CBA: Certified Backstage Associate Practice Exam

What the CBA exam covers

• Backstage Development Workflow154 questions
• Backstage Infrastructure141 questions
• Backstage Catalog141 questions
• Customizing Backstage205 questions

Free CBA practice test questions

A sample of 10 questions with answers and explanations. Sign up free to practice all 641.

1. Question 1Backstage Development Workflow

   A developer must create a new Backstage application to evaluate locally. Which command scaffolds one?

   • Anpx @backstage/create-app@latestCorrect
   • Bnpm install backstage
   • Cyarn add @backstage/core
   • Ddocker run backstage/backstage
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   Running it prompts for an application name and writes a monorepo containing a frontend package, a backend package and the configuration files needed to start immediately. Backstage is a framework you build on rather than a product you install, so scaffolding is the intended entry point.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BThere is no single package to install that produces an application.
   • CAdding a core package to an empty project produces no application.
   • DNo official image runs a ready-made Backstage for you.
2. Question 2Backstage Catalog

   A team must record that one component calls another's interface. Which spec fields express it?

   • AThe consumed and provided API fields on the two componentsCorrect
   • BA tag naming the other component on each descriptor
   • CA label recording the call on the calling component
   • DAn annotation on the API entity naming its callers
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   One component declares the APIs it provides and another declares those it consumes, and the catalog derives the relations in both directions so an API page can list its consumers. That derived view is what makes the impact of a change to an interface visible.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BTags are free-form labels with no relationship meaning.
   • CA label does not create a catalog relationship.
   • DAn annotation carries plugin configuration rather than callers.
3. Question 3Backstage Development Workflow

   A contributor must grasp what the frontend build produces for deployment. What is the output?

   • AStatic files a web server or the backend can serveCorrect
   • BA Node service that must be run separately
   • CA container image ready to push to a registry
   • DA set of catalog entities describing the app
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   The bundler emits HTML, JavaScript and assets with no server component of its own, which is why any static host or the backend's own hosting plugin can serve them. That also explains why frontend-visible configuration is embedded at build time rather than read on each request.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BThe built frontend is static rather than a running service.
   • CBuilding an image is a separate packaging step.
   • DCatalog entities describe software rather than being build output.
4. Question 4Backstage Catalog

   An adopting team must grasp what happens when an entity references an owner that does not exist. What is the outcome?

   • AThe entity is ingested but the ownership link resolves to nothingCorrect
   • BThe entity is rejected until the owner is created
   • CAn owner group is created automatically
   • DThe entity is marked as orphaned in the catalog
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   Validation checks that an owner is declared rather than that the target exists, because entities are ingested independently and the owner may simply arrive later. The link appears unresolved in the interface, which is the prompt to fix the reference or ingest the group.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BThe entity is not rejected until the owner is created.
   • CNo owner group is created automatically for a missing reference.
   • DOrphaned status describes an entity whose source disappeared.
5. Question 5Backstage Development Workflow

   A code reviewer wants to know why a Backstage repository runs its own tests rather than relying on the framework's. What is the reason?

   • AThe repository contains its own composition and pluginsCorrect
   • BThe framework ships without any tests of its own
   • CFramework tests run against the adopter's database
   • DTests are required before packages can be installed
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   The framework's own suites cover the framework, but nothing upstream knows about the pages you composed, the local plugins you wrote or the entity page layout you assembled. Those are the parts an upgrade or a refactor can break silently in your repository.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BThe framework ships with extensive tests of its own.
   • CFramework tests do not run against an adopter's database.
   • DTests are not required before packages can be installed.
6. Question 6Backstage Catalog

   An engineering group must work out how to record that a component is deployed to several environments. What fits the model?

