choice. But don’t be fooled: it tests real development knowledge. You need to understand TypeScript, React, plugin architecture, catalog YAML, and production deployment — not just theory.

KubeDojo covers ~90% of CBA topics through our existing Backstage toolkit module, Platform Engineering discipline, and three dedicated CBA modules covering development workflows, plugin development, and catalog/infrastructure.

Key difference from other CNCF certs: CBA is a developer certification. It tests whether you can build and extend Backstage, not just use it. Think of it as “CKAD for developer portals.”

CBA-Specific Modules

These modules cover the areas between KubeDojo’s existing Backstage toolkit module and the CBA exam requirements:

#	Module	Topic	Domains Covered
1	Backstage Developer Workflow	Monorepo structure, TypeScript essentials, Docker builds, app-config, CLI	Domain 1 (24%)
2	Backstage Plugin Development	Frontend/backend plugins, React/MUI, scaffolder actions, themes, APIs	Domain 4 (32%)
3	Backstage Catalog & Infrastructure	Entity processors, providers, annotations, auth, deployment, troubleshooting	Domains 2-3 (44%)

Exam Details

Detail	Value
Certification	Certified Backstage Associate (CBA)
Issued by	The Linux Foundation / CNCF
Format	Multiple-choice
Duration	90 minutes
Questions	~60
Passing score	66%
Cost	$250 USD (includes one free retake)
Validity	3 years
Prerequisites	None (but TypeScript/React experience strongly recommended)
Proctoring	Online proctored via PSI

Exam Domains

Domain	Weight	KubeDojo Coverage
Customizing Backstage	32%	Excellent (Plugin Development — React/MUI, plugins, themes, scaffolder)
Backstage Development Workflow	24%	Excellent (Developer Workflow — monorepo, TypeScript, Docker, CLI)
Backstage Infrastructure	22%	Excellent (Catalog & Infrastructure — auth, deployment, production)
Backstage Catalog	22%	Excellent (Catalog & Infrastructure — processors, providers, annotations)

Domain 1: Backstage Development Workflow (24%)

What the Exam Tests

Creating and running a Backstage app locally
TypeScript fundamentals for Backstage development
Monorepo structure (packages/app, packages/backend)
Docker builds for Backstage
yarn commands and workspace management
Development vs production configuration

KubeDojo Learning Path

Existing coverage:

Module	Topic	Relevance
Backstage 7.1	Installation, `npx @backstage/create-app`, `yarn dev`	Partial — covers basic setup only

Dedicated CBA module:

Module	Topic	Relevance
Backstage Developer Workflow	Monorepo structure, TypeScript essentials, Docker builds, app-config overlays, CLI commands	Direct

Domain 2: Backstage Infrastructure (22%)

What the Exam Tests

Backstage framework architecture (frontend/backend separation)
Configuration system (app-config.yaml hierarchy)
Database setup (SQLite for dev, PostgreSQL for production)
Authentication providers (GitHub, Okta, OIDC)
Deploying Backstage to Kubernetes
Client-server architecture and API communication
Proxying external service requests

KubeDojo Learning Path

Existing coverage:

Module	Topic	Relevance
Backstage 7.1	Architecture diagram, app-config.yaml, K8s deployment YAML	Direct
Platform Eng 2.3	IDP concepts, why portals matter	Background
Platform Eng 2.2	Developer Experience principles	Background

Dedicated CBA module:

Module	Topic	Relevance
Backstage Catalog & Infrastructure	Auth providers, proxy, database migrations, production hardening, backend-for-frontend	Direct

Domain 3: Backstage Catalog (22%)

What the Exam Tests

Entity kinds (Component, API, Resource, System, Domain, Group, User, Location, Template)
catalog-info.yaml structure and fields
Annotations and their purposes
Entity ingestion methods (static, discovery, processors)
Automated ingestion (GitHub discovery, entity providers)
Entity relationships (ownerOf, partOf, consumesApi, providesApi, dependsOn)
Troubleshooting catalog issues (orphaned entities, refresh failures)
Well-known annotations (backstage.io/techdocs-ref, github.com/project-slug, etc.)

