The CNPE (Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineer) exam launched November 11, 2025 at KubeCon Atlanta, becoming the first hands-on platform engineering certification in five years. This deep dive covers exam format, all five domains, and a complete study guide.
Key Points:
• CNPE is hands-on: 17 tasks in 2 hours, 64% pass score
• Five domains: GitOps/CD (25%), Platform APIs (25%), Observability (20%), Architecture (15%), Security (15%)
• BACK stack: Backstage, Argo CD, Crossplane, Kyverno
• Golden Kubestronaut requires CNPE after March 2026
• Career impact: Platform engineer salaries $160K-$220K
Resources:
• Episode page: https://platformengineering.org/podcasts/00066-cnpe-certification-study-guide
• CNPE Exam: https://training.linuxfoundation.org/certification/certified-cloud-native-platform-engineer/
• CNCF Platforms White Paper: https://tag-app-delivery.cncf.io/whitepapers/platforms/
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