   • AOne component, with environment detail in annotationsCorrect
   • BOne component per environment with distinct names
   • COne system per environment holding the same components
   • DOne domain per environment at the top level
   ✓ Correct answer: A

   The same codebase deployed to staging and production is one component, and the deployments are surfaced by plugins reading the platform through annotations. Duplicating the entity per environment doubles the ownership metadata and makes every count wrong.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • BOne component per environment duplicates the same software.
   • CA system per environment repeats the whole model needlessly.
   • DA domain per environment misuses the business-level grouping.
7. Question 7Backstage Development WorkflowSelect all that apply

   A developer is weighing what makes a Backstage repository welcoming to new contributors. Which TWO help? (Choose TWO)

   • AA short guide to running the app locallyCorrect
   • BA description of how composition decisions are madeCorrect
   • CA list of every dependency and its version
   • DA record of every past deployment
   • EThe full history of the entity data model
   ✓ Correct answer: A, B

   A newcomer needs the application running on their machine before anything else, and then needs to understand where composition lives so their change goes in the right place. Both are specific to this repository and cannot be found in framework documentation.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • CA list of dependencies and versions is already in the manifests.
   • DA record of past deployments belongs in the deployment system.
   • EThe history of the data model is framework documentation.
8. Question 8Backstage CatalogSelect all that apply

   The open question is what to do when their descriptors are correct but reviewers ignore them. Which TWO help? (Choose TWO)

   • AValidating descriptors in the same pipeline as the codeCorrect
   • BMaking the descriptor's owner field part of the review checklistCorrect
   • CMoving descriptors into a repository reviewers do not watch
   • DRemoving descriptors from pull requests to reduce noise
   • EGenerating descriptors automatically without review
   ✓ Correct answer: A, B

   A validation step forces attention when the file is wrong, and naming ownership in the checklist means somebody looks at the field most likely to go stale. Both work because they attach to a habit that already exists rather than creating a new one.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • CMoving descriptors somewhere unwatched guarantees they are ignored.
   • DRemoving descriptors from pull requests removes the review entirely.
   • EGenerating them without review produces entries nobody has checked.
9. Question 9Backstage Development WorkflowSelect all that apply

   A contributing team must settle what to do when a plugin's dependency introduces a licence concern. Which TWO steps apply? (Choose TWO)

   • AEstablish what the licence requires of adoptersCorrect
   • BLook for an alternative with acceptable termsCorrect
   • CRemove the licence file from the package
   • DRelabel the dependency in the manifest
   • EAsk adopters to accept the terms individually
   ✓ Correct answer: A, B

   Every adopter inherits whatever the dependency requires, so the first step is knowing what that is and the second is deciding whether an alternative avoids it. Anything that obscures the licence creates a far worse problem than the original concern.

   Why the other options are wrong

   • CRemoving the licence file does not remove the obligation.
   • DRelabelling the dependency misrepresents what is installed.
   • EAdopters cannot individually accept terms on a transitive dependency.
10. Question 10Customizing Backstage

    A design review must agree on what a plugin should do about text that could contain markup from an external system. What is safe?

    • ARender it as text so any markup is shown literallyCorrect
    • BRender it as markup so formatting is preserved
    • CStrip characters that look like markup
    • DTruncate it before rendering
    ✓ Correct answer: A

    Rendering untrusted content as markup can execute code with the user's session, and the framework renders text safely by default, so the safe path is also the easy one. Where formatting genuinely matters, deliberate sanitising is the alternative.

    Why the other options are wrong

    • BRendering external content as markup risks executing code.
    • CStripping characters that look like markup is unreliable.
    • DTruncating shortens the content without making it safe.

Who this CBA practice exam is for

This practice set is for anyone preparing for the CBA: Certified Backstage Associate exam at the intermediate level - from first-time candidates building a foundation to experienced Cloud Native practitioners doing a final review before test day. If you learn best by working through realistic questions and reading why each answer is right or wrong, it is built for you.

How to use this CBA practice exam

1. Start with the free sample questions above to gauge your current baseline.
2. Read the full explanation on every question, including why each wrong option is wrong.
3. Track your weak domains and focus your study where you are losing the most marks.
4. Once you are scoring consistently well, take a timed, full-length mock exam.
5. Use your readiness score to decide when you are ready to book the real CBA exam.

Related Cloud Native resources

• Cloud Native practice examsAll Cloud Native
• Certification pathWhere this fits
• Certification exam guides & tipsBlog
• Plans & pricingFree & paid
• How these questions are written and reviewedMethodology
• Report a problem with a questionCorrections
• Certified Argo Project Associate (CAPA) practice examRelated
• Certified GitOps Associate (CGOA) practice examRelated
• CKA practice examRelated

CBA practice exam FAQ