KubeDojo Learning Path

Existing coverage:

Module	Topic	Relevance
Backstage 7.1	Entity types, catalog-info.yaml, relationships, annotations, auto-discovery	Direct
Platform Eng 2.4	Golden paths concept (templates use catalog)	Background
Platform Eng 2.5	Self-service concepts	Background

Dedicated CBA module:

Module	Topic	Relevance
Backstage Catalog & Infrastructure	Entity processors, providers, all annotations, troubleshooting, Location kind, lifecycle management	Direct

Domain 4: Customizing Backstage (32%)

What the Exam Tests

Frontend plugin development (React components)
Backend plugin development (Express routers)
React fundamentals for Backstage (hooks, state, props)
Material UI (MUI) components and theming
Backstage plugin APIs (createPlugin, createRoutableExtension, createApiRef)
Creating custom themes
Adding pages and tabs to the entity view
Scaffolder custom actions
Extension points and overrides

KubeDojo Learning Path

Existing coverage:

Module	Topic	Relevance
Backstage 7.1	Plugin ecosystem overview, basic plugin code snippet	Minimal

Dedicated CBA module:

Module	Topic	Relevance
Backstage Plugin Development	React/MUI, frontend/backend plugins, scaffolder actions, themes, extension points	Direct

Gap Analysis Summary

Our existing Backstage module (7.1) provides a toolkit overview, and three dedicated CBA modules now cover the exam in depth: development workflows, plugin development, and catalog/infrastructure operations.

Coverage Breakdown

KUBEDOJO CBA COVERAGE
════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Domain 1: Development Workflow (24%)    █████████░  ~90% covered
Domain 2: Infrastructure (22%)          █████████░  ~90% covered
Domain 3: Catalog (22%)                 █████████░  ~90% covered
Domain 4: Customizing Backstage (32%)   █████████░  ~90% covered

Overall weighted coverage:              ~90%

CBA Modules

Module	Topics	Domains Covered
Backstage Developer Workflow	Monorepo structure, TypeScript essentials, Docker builds, app-config overlays, CLI commands, local dev workflow	Domain 1 (24%)
Backstage Plugin Development	Frontend plugins (React/MUI), backend plugins (Express), scaffolder custom actions, custom themes, extension points, API refs	Domain 4 (32%)
Backstage Catalog & Infrastructure	Entity processors, entity providers, all annotations, auth, production deployment, troubleshooting	Domains 2-3 (44%)

These three modules plus the existing Module 7.1 provide comprehensive CBA preparation.

Study Strategy

CBA PREPARATION PATH (4-week plan)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Week 1: Foundations & Catalog (Domains 2-3, 44% of exam)
├── Platform Engineering 2.1-2.3 (IDP concepts)
├── Backstage 7.1 (architecture, catalog, templates)
├── Install Backstage locally, explore the catalog
├── Practice writing catalog-info.yaml for different entity kinds
└── Study all entity relationships and annotations

Week 2: Development Workflow (Domain 1, 24% of exam)
├── Set up local Backstage dev environment
├── Explore monorepo: packages/app, packages/backend
├── Understand app-config.yaml hierarchy and env substitution
├── Practice Docker builds (host build + multi-stage)
├── Learn Backstage CLI commands
└── KubeDojo: Backstage Developer Workflow module

Week 3: Customizing Backstage (Domain 4, 32% of exam!)
├── React fundamentals: components, hooks, props, state
├── Material UI: common components, theming, sx prop
├── Build a frontend plugin from scratch
├── Build a backend plugin with Express router
├── Create a custom scaffolder action
└── KubeDojo: Backstage Plugin Development module

Week 4: Review & Practice
├── Review all 4 domains
├── Focus on Domain 4 (32%) -- biggest weight
├── Practice catalog troubleshooting scenarios
├── Review Backstage official documentation gaps
└── Take practice questions if available

Priority Study Order

The CBA weights Customizing Backstage at 32% — nearly a third of the exam. Combined with Development Workflow (24%), that means 56% of the exam is about writing code. If you’re coming from an ops background, budget extra time for React and TypeScript.

