Free Practice Questions for Chef Certified

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Exam Review

Key Facts: Chef Certified Exam

75%

Passing score on the Associate multiple-choice exam

Progress Chef - Learn Chef Certify

3 attempts

Maximum attempts allowed for the Associate certification

Progress Chef - Learn Chef Certify

6 months

Time allowed to complete the certification after starting

Progress Chef - Learn Chef Certify

Multiple choice + lab

Associate exam combines a knowledge exam with hands-on LearnChef Lab tasks

Progress Chef - Chef Certification Programs

Chef Infra

The certification validates configuration management with Chef Infra

Chef Infra Documentation

Pull-based

The Chef Infra Client pulls policy and converges each node to desired state

Chef Infra Documentation

~USD 199

Typical price, commonly bundled with Learn Chef Premium

Progress Chef - Learn Chef Premium

100

Free original practice questions in this bank

OpenExamPrep

The Progress Chef Associate Certification (Chef Infra) is an operator-level credential proving you can build cookbooks and manage nodes with Chef Infra. It pairs a multiple-choice knowledge exam (75% to pass) with hands-on tasks in the LearnChef Lab, and you have up to 6 months and 3 attempts to finish. Core topics are the resource DSL (package, service, file, template, with actions, notifications and guards), recipes and run-lists, attribute precedence, the compile-versus-converge chef-client run, and tooling such as knife, Policyfiles, Test Kitchen and InSpec. The credential is paid (commonly bundled with Learn Chef Premium, around USD 199). This 100-question bank gives original multiple-choice practice across all of those Chef Infra areas.

Sample Chef Certified Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Chef Certified exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In Chef Infra's architecture, what is the primary role of the Chef Infra Server?

A.It runs on each node to apply the desired configuration

B.It is the central store for cookbooks, node data, roles, environments and policy

C.It is the developer machine used to author cookbooks

D.It compiles Ruby into binaries for each node

Explanation: The Chef Infra Server is the central hub that stores cookbooks, node objects, roles, environments, data bags and policy. Nodes (running Chef Infra Client) pull what they need from it during a run.

2Chef Infra uses a 'pull' configuration model. What does this mean?

A.The Chef Infra Server pushes configuration to nodes on a schedule

B.Each node's Chef Infra Client requests its policy from the server and applies it locally

C.Nodes pull cookbooks directly from Chef Supermarket at converge time

D.An operator manually copies recipes onto each node

Explanation: In a pull model the Chef Infra Client on each node initiates the run, pulls its run-list and cookbooks from the Chef Infra Server, and converges the node locally. The server does not push out changes.

3What does it mean for a Chef resource to be 'idempotent'?

A.It runs faster on each subsequent chef-client run

B.Running it repeatedly produces the same end state without unnecessary changes

C.It can only be declared once per recipe

D.It always reports as updated on every run

Explanation: Idempotency means a resource brings the node to a desired state and, if already in that state, makes no changes. Running the same recipe many times converges to the same result.

4Which component is the developer environment where you author and test cookbooks before uploading them?

A.Chef Infra Server

B.Chef Workstation

C.Chef Supermarket

D.Chef Infra Client node

Explanation: The Chef Workstation is the local environment that bundles knife, chef, Test Kitchen, InSpec, Cookstyle and Ruby so you can author, test and upload cookbooks to the Chef Infra Server.

5What is Chef Supermarket?

A.The internal database inside the Chef Infra Server

B.A public community site for finding and sharing reusable cookbooks

C.The tool that bootstraps new nodes

D.A dashboard for compliance scan results

Explanation: Chef Supermarket is the community repository where users publish and download reusable community cookbooks. Tools like Berkshelf and Policyfiles can resolve dependencies from it.

6Chef's approach to configuration is often called 'test and repair.' What does the Chef Infra Client do for each resource?

A.It always applies the action regardless of current state

B.It tests whether the node already matches the desired state and only repairs it if not

C.It only reports differences but never changes anything

D.It backs up the node before every change

Explanation: For each resource the client tests the current state against the declared desired state, and only takes the action (repairs) when they differ. This is what makes runs idempotent.

7Which tool gathers system data such as platform, IP address and memory at the start of a Chef Infra Client run?

A.knife

B.Ohai

C.Cookstyle

D.Berkshelf

Explanation: Ohai profiles the node at the start of every run, collecting automatic attributes such as platform, hostname, network and memory. These become read-only automatic attributes on the node object.

8Where is the node object's run-time data, including merged attributes, ultimately stored after a successful run?

A.Only in memory on the node, then discarded

B.Saved back to the Chef Infra Server

C.Written into each cookbook's metadata.rb

D.Pushed to Chef Supermarket

Explanation: At the end of a successful run the Chef Infra Client saves the updated node object (including merged attributes) back to the Chef Infra Server, where it can be used by search and reporting.

9Which statement best describes a 'recipe' in Chef Infra?

A.A signed bundle of compiled binaries

B.An ordered collection of resources, written in the Ruby DSL, that describes desired state

C.A YAML file listing node hostnames

D.A shell script that Chef runs verbatim

Explanation: A recipe is a Ruby file containing an ordered collection of resource declarations. Each resource describes a piece of desired state, and recipes are the fundamental unit of configuration in a cookbook.

10What is the relationship between a cookbook and a recipe?

