---
title:
  Is the OTCA Exam Right for You? Insights for Both Newcomers and Advanced Users
author: '[Lukasz Ciukaj](https://github.com/luke6Lh43) (Splunk)'
date: 2025-11-20
issue: 8233
sig: End-User
cSpell:ignore: ciukaj lukasz otca
---

In the IT industry, certifications often generate debate – some regard them as
essential career milestones, while others question their practical value. While
OpenTelemetry is getting widely adopted, not everyone is aware that there is a
dedicated certification exam available for OpenTelemetry. The
[OpenTelemetry Certified Associate (OTCA)](https://training.linuxfoundation.org/certification/opentelemetry-certified-associate-otca/)
exam from the [Linux Foundation](https://www.linuxfoundation.org/) is a
credential designed to validate foundational knowledge and best practices in
observability with OpenTelemetry, and its value extends to both newcomers and
experienced professionals. This article outlines the structure of the OTCA exam,
its relevance for individuals at different stages of their careers, and the
benefits of pursuing this certification within the broader observability
landscape.

## Understanding the OpenTelemetry Certified Associate (OTCA) exam

The OTCA exam, offered by Linux Foundation, is a vendor-neutral certification
that assesses understanding of core OpenTelemetry concepts. The exam covers
essential topics such as the purpose and components of OpenTelemetry, the
collection and export of traces, metrics, and logs, and the basics of
instrumentation. Comprising multiple-choice questions, the exam evaluates both
theoretical knowledge and practical application, ensuring a well-rounded
assessment of candidates' abilities. As OpenTelemetry becomes an increasingly
important part of cloud native and distributed systems, the OTCA certification
helps professionals demonstrate their readiness to implement observability
solutions in a variety of organizational contexts.

As of October 2025, the current scope of the OTCA exam covers the following
areas:

- Fundamentals of Observability (18%)
- The OpenTelemetry API and SDK (46%)
- The OpenTelemetry Collector (26%)
- Maintaining and Debugging Observability Pipelines (10%)

## Value of the OTCA exam for newcomers

For individuals new to OpenTelemetry, the OTCA exam provides a structured entry
point into observability. Exam preparation introduces key concepts, terminology,
and workflows that are critical for building a solid foundation. The exam guides
candidates through the essentials of how telemetry data is generated, collected,
and distinguished between traces, metrics, and logs, making the broader
observability landscape more accessible. Completing the OTCA exam encourages a
systematic approach to learning and helps new practitioners avoid common
pitfalls. Achieving the OTCA certification can boost confidence and demonstrate
a commitment to learning industry-standard tools and practices early in a
career, which can be advantageous when seeking new roles or advancing within an
organization. For example:

- If you're a developer who has only worked with vendor-specific Application
  Performance Monitoring (APM) tooling, exam preparation helps you understand
  vendor-neutral concepts such as semantic conventions, context propagation, and
  the structure of telemetry signals.
- If you're an SRE or DevOps newcomer, studying for the OTCA gives you a guided
  path to understanding how traces, metrics, and logs flow through the SDK, the
  Collector, and into an observability backend. This is knowledge you’ll use
  daily in real systems.

## Benefits of the OTCA exam for advanced users

Even for those with substantial hands-on experience, the OTCA exam offers
significant advantages. It serves as a formal means to validate expertise gained
through practical work with OpenTelemetry. Preparation for the exam encourages
experienced professionals to review key concepts, revisit official
documentation, and explore features or best practices that may have evolved over
time. This review process can uncover previously unnoticed updates or changes in
the OpenTelemetry ecosystem, promoting continuous professional growth. The study
process promotes a comprehensive understanding of the entire observability
pipeline, including areas such as exporters, collectors, and less commonly used
APIs. This comprehensive review ensures alignment with current standards and
deepens overall proficiency within the OpenTelemetry ecosystem, helping
experienced practitioners remain effective and up-to-date in a rapidly evolving
field.

## Final thoughts

The OTCA exam offers valuable opportunities for growth, learning, and
professional validation, regardless of prior experience with OpenTelemetry. For
newcomers, it establishes a strong, industry-recognized foundation, while for
advanced users, it reinforces core concepts and supports ongoing professional
development. Certification can also signal to employers a candidate’s dedication
to best practices and commitment to continual learning. For the exam preparation
itself, the [OpenTelemetry Documentation](/docs/) is an excellent starting
point, and reinforcing this knowledge through practical work with manual and
auto-instrumentation is particularly effective. In addition, several books and
interactive courses are available to support exam readiness. Pursuing the OTCA
certification is a worthwhile step for anyone seeking to deepen their
observability skills and demonstrate a commitment to industry best practices in
an ever-changing technology landscape.
