Certified Cloud Native Platform Engineer (CNPE) exam price, length, validity and renewal
CNCF · Professional · CNPE · $445 · 120 min · 15 to 20 tasks · valid 2 yearsNew
Exam facts
Checked Sep 25, 2026 on CNCF's page| Price | $445 per attempt, US list priceUSD, exam only; includes one retake, two exam simulator attempts and 12 months to take the exam; THRIVE-ONE bundle costs more |
|---|---|
| Length | 120 min |
| Questions | 15 to 20 tasks |
| Format | Performance-based tasks in a Linux remote desktop (terminal and web interfaces), online proctored |
| Passing score | 64% |
| Valid for | 2 years |
| Renewal | Retake and pass the exam before the certification expires; the renewed certification stays current for 2 more years from the date you pass. |
| Prerequisites | None (CNPA or equivalent hands-on experience recommended) |
| Level | Professional (CNCF calls it Intermediate) |
| Delivery | Online proctored (PSI Bridge secure browser) |
| Languages | English |
| Status | NewLaunched 2025-11-11 per the Linux Foundation Education and CNCF announcements; exam environment runs Kubernetes v1.35 |
| Last changed | Nov 11, 2025CNCF and Linux Foundation Education launched the CNPE certification |
| Source | training.linuxfoundation.org/certification/certified-cloud-native-platform-engineer-cnpe/Last checked Sep 25, 2026 |
Changes
Other CNCF exams
CNCF programDevOps and infrastructure as code exams from other vendors
Track| Exam | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional | - | 90 min | - | |
| Professional | - | 90 min | - | |
| Professional | - | 90 min | - | |
| Professional | - | - | 3 years | |
| Professional | $200 | 120 min | - | |
| Professional | $200 | 90 min | - | |
| Professional | $200 | 90 min | - | |
| Professional | $200 | 90 min | - |
About this exam
For experienced platform engineers, senior DevOps and SRE practitioners, platform architects and infrastructure engineers who design and evolve production-grade platforms.
What the official page says
- Price: "The cost is $445 and includes one free retake."
- Duration: "This exam is an 120-minute online, proctored, performance-based test."
- Questions: "The exams consist of 15-20 performance-based tasks."
- Validity: "CNPE Certification is valid for 2 years."
Certifications are valid for 2 years and are renewed by retaking and passing the exam before the expiration date, which extends them 2 years from the new pass date.
Each exam purchase includes one free retake, which must be taken within 12 months of the original purchase; SINGLE-attempt purchases and no-shows get no retake.
CNCF policyAlso read: cncf.io/training/certification/cnpe/, docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/frequently-asked-questions-cnpe, docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/important-instructions-cnpe, docs.linuxfoundation.org/tc-docs/certification/lf-handbook2/language, training.linuxfoundation.org/blog/cnpe/, cncf.io/announcements/2025/11/11/cncf-launches-cnpe-certification-to-define-enterprise-scale-platform-engineering-globally/