CNCF just launched the first-ever hands-on platform engineering certification at KubeCon Atlanta 2025. But with beta testers reporting 29% scores, is CNPE worth pursuing?
In this episode, Jordan and Alex break down everything you need to know:
🎯 What CNPE Tests:
• GitOps & Continuous Delivery (25%)
• Platform APIs & Self-Service (25%)
• Observability & Operations (20%)
• Platform Architecture (15%)
• Security & Policy Enforcement (15%)
📊 Career Impact:
• Platform engineers earn $219K average (US)
• 20% higher than DevOps engineers
• Second most popular K8s role at 11.47% of job postings
🛤️ Three Certification Paths:
• Traditional: CKA → CKS → CNPA → CNPE
• Fast-track: CNPA → CNPE
• Full coverage: Kubestronaut → CNPE → Golden Kubestronaut
⚠️ Key Considerations:
• No Killer.sh simulator until Q1 2026
• Beta testers reported 29% scores
• Required for Golden Kubestronaut after March 1, 2026
Links:
• Episode page: https://platform-engineering-playbook.io/docs/podcasts/00041-cnpe-certification-guide
• CNPE Certification: https://training.linuxfoundation.org/certification/certified-cloud-native-platform-engineer-cnpe/
• CNPA Certification: https://training.linuxfoundation.org/certification/certified-cloud-native-platform-engineering-associate-cnpa/
#PlatformEngineering #CNPE #CNCF #Kubernetes #DevOps #Certification #CloudNative #CareerDevelopment
