How To Become Red Hat Certified?
What does it mean to be ‘Red Hat Certified’? First things first, let’s talk about Red Hat, Inc. This internationally-acclaimed software company provides open-source solutions, including Linux, mobile, cloud computing, management, storage, cross-platform virtualization and much more to enterprise community, including healthcare companies, airlines, banks, and internet service providers. One thing that makes Red Hat stand out among the sea of software companies is their open technology stack, which means you can modify solutions according to your needs.
Accordingly, Red Hat offers certifications to validate your knowledge and skills, especially now that employers are picky about choosing the best IT professionals for their company. Red Hat certification program isn’t just about putting your comprehension into test but also preparing for the real world. These certifications target different individuals, including system administrators, architects, engineers, cloud and virtualization professionals, and enterprise developers. But there’s something that tops the list of Red Hat Certifications, and that’s RHCSA. So, let’s discuss the most popular among all other Red Hat validations— RHCSA
What is RHCSA?
Earning RHCSA or Red Hat Certified System Administrator means that you possess the significant system administrator skills needed in Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments. RHCSA aims at Red Hat Enterprise Linux system administrators with extensive experience, as well as students who completed Red Hat System Administration I and II, and IT professionals who plan to take or rectify their Red Hat Certified Engineer certification.
But before getting that prestigious certification and be considered as ‘Red Hat Certified’, you need to pass RHSCA Exam or popularly known as EX200. EX200 is a 2.5-hour, performance-based exam that tests your mastery and abilities related to system administration in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux setting. However, this does not just tackle about the basics but all the in-depth features across different deployment scenarios and environments. The exam is considered as the standard for system administrators across all Red Hat solutions and products. You can schedule your own exam in a secured proctored testing center for 300 USD.
How to Pass EX200?
Know the Objectives
Before you glue yourself on your seat, you should know the objectives. RHCSA exam outlines the following categories, which will be used as your study points: Operate running systems, Configure local storage, Create and configure file systems, Deploy, configure, and maintain systems, Manage users and groups and Manage security.
Use a Lot of Study Materials
For you to pass all rhcsa exam questions, you will need a lot of study materials. Make sure that you study the hypothetical aspect diligently, including books, discussion papers, practice documents and modules. And some of the most useful options are Red Hat RHCSA/RHCE 7 Cert Guide: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 (EX200 and EX300) (Certification Guide) by Sander van Vugt, RHCSA/RHCE Red Hat Linux Certification Study Guide, Seventh Edition (Exams EX200 & EX300) by Michael Jang and Alessandro Orsaria, RHCSA & RHCE Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7: Training and Exam Preparation Guide (EX200 and EX300) by Asghar Ghori, LinuxCBT EL-6 Edition, VTC: Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) – Exam EX300 Course and CBT Nuggets: CentOS System Administrator Prep.
Try a Classroom and Virtual Training
If you’re the type of person who’d learn more in a traditional classroom setting, then go for it. Gaining knowledge while enjoying is much better than keeping yourself busy in a boring environment. And fortunately, Red Hat makes everything more convenient as they offer an array of classroom courses in line with Red Hat technologies. The training is done in a classroom environment, where you have the option to choose individual or team training. Also, there’s a virtual training that is suitable for busy professionals wanting to attend the learning session via the Internet. These are some of the practical and effective courses that you can try: Red Hat System Administration 1, Red Hat OpenStack Technical Overview, Red Hat Ceph Storage Architecture and Administration, Red Hat CloudForms Hybrid Cloud Management with exam, Red Hat OpenStack Administration III -Networking and Foundations of NFV, Deploying Containerized Applications Technical Overview and Developing Cloud Native Applications with Microservices Architectures.
Utilize Practice Exams
Of course, you will need a study material that will check if you clearly understand the principles and objectives of the exam. And to make it easier for you, there are several RHCSA practice exam options that feature some sample questions with corresponding answers. These exam questions are largely based on the exam objectives so that you’ll be at ease when taking the real exam. Since EX200 is a practical type exam, you can download a trial version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and study the software. Hands-on experience is certainly one of the best ways to hone your knowledge and abilities, aside from books and videos as can personally work through the software and complete a number of tasks related to system administration in a Linux environment.
Make Use Brain Dumps
Knowing some of the possible RHSCA exam questions is very beneficial as you can test your knowledge and skills before the real exam. That is why RHSCA exam dumps are very helpful in topping the actual exam. Brain dumps are actually good study references, as long as you do not memorize the questions. So, the more number of rhcsa dumps you tackle, the more chances of polishing your understanding.
Give Yourself a Break
Really, the best way to study is to learn while you enjoy and take a rest. You truly deserve a break after all the efforts of reading tons of study materials, watching lengthy online videos, listening to an instructor and answering extensive practice exams. Relax! Life is not meant to be all studying. You should learn how to balance your life.
What are the Career Opportunities?
Once you clear EX200 Exam, it means that you have proven your Red Hat expertise in software and storage management, troubleshooting, networking, remote file system access and the like. Further, career opportunities in line with system administration and Red Hat platforms are very huge. Not only that, being Red Hat Certified allows you to be part of the reputable Red Hat community, where IT experts, as well as potential employers, unite to help each other. Lastly, you’ll get a great deal of savings as there will be possible discounts on recertification exams.