Q1. What does spec.owner mean on a Backstage catalog entity?
Reveal answer and explanations
AIt defines the entity API version used by the catalog parser
Incorrect. API version is declared separately in apiVersion.
BIt determines where the descriptor file sits on disk
Incorrect. File location is tracked by catalog locations, not spec.owner.
CIt grants database permissions to the owning team automatically
Incorrect. The owner field is not a database authorization control.
DIt declares the responsible user or group and ownership relations
Correct. spec.owner declares accountability and is processed into ownership relationships in the catalog.
Customizing Backstage
Q2. A production Backstage deployment has different auth, integration, database, and plugin settings per environment. What does app-config.yaml control?
Reveal answer and explanations
AReact component auth flow compiled into the frontend bundle
Incorrect. Component rendering logic lives in application and plugin code.
BTypeScript compiler settings for each workspace package
Incorrect. TypeScript compiler settings are defined in tsconfig files.
CRuntime feature, auth, database, and integration config
Correct. Backstage configuration files supply runtime settings for installed features, auth providers, integrations, and services.
DDatabase schema definitions generated by plugin migrations
Incorrect. Plugin database schemas are managed by backend code and migrations, not by app-config.yaml.
Backstage Development Workflow
Q3. A release pipeline needs deployable Backstage artifacts rather than a local dev server. What does yarn build do in a Backstage monorepo?
Reveal answer and explanations
ACompiles and bundles Backstage packages for production
Correct. Build commands compile and bundle Backstage packages into production-ready artifacts.
BApplies Kubernetes manifests to the target cluster
Incorrect. Kubernetes deployment is a separate pipeline step.
CInstalls workspace dependencies
Incorrect. Dependency installation is handled by yarn install.
DStarts the local development app with live reload
Incorrect. Development servers are started by yarn start, not by the production build command.
Backstage Infrastructure
Q4. Backstage relies on PostgreSQL for persistent production storage. Which operational concern is critical before engineering teams rely on the service?
Reveal answer and explanations
ADisabling database authentication so plugins can connect more easily
Incorrect. Disabling authentication is unsafe for production data stores.
BUsing default credentials from an example container image
Incorrect. Default credentials are not acceptable for production systems.
CRunning PostgreSQL only on a developer laptop
Incorrect. A developer laptop is not a production database platform.
DBackups, capacity, protected credentials, and secure connections
Correct. Production databases need backup/restore planning, capacity, protected credentials, and secure connectivity.
90 minutes, multi-choice format. See the official CNCF page for the current question count.
How difficult is the CBA exam?
Rated intermediate. Plan 1–6 weeks depending on your background.
How much does the CBA exam cost?
Pricing changes periodically — check the official CNCF CBA page at https://www.cncf.io/training/certification/cba/.
Are these CBA mock exams free?
Sample questions on this page are free with no account. Full timed CBA mocks require a paid plan.
How is this mock exam different from the real CBA exam?
Original questions written against the official CNCF curriculum — not scraped dumps. Format mirrors the real exam; the real one is proctored, these are self-paced.
What is the best way to study for CBA?
Work through the official curriculum in order of domain weight (heaviest first), then run full timed mocks until you hit 85%+ consistently.