Exam Rules for the Practical DevSecOps Certification: Notes, Reports, Chat Access, and Environment

Preparing for the Practical DevSecOps (CDP) certification? Knowing the exam rules—what you can access, how you should document your work, and which communication channels remain open—helps you stay focused and avoid accidental policy violations. This article consolidates the most frequently asked questions about the exam environment, open‑book policy, reporting requirements, and Mattermost chat access, giving you a clear roadmap for a smooth testing experience.

Table of Contents

1. What Is the Exam Environment?

2. Can I Use My Own Notes or External Resources?

3. How to Prepare the Exam Report

4. Mattermost Chat Access During the Exam

5. Common Questions & Quick Answers

6. Tips for a Successful Exam Day

What Is the Exam Environment?

• Identical to the practice lab – When you start the CDP exam you will receive a virtual environment that mirrors the one used in the practice exam. All mandatory machines, services, and network configurations are pre‑provisioned, so you won’t need to spin up additional infrastructure.

• No hidden services – Only the resources listed in the practice guide are online. Anything not present in the practice lab will not be available during the exam.

• Read‑only access to documentation – The environment includes built‑in documentation (README files, API specs, and configuration guides) that you can reference at any time.

Why this matters: Because the exam environment is fixed, you can rehearse every step in the practice lab and know exactly what to expect on test day.

Can I Use My Own Notes or External Resources?

Open‑Book Policy

• The CDP exam is open‑book. You are encouraged to bring any notes you created while completing the practice exercises.

• Allowed resources

  • Personal notes, screenshots, and cheat‑sheets you authored.

  • Official documentation that ships with the lab (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform docs).

• Prohibited resources

  • Assistance from another person, whether in‑person or via a remote connection.

  • Any AI-driven tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Bard, or other code-generation tools are prohibited. However, AI-generated overviews, like those that appear in Google search results, are still allowed, as there is currently no option to disable them.

Reminder: Violating the “no AI” rule results in immediate disqualification. Review the full policy at practical‑devsecops.com/exam-and-certification.

How to Prepare the Exam Report

A well‑structured report is part of the grading criteria. Follow these steps to ensure compliance:

1. Copy the exact exam question – Paste each challenge verbatim into the report. This shows the reviewers which task you are addressing.

2. Provide a concise solution description – Summarize what you did, the commands you ran, and any configuration files you edited.

3. Include screenshots or code snippets – Attach relevant output or file excerpts as evidence.

4. Submit before the deadline – The report must be uploaded through this link https://drive.practical-devsecops.training/files within 24 hours after your exam labs end.

Example Report Section

## Question 1: Deploy a secure NGINX ingress controller

**Approach**  
- Applied the `ingress-controller.yaml` manifest with `kubectl apply -f`.  
- Configured TLS using the provided `cert.pem` and `key.pem`.  

**Result**  
- Ingress reachable at https://app.example.com with a valid certificate (see screenshot).  

![Ingress verification](./screenshots/ingress.png)

Mattermost Chat Access During the Exam

• Dedicated exam channel opened – You will receive a private dedicated exam channel where you can report any issues or difficulties encountered while working on exercises or during the exam. This channel is your backup communication channel with the support team during the exam period.

• No peer interaction – The exam channel does not allow you to ask questions, share solutions, or receive help from other candidates. You can only communicate with the support team.

• Chatbot - Available during the exam and will only respond to questions related to the exam environment. Any questions not related to the exam environment will be answered after you have uploaded your exam report.

What to do if you encounter a technical issue? Please request assistance to real agent on the chatbot.

Common Questions & Quick Answers

Practical scenario: You search something on google or the internet it will pop up a AI overview.

Any AI-driven tools such as ChatGPT, Copilot, Bard, or other code-generation tools are prohibited. However, AI-generated overviews, like those that appear in Google search results, are still allowed, as there is currently no option to disable them.

Tips for a Successful Exam Day

1. Rehearse the exact workflow – Run through the practice exam at least twice, noting any command variations you made.

2. Organize your notes – Keep a single markdown file with headings that match the exam questions; copy‑paste becomes trivial.

3. Set up a timer locally – The exam platform shows remaining time, but a personal timer helps you pace each challenge.

4. Test your screenshot tool – Verify that you can capture and embed images quickly (e.g., using gnome-screenshot or the Snipping Tool).

5. Check your internet connection – A stable connection prevents accidental disconnections from the exam environment.

By understanding the exam environment, adhering to the open‑book policy, preparing a thorough report, and knowing how chatbot communication works, you can focus on demonstrating your DevSecOps skills rather than worrying about procedural pitfalls. Good luck, and may your pipelines be secure