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Question 1

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Which oc command creates a new project named 'webapp' in OpenShift?

oc create project webapp

oc new-project webapp

oc project new webapp

oc init webapp

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: EX288 Exam

210/300

Passing Score

Red Hat (70%)

3 hours

Exam Time

Red Hat

OCP 4.18

Tested Version

Red Hat (current)

$400-500

Exam Cost

Red Hat

60-100 hrs

Study Time

Recommended

3 years

Cert Valid

Red Hat renewal policy

EX288 is Red Hat's developer-focused specialty certification testing hands-on application development on OpenShift 4.18. The 3-hour performance-based exam requires 210/300 (70%) to pass and covers S2I builds, Helm, Kustomize, Tekton pipelines, ConfigMaps/Secrets, health probes, and the oc CLI. EX288 is one path toward Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) and complements EX280 (OpenShift Administration). Certification is valid for 3 years.

Sample EX288 Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your EX288 exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which oc command creates a new project named 'webapp' in OpenShift?

A.oc create project webapp

B.oc new-project webapp

C.oc project new webapp

D.oc init webapp

Explanation: The 'oc new-project' command creates a new project (an OpenShift namespace with additional metadata) and automatically switches the current context to that project. It is the standard developer command for starting work on a new application. The command also creates a default service account, role bindings, and resource quotas inherited from cluster defaults.

2A developer wants to deploy an application directly from a Git repository using the source code (no Dockerfile). Which oc command is most appropriate?

A.oc create deployment myapp --image=https://github.com/user/repo

B.oc new-app https://github.com/user/repo

C.oc apply -f https://github.com/user/repo

D.oc run myapp --git=https://github.com/user/repo

Explanation: 'oc new-app' with a Git URL triggers OpenShift to detect the application language and use a matching Source-to-Image (S2I) builder image to compile and containerize the code. It creates a BuildConfig, ImageStream, Deployment (or DeploymentConfig), and Service in one command. This is the canonical workflow for source-based deployments on OpenShift.

3Which command displays the logs of a build named 'myapp-1'?

A.oc logs build/myapp-1

B.oc build logs myapp-1

C.oc get logs myapp-1

D.oc describe build/myapp-1 --logs

Explanation: 'oc logs build/myapp-1' streams the logs from the build pod for the named build. You can also use 'oc logs -f bc/myapp' to follow the logs of the latest build for a BuildConfig. Both forms are essential for diagnosing build failures during S2I or Docker-strategy builds.

4What does the Source-to-Image (S2I) framework primarily do?

A.Migrates virtual machines into containers

B.Combines a builder image with source code to produce a runnable application image

C.Streams source code directly into a running pod without rebuilding

D.Encrypts source code before pushing to a Git repository

Explanation: S2I is an OpenShift framework that takes a base 'builder image' (containing a language runtime and assemble/run scripts) and combines it with application source code to produce a final, runnable container image. The builder image's 'assemble' script compiles or installs the application; the 'run' script launches it. This avoids the need for developers to write Dockerfiles for common stacks like Node.js, Python, Java, and Ruby.

5Which two scripts are required inside an S2I builder image's /usr/libexec/s2i directory?

A.build and deploy

B.assemble and run

C.compile and start

D.init and serve

Explanation: An S2I builder image must provide an 'assemble' script that injects source code and produces the runnable artifact, and a 'run' script that starts the application when the resulting image is launched. These scripts live in /usr/libexec/s2i (or the path specified by the io.openshift.s2i.scripts-url label). Optional 'save-artifacts', 'usage', and 'test/run' scripts may also be provided.

6Which BuildConfig strategy uses an S2I builder image to assemble source code into a runnable image?

A.Docker

B.Source

C.Custom

D.Pipeline

Explanation: The 'Source' build strategy in a BuildConfig uses Source-to-Image (S2I) to inject source code into a builder image and produce a runnable application image. The strategy section references a 'sourceStrategy.from' that points to an ImageStreamTag for the builder image. This is the most common strategy on OpenShift for stacks where Red Hat provides a maintained S2I image.