STUDY TIME ALLOCATION (by exam weight)
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Customizing Backstage (32%)     ████████████████  ← Start weak? Study most
Development Workflow (24%)      ████████████
Backstage Catalog (22%)         ███████████
Backstage Infrastructure (22%)  ███████████

Exam Tips

This is a code-reading exam. Many questions show TypeScript/React snippets and ask what they do. You don’t write code, but you need to understand it.
Know the plugin APIs by heart. createPlugin, createRoutableExtension, createApiRef, createBackendPlugin — know what each does and when to use it.
Catalog YAML is heavily tested. Practice writing catalog-info.yaml from memory. Know every entity kind, annotation, and relationship type.
Don’t skip Material UI. Questions test specific MUI components (Grid, Card, Table, InfoCard) and how they’re used in Backstage.
Understand the config hierarchy. Know how app-config.yaml, app-config.local.yaml, and app-config.production.yaml merge and override. Know how ${VAR} environment substitution works.
Focus on the “why.” The exam tests understanding of architectural decisions — why Backstage separates frontend and backend plugins, why the catalog uses a descriptor format, why Software Templates use a step-based workflow.
Read the official Backstage docs. The exam is closely aligned with backstage.io/docs. The “Getting Started” and “Plugin Development” sections are especially relevant.
TypeScript is non-negotiable. If you don’t know TypeScript, spend a few days on the basics before starting CBA prep. Focus on: types, interfaces, generics, async/await, and module imports.

Essential Resources

Backstage Official Documentation — primary study source
Backstage GitHub Repository — read plugin source code
Backstage Storybook — see MUI components in action
CNCF CBA Curriculum — official exam objectives
Backstage Community Plugins — understand the ecosystem

CERTIFICATION PATH
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Developer Portal:
└── CBA (Backstage Associate) ← YOU ARE HERE

Platform Engineering:
├── KCNA (Cloud Native Associate) — K8s fundamentals
├── CNPA (Platform Engineering Associate) — Platform basics
└── CNPE (Platform Engineer) — Hands-on platform engineering

Kubernetes:
├── CKA (K8s Administrator) — Cluster operations
├── CKAD (K8s Developer) — Application deployment
└── CKS (K8s Security Specialist) — Security hardening

The CBA pairs well with the CNPE (Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineer). CNPE tests building platforms; CBA tests building the portal that sits on top. Together, they validate end-to-end platform engineering skills. If you’re pursuing the Kubestronaut path, CBA is a complementary certification that deepens your platform tooling expertise.

KubeDojo Modules Referenced

Module	Path	CBA Relevance
Backstage 7.1	module-7.1-backstage.md	Core — architecture, catalog, templates, plugins overview
Platform Eng 2.1	module-2.1-what-is-platform-engineering.md	Background — what platform engineering is
Platform Eng 2.2	module-2.2-developer-experience.md	Background — DevEx principles
Platform Eng 2.3	module-2.3-internal-developer-platforms.md	Background — IDP concepts
Platform Eng 2.4	module-2.4-golden-paths.md	Background — golden paths (templates)
Platform Eng 2.5	module-2.5-self-service-infrastructure.md	Background — self-service concepts
Platform Eng 2.6	module-2.6-platform-maturity.md	Background — maturity models

CBA - Certified Backstage Associate

Overview

CBA-Specific Modules

Exam Details

Exam Domains

Domain 1: Backstage Development Workflow (24%)

What the Exam Tests

KubeDojo Learning Path

Domain 2: Backstage Infrastructure (22%)

What the Exam Tests

KubeDojo Learning Path

Domain 3: Backstage Catalog (22%)

What the Exam Tests

KubeDojo Learning Path

Domain 4: Customizing Backstage (32%)

What the Exam Tests

KubeDojo Learning Path

Gap Analysis Summary

Coverage Breakdown

CBA Modules

Study Strategy

Priority Study Order

Exam Tips

Essential Resources

Related Certifications

KubeDojo Modules Referenced