Apache Kafka (CCDAK) Practice Test

The Apache Kafka (CCDAK) Practice Test is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests practical Apache Kafka skills and readiness for the Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka (CCDAK) — Kafka architecture, topics, partitions and replication, producers and delivery guarantees, consumers, groups and offsets, and Kafka Streams, Connect and Schema Registry — written to the Apache Kafka documentation (Kafka 4.x, KRaft mode) and Confluent documentation and certification outlines for 2026. Independent practice; not affiliated with Confluent or the Apache Software Foundation. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Apache Kafka Proficiency certificate (SOA-AK). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Apache Kafka documentation (Apache Software Foundation), Kafka producer configuration and design (Confluent Documentation), Confluent certification (CCDAK and CCAAK) (Confluent) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Apache Kafka (CCDAK) Practice Test, updated for 2026 and 2027. It measures architecture, topics and replication, producers and delivery guarantees, consumers, groups and offsets and streams, connect and schema registry and gives instant results with a shareable certificate.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Apache Kafka Proficiency certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: Apache Kafka documentation (Apache Software Foundation); Kafka producer configuration and design (Confluent Documentation); Confluent certification (CCDAK and CCAAK) (Confluent). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Architecture, Topics and Replication (Brokers and KRaft, Partitions and Replication and retention); Producers and Delivery Guarantees (acks and retries, Idempotence and transactions and Throughput); Consumers, Groups and Offsets (Consumer groups, Offsets and Rebalancing); Streams, Connect and Schema Registry (Kafka Streams, Kafka Connect and Schemas). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Backend or data engineer, Kafka or streaming platform engineer, Software developer building event-driven systems, Site reliability engineer running Kafka and Solutions architect. It suits anyone who wants a quick, verifiable way to show Apache Kafka knowledge in 2026 and 2027, from students and career switchers to experienced professionals.

Confluent offers the Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka (CCDAK), aimed at developers who build applications with Kafka, and the Confluent Certified Administrator for Apache Kafka (CCAAK) for operators. Both are proctored online exams; check Confluent's site for current details.

No. Apache Kafka 4.0 removed ZooKeeper entirely; clusters now run in KRaft mode, where a quorum of controller nodes manages metadata using Kafka's own Raft-based protocol.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.