A.A recipe contains many cookbooks

B.A cookbook is a package that can contain one or more recipes plus related files

C.They are two names for the same thing

D.A cookbook is a single recipe renamed

Explanation: A cookbook is the fundamental unit of distribution and configuration. It packages recipes along with attributes, templates, files, libraries, resources and metadata that work together.

About the Chef Certified Exam

The Associate Chef Certification is Progress Chef's operator-level credential for Chef Infra, the configuration-management and infrastructure-as-code tool. It validates that a candidate can author cookbooks and recipes in the Ruby-based Chef DSL, model desired state with resources, manage node configuration through attributes, and run and troubleshoot the chef-client (Chef Infra Client) run. The certification combines a multiple-choice knowledge exam with hands-on tasks in the LearnChef Lab, and requires 75% on the multiple-choice component plus successful lab completion. Candidates have up to six months and up to three attempts. It is aimed at system administrators, DevOps engineers and SREs and is typically prepared for with the Chef Infra Foundations course.

Exam sponsor: Progress Chef (LearnChef). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

A consolidated Associate certification: a multiple-choice knowledge exam plus hands-on tasks performed in a live LearnChef Lab environment. Progress does not publish a fixed public question count.

Time Limit

Taken online through LearnChef. Candidates have up to 6 months and up to 3 attempts to complete the multiple-choice exam and the lab tasks.

Passing Score

75% on the multiple-choice exam, together with successful completion of the LearnChef Lab tasks.

Exam / Certification Fees

Paid program, commonly bundled with Learn Chef Premium (around USD 199); pricing varies by region and offer. Confirm the current price on the Learn Chef Certify page.

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

15%

Chef fundamentals & architecture

The Chef Infra Server as the central node-data store, the Chef Infra Client running on managed nodes, and the Chef Workstation for authoring. Covers Chef Supermarket, the pull-based client run, convergence to desired state, idempotency and the test-and-repair model.

25%

Resources & the resource DSL

Built-in resources such as package, service, file, template, directory, user and execute. Covers resource syntax, properties, the default and named actions, notifies / subscribes with :immediately and :delayed timing, and guards only_if and not_if.

20%

Recipes, cookbooks & run-lists

Writing recipes in the Ruby DSL, cookbook directory structure, metadata.rb and version constraints, cookbook dependencies (depends), include_recipe, and how the run-list expands into the ordered resource collection.

15%

Attributes, templates & data

Attribute precedence levels (default, force_default, normal, override, force_override, automatic), the node object, Ohai automatic attributes, attribute files, ERB templates with variables and partials, data bags (including encrypted), roles and environments.

25%

Client run model & tooling/testing

The two-pass model: the compile phase builds the resource collection and the converge phase executes it. Covers knife commands, bootstrapping, node search, Berkshelf and Policyfiles, chef generate, Test Kitchen, InSpec, ChefSpec and Cookstyle.

Preparing for the Chef Certified Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 75% on the multiple-choice exam, together with successful completion of the LearnChef Lab tasks.
Assessment: A consolidated Associate certification: a multiple-choice knowledge exam plus hands-on tasks performed in a live LearnChef Lab environment. Progress does not publish a fixed public question count.
Time limit: Taken online through LearnChef. Candidates have up to 6 months and up to 3 attempts to complete the multiple-choice exam and the lab tasks.
Exam / certification fees: Paid program, commonly bundled with Learn Chef Premium (around USD 199); pricing varies by region and offer. Confirm the current price on the Learn Chef Certify page. Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

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Chef Certified: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master attribute precedence order. Memorise default, force_default, normal, override, force_override and automatic, and remember that automatic (Ohai) attributes always win and cannot be overridden in recipes.

2Understand the two-pass run model. In the compile phase Chef builds the resource collection top to bottom; in the converge phase it runs each resource's action in that order, so misplaced notifications or ordering bugs are common exam traps.

3Know your guards. only_if runs the resource when the condition is true and not_if runs it when the condition is false; both are how you keep recipes idempotent.

4Practise notifications. Be clear on the difference between notifies and subscribes and between :delayed (the default, runs once at the end of the run) and :immediately timing.

5Get hands-on with the tooling. Run knife, chef generate cookbook, Test Kitchen (kitchen converge / verify), ChefSpec and Cookstyle so the lab tasks feel routine.

6Read recipe code carefully. Many questions show a short Chef DSL snippet and ask what converges; trace the resource collection, actions and guards line by line.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Progress Chef Associate Certification?

It is Progress Chef's operator-level credential for Chef Infra. It validates that you can write cookbooks and recipes and manage node configuration, combining a multiple-choice exam with hands-on tasks in the LearnChef Lab.

What score do I need to pass?

You need 75% on the multiple-choice exam, plus successful completion of the practical tasks in the LearnChef Lab environment.

How many attempts and how long do I have?

Progress allows up to 3 attempts and you must complete the certification within 6 months of starting it.

Is the exam only multiple choice?

No. The current Associate certification consolidates a multiple-choice knowledge exam with hands-on lab tasks, so you must demonstrate practical Chef Infra skills as well as answer questions.

What does Chef Infra actually do?

Chef Infra is a configuration-management tool. The Chef Infra Client runs on each node, pulls policy from the Chef Infra Server, and converges the node to the desired state described by idempotent resources in your recipes.

How should I prepare for the Associate exam?

Work through Chef Infra Foundations and the LearnChef tutorials, practise writing cookbooks in the Chef Lab, and make sure you understand resources, attribute precedence, the compile-versus-converge run and tools like knife and Test Kitchen.