7A developer needs to manually start a new build for the BuildConfig 'myapp'. Which command does this?

A.oc start-build myapp

B.oc build start myapp

C.oc trigger build myapp

D.oc run-build myapp

Explanation: 'oc start-build <buildconfig>' triggers a new build from the named BuildConfig. Useful flags include '--from-file' to upload a local file, '--from-dir' to upload a local directory, and '--follow' to stream logs as the build runs. The new build is named with the BuildConfig name plus an incrementing suffix (e.g., myapp-2).

8Which type of OpenShift health probe determines whether a container should receive traffic from a Service?

A.Liveness probe

B.Readiness probe

C.Startup probe

D.Termination probe

Explanation: The readiness probe controls whether the pod's IP is included in the endpoints of any Service that selects it. While the readiness probe is failing, the pod is removed from Service routing so requests are not sent to a not-ready container. Readiness is independent from liveness — a pod can be alive but temporarily not ready (for example, while warming a cache).

9Which probe causes OpenShift to restart a container that fails the probe's success criteria?

A.Readiness probe

B.Liveness probe

C.Init probe

D.Health probe

Explanation: The liveness probe detects when a container is alive but in an unrecoverable state (for example, deadlocked) and the kubelet restarts the container when the probe fails consecutively. Liveness probes can use httpGet, tcpSocket, exec, or grpc handlers. A misconfigured liveness probe can cause restart loops, so handlers should test only essential functionality.

10Which OpenShift resource maps non-confidential configuration data into pods as environment variables or files?

A.Secret

B.ConfigMap

C.Route

D.ServiceAccount

Explanation: A ConfigMap stores non-sensitive key-value data that can be consumed by pods as environment variables (envFrom or valueFrom.configMapKeyRef) or as files mounted into a volume. ConfigMaps decouple environment-specific configuration from container images so the same image can be promoted across dev/test/prod by swapping ConfigMaps.

About the EX288 Exam

EX288 validates skills required to build and deploy applications on Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.18. Topics include the oc CLI, Source-to-Image (S2I) builds, BuildConfigs and DeploymentConfigs, ConfigMaps and Secrets, Helm charts, Kustomize, OpenShift Pipelines (Tekton), health probes, image streams, and consuming Operator-managed services.

Assessment

Performance-based hands-on tasks on live OpenShift 4.18 systems

Time Limit

3 hours

Passing Score

210/300 (70%)

Exam Fee

$400-500 USD (Red Hat)

EX288 Exam Content Outline

18%

Work with Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform

Projects, Deployments, Services, Routes, oc CLI, web console, internal registry, scaling, rollouts, and health probes

12%

Source-to-Image (S2I) Framework

Build and deploy applications using S2I; customize builder images via .s2i/bin override scripts (assemble, run)

10%

ConfigMaps and Secrets

Create ConfigMaps and Secrets; inject as environment variables or volume mounts; manage TLS secrets

10%

OpenShift Pipelines (Tekton)

Tasks, Pipelines, PipelineRuns, Workspaces, params, results, runAfter, when expressions, tkn CLI

Container Images and Builds

BuildConfigs, build strategies (Source/Docker/Custom), output destinations, internal registry

Helm Charts

Chart structure, install/upgrade/rollback, templating, values, dependencies, packaging

Kustomize

Bases, overlays, patches (strategic-merge and JSON 6902), generators, images transformer, namespace directive

Image Streams

Create image streams, tag for promotion, import from external registries, lookup policy

Templates

Define and process OpenShift Templates with parameters, including auto-generated values

Hooks and Triggers

BuildConfig triggers (image change, webhook, generic), postCommit hooks, oc set triggers

Troubleshoot Builds and Deployments

oc logs, oc describe, dry-run validation, ImagePullBackOff, CrashLoopBackOff, build resolution failures

Operators (Consumption)

Create application instances by submitting Custom Resources for installed Operators

How to Pass the EX288 Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 210/300 (70%)
Assessment: Performance-based hands-on tasks on live OpenShift 4.18 systems
Time limit: 3 hours
Exam fee: $400-500 USD

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

EX288 Study Tips from Top Performers

1Build a real lab — OpenShift Local (CRC) or the free Developer Sandbox. Memorizing commands without running them is not enough.

