OpenTelemetry Certified Associate
Most courses teach you to
pass the exam.
This course teaches you to understand OTel.
The OTCA certification is the guaranteed outcome.
What you'll be able to do after this course
- Explain why OTel exists and what problem it solves (interview-ready)
- Instrument a Python, Node.js, and Java service with OTel
- Write a complete OTel Collector config with multiple pipelines
- Debug a broken trace across three services from symptoms alone
- Design a sampling strategy with real cost/accuracy tradeoffs
- Pass the OTCA exam with confidence
What you'll learn
- 0Start →Foundation Free 30 min
Foundation: Why Telemetry Fails Without Standards
Before OTel existed, every vendor had its own SDK, its own protocol, its own data model. Understand what problem OTel actually solves — and why the architecture is the way it is.
- 1Start →Module Free 60 min
Module 1: Signals — The Unified Data Model
Traces, metrics, and logs look like three different things. They share a common context schema that makes them one correlated stream — if you set it up right. Here is what each signal actually is.
The Chaos Lab — industry-unique
Lab 4 uses a live chaos controller on InsureWatch (Python/Node.js/Java) to inject one of three production failure scenarios. You don't know which. Use traces, metrics, and logs to find it — no hints, no step-by-step instructions. Exactly like a real incident. No other OTCA prep course has this.
Zero-friction lab environment
All labs run locally. No cloud account required for Labs 1–3.
docker run -p 3000:3000 -p 4317:4317 -p 4318:4318 grafana/otel-lgtm
One command. Grafana UI at localhost:3000. Traces, metrics, and logs — all correlated.
Simple, one-time pricing
No subscription. Lifetime access. PPP discounts applied automatically.
Core Course
$49 USD
- All 8 modules + Foundation
- Labs 1–4 (incl. Chaos Lab)
- InsureWatch lab app
- Lifetime access + updates
Modules 1–5 + Labs 1–3 available now. Modules 6–8 + Chaos Lab ship within 6 weeks, added automatically.
Buy Core CourseExam Bundle
$89 USD
- Everything in Core
- 30 OTCA practice questions
- Domain study checklist
- 48-hour rapid review guide
Modules 1–5 + Labs 1–3 available now. Modules 6–8 + Chaos Lab ship within 6 weeks, added automatically.
Buy Exam Bundle
otel.guru is not affiliated with Grafana Labs, Uptrace, or any backend vendor in these labs.
PPP discounts applied automatically at checkout. Prices shown in USD.
FAQ
- Is this only for people taking the OTCA exam?
- No. The course is designed to build genuine OTel understanding. The OTCA certification is an added bonus. If you want to instrument services, operate observability pipelines, or debug OTel issues in production — this course applies directly.
- Do I need Kubernetes experience?
- No. Kubernetes is covered conceptually in Module 6 (because the exam tests it). The hands-on labs run on Docker Compose — 8GB RAM and Docker Desktop is all you need.
- What is InsureWatch?
- InsureWatch is a purpose-built multi-language microservices app (Python, Node.js, Java) used as the lab environment. It includes a chaos controller that injects real failure scenarios. You clone it from GitHub — it's open source.
- What if I'm a complete beginner to observability?
- The course assumes you know what traces, metrics, and logs are at a surface level — you've built dashboards, worked with tools like Prometheus or Datadog. If you've never touched observability, we'd suggest a quick primer first.
- When will Modules 6–8 be available?
- Within 6 weeks of this launch. All purchasers receive them automatically — no re-purchase, no extra steps.