The Cloud Foundry Certified Developer examination is a 3-hour, proctored exam. The exam consists of 10 performance-based items and 10 multiple choice questions.
Performance-based items require you to complete tasks using Cloud Foundry. They test your practical ability to use the platform. Each performance-based item is graded based on a series of checks. The total score you receive for each item is the sum of each element that is checked. For this reason, you should complete all elements of each performance-based item that you can. Do not skip an entire item simply because you can’t figure out part of it. Partial credit is better than no credit!
Some items are very direct about what needs to be done, while others are more vague. Be sure you follow the directions closely and pay attention to the details. If the item tells you to use a specific name for a thing, be sure you use exactly that name. This will help ensure you receive the highest score possible.
You can copy and paste from the exam interface to avoid introducing typos in names of elements.
Each performance-based item is crafted to allow you to check your work. Some of the sample applications provide endpoints to check your work. However, the endpoint is only one check. Be sure to inspect using the cf command to ensure you have completed each item according to the instructions.
Multiple choice questions are used to test additional topics not covered by the performance-based items. Multiple choice questions are used to test knowledge of concepts or when a performance-based item is not practical within the confines of the exam. This is typically true when an equivalent performance-based item would take too much time or be too difficult to grade.
Candidates are given up to 3 hours to complete the exam unless special accomodations have been arranged ahead of time.
Cloud Foundry significantly reduces the complexity of deploying and managing applications. Version 2 of the certification exam reflects this. Said another way, the exam does not test the far reaches of Cloud Foundry. It is scoped to the typical day-to-day tasks and knowledge required of a developer using the platform.
As Chip Childers, CTO at Cloud Foundry Foundation states: “If you use Cloud Foundry with any regularity, you should pass the certification exam — it’s as simple as that.”
CFCD v2.0 Domain & Competencies are outlined below. This is the list of competencies that are in scope for testing. Competencies may be on the list below but not show up on the exam.
Application Lifecycle
Application Management
Basics
Platform Security
Routing
Services
Troubleshooting
Programming tasks and specific programming languages are not in scope. The exam tests your ability to use the Cloud Foundry platform as a developer, not your ability to write code.
In addition to the testing interface detailed in the next section, you may have one additional browser tab opened during the exam. In that tab, you will be allowed to access:
Additionally, you will be allowed to access applications you deploy during the exam.
Any resource not in the list above is prohibited. This includes notes, other programs, this site and external devices (phones, watches, iPads, etc). If you open any other site (including a Google search), or if you open more than one additional browser tab, your exam will be terminated by the proctor. For this reason, we recommend you ensure you are comfortable searching docs.cloudfoundry.org.
The full CLI is installed, including all help functions, and is available for use throughout the exam.
The allowed sites above may contain links that point to external sites. It is the responsibility of the candidate not to click on any links that cause them to navigate to a domain that is not allowed.