2Master oc new-app, oc new-build, oc start-build, oc set env, oc set probe, oc set triggers, and oc rollout — these are the developer-experience verbs.

3Practice writing BuildConfigs, DeploymentConfigs, and Deployments from scratch in YAML — including triggers, output, and source sections.

4Drill Helm: install, upgrade with --set and -f, rollback, dependency update, and reading values via {{ .Values.* }} in templates.

5Drill Kustomize: write a base, then dev/prod overlays with namespace, replica counts, image tags, and ConfigMap/Secret generators.

6Build a working Tekton Pipeline end-to-end: git-clone -> build (buildah or s2i) -> deploy. Practice with workspaces, params, results, and when.

7Memorize ConfigMap/Secret injection: env.valueFrom.configMapKeyRef, envFrom.secretRef, and volume mounts with subPath.

8Configure liveness, readiness, and startup probes on Deployments. Know httpGet, tcpSocket, and exec handlers and probe timing fields.

9Practice 'oc explain' to discover field names quickly when you forget syntax — it is your friend during the exam.

10Time yourself: 3 hours moves fast. Solve early objectives quickly so you have buffer for the harder pipeline/templates tasks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the EX288 passing score?

EX288 requires 210 out of 300 points (70%) to pass. The exam is performance-based — you complete real tasks on a live OpenShift 4.18 environment, and each task is graded against verifiable success criteria. Red Hat does not publish per-domain weighting, so even coverage across all objectives is the safest preparation strategy.

Is EX288 hands-on or multiple-choice?

EX288 is fully hands-on (performance-based). You work in a real OpenShift environment for 3 hours, configuring builds, deployments, ConfigMaps, Secrets, Helm releases, Tekton pipelines, and other resources to meet the stated requirements. Our practice questions are multiple-choice but cover the same commands, YAML fields, and concepts you must know cold for the real exam.

What OpenShift version is EX288 based on?

EX288 currently tests against Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.18, aligned with the DO288 training course. Always check Red Hat's official EX288 page before scheduling — Red Hat periodically refreshes the OCP version targeted by the exam, and objectives can shift accordingly.

What study time is recommended for EX288?

Plan 60-100 hours of focused, hands-on practice over 8-12 weeks. The exam rewards muscle memory with the oc and tkn CLIs and fluent recognition of YAML field names. Stand up an OpenShift cluster (CodeReady Containers, OpenShift Local, or the free Developer Sandbox) and rebuild every objective from scratch multiple times.

How does EX288 compare to CKAD?

CKAD (Certified Kubernetes Application Developer) is the CNCF's vendor-neutral developer exam. EX288 covers OpenShift-specific features that CKAD does not — S2I, BuildConfigs, ImageStreams, Routes, Templates, and OpenShift Pipelines (Tekton with Red Hat extensions). Both exams are hands-on and 3 hours; EX288 is the right choice when your team runs OpenShift.

Does EX288 expire?

Yes — Red Hat certifications are valid for 3 years from the date you pass. You can recertify by passing EX288 again, passing a higher-level Red Hat exam, or earning specific Red Hat credentials that count for renewal. Recertification keeps your skills current with evolving OpenShift releases.

What jobs can I get with EX288?

EX288 holders qualify for roles like OpenShift Application Developer ($105,000-150,000), Cloud-Native Developer ($110,000-160,000), DevOps Engineer ($120,000-170,000), and Platform Engineer ($115,000-165,000). The certification is especially valuable in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, government) that standardize on OpenShift.