OTCAexam prep · Linux Foundation · intermediate
OpenTelemetry & Cloud Native Observability (OTCA)
Master OpenTelemetry and prepare for the CNCF OpenTelemetry Certified Associate (OTCA) exam. Learn traces, metrics, and logs through the OTel API and SDK, deploy and configure the OpenTelemetry Collector, and build production-grade observability pipelines for cloud-native systems.
- 11 hours
- 26 lessons
- 6 modules
- 50-question practice exam
- updated May 2026
Mapped to the OTCA exam guide
Every module is tagged with the exam domain it covers.
Try it before you sign up
Read a full lesson and answer 3 questions from the Module 1 quiz. No account needed.
Observability Fundamentals: The Three Pillars and OpenTelemetry's Role
6 modules, 26 lessons
Module 1 is free — lessons, hands-on walkthrough and quiz. The course ends with a 50-question practice exam.
- readObservability Fundamentals: The Three Pillars and OpenTelemetry's Role25 min
- videoWhat Is This OpenTelemetry Thing? — GOTO 202420 min
- hands-onHands-On: Explore Traces with Jaeger and a Sample Application25 min
- quizObservability Fundamentals Quiz10 min
Built by the CloudaQube team
No celebrity instructor — here is exactly what goes into the course instead.
- 01 Follows the official OTCA exam guide — every module is tagged with the exam domain it covers.
- 02 7 guided hands-on walkthroughs you run in a real environment.
- 03 6 module quizzes and a 50-question practice exam — every answer comes with an explanation.
- 04 Last updated May 2026.
- 05 Any module can become a hands-on lab in Labs Studio.
What you'll be able to do
- 01 Explain the three pillars of observability and how OpenTelemetry unifies traces, metrics, and logs
- 02 Instrument applications using the OpenTelemetry API and SDK for traces, metrics, and logs
- 03 Configure SDK pipelines including exporters, processors, and samplers
- 04 Implement context propagation using W3C TraceContext and Baggage standards
- 05 Deploy and configure the OpenTelemetry Collector with receivers, processors, and exporters
- 06 Troubleshoot broken observability pipelines including context loss and dropped telemetry
- — Basic understanding of distributed systems and microservices
- — Familiarity with at least one programming language (Python, Go, or Java)
- — Basic Docker and container knowledge
- — Understanding of HTTP and REST APIs
Before you start OTCA
Is this course current for the OTCA exam?
It follows the current OTCA exam guide — all 4 exam domains, with the weights shown on this page, and was last updated May 2026.
How do I book the OTCA exam, and what does it cost?
You book it directly with the Linux Foundation. The official exam page lists the current fee, format, length and passing score, which can vary by country.
Is this an exam dump?
No. The lessons and quiz questions are written to teach the exam objectives, and every answer comes with an explanation. Real exam questions (“dumps”) break the exam provider’s candidate agreement and can cost you the certification.
How long does it take?
About 11 hours of lessons, videos and hands-on walkthroughs across 6 modules, plus a 50-question practice exam.
What’s free?
Module 1 in full — lessons, hands-on walkthrough and quiz — with no card required. Any paid plan (from $8.99/mo) unlocks all 6 modules and the practice exam, and starts with a 14-day free trial.
Start OTCA with Module 1 free.
No card required. Unlock every module and the practice exam from $8.99/mo when you’re ready.