Why is RHCSA replacing the RHCT?

First, RHCSA represents a more accurate description of the job role held by people with this credential. Most have the job title System Administrator.

Second, RHCSA arises from a thorough analysis of the skills and abilities required of today’s system administrators. Over the past two years, Red Hat has been gathering information from its certified community on their work. This effort has included an in-depth technical survey and task analysis, focus groups at the Red Hat Summit, RHCE Loopback events, online focus groups with RHCAs worldwide, and other occasions in which feedback has been sought and given. While much is similar to RHCT, some adjustments have been made to reflect what Red Hat has learned from the community of professionals using its technologies in the field.

What’s the difference between the new RHCSA and the outgoing RHCT certifications?

While the new RHCSA exam and the earlier RHCT exam have much in common, it is important to understand that these are two different exams and that the differences reflect the evolution of Red Hat technologies and the ways in which its customers use the technologies. For example, Logical Volume Management (LVM) was introduced in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 and LVM skills became an RHCE exam objective at that time. Since then, use of logical volumes has become the default in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux installer and LVM has become the standard, ubiquitous approach to disk management. Red Hat’s survey of certified professionals found that this is a core skill that all system administrators should have, not just senior system administrators, so LVM is an exam objective of RHCSA.

What is the the difference between RHCSA and RHCE?

RHCSA is intended as the “core” system administration certification offered by Red Hat. Going forward, everyone who wishes to earn a system administration certification from Red Hat will begin by earning this credential. RHCE is intended as a senior system administration certification. In order to earn RHCE under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and after, one must earn RHCSA and pass a separate RHCE exam.

Having a current RHCE certification remains an eligibility requirement for taking any Red Hat Certificate of Expertise Exam, and thus is remains a requirement for upper-level credentials such as Red Hat Certified Architect, Red Hat Certified Security Specialist, and Red Hat Certified Datacenter Specialist.

I was trained on Red Hat Enterprise Linux version 5. I understand the RHCSA and RHCE certification exams will test on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. What impact will this have on my potential to pass

Someone who has recently trained on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 is well on their way to being prepared for the RHCSA and RHCE exams on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. New releases of Red Hat Enterprise Linux are evolutions, and what is similar from release to release far outweighs what differs. Nevertheless, candidates are advised to review the Exam Objectives document and spend some time doing the tasks it describes on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 before undertaking the exam.

What are the changes to the exams?

The Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT) Exam and the Red Hat Certified Engineer Exam will not be offered for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. These exams will be retired March 1, 2011 and will no longer be administered. Most regions will cease offering the RHCT and other Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 exams between November and December.

The previous Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) Exam (RH302) will be replaced by the Red Hat Certified Engineer Exam (EX300) and the Red Hat Certified System Administrator Exam (EX200).

The RHCSA (EX200) and RHCE (EX300) exams will now be two clearly separate exams: RHCE will not have RHCSA embedded within as it was previously.

Beginning with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, candidates must pass both the RHCSA and RHCE exams in order to earn their RHCE. This is similar to the existing requirement that candidates pass both RHCT and RHCE components in the existing RHCE exam, except that the two exams are now separate.

How does the path to RHCE certification?

Under the new program, RHCSA is the universal entry point into the program. One might choose from among a number of different potential training paths to get there, but earning one’s RHCSA is a requirement to becoming an RHCE. It will not be necessary to earn RHCSA first before being eligible to enroll for an RHCE exam. It is necessary to have earned RHCSA before one can be an RHCE. By making RHCSA the prerequisite to everything else, we make it easier for individuals to make the appropriate choices in their training and certification decisions.

What if I pass the RHCE exam but do not pass or did not take the RHCSA exam?

Under the new model, someone who passes the RHCE exam before passing the RHCSA exam will have their record retained and a record identifier will be issued. Once the candidate passes RHCSA, the earlier RHCE exam pass record will be joined to the successful RHCSA and the person will then be an RHCSA and an RHCE.

How should one prepare for the RHCSA and RHCE exams?

The manner in which an individual prepares for these exams depends on the background of the individual. Red Hat now offers more different approaches to preparation than ever, with assessments to help guide individuals to the training path best suited to their experience and skills.

What is happening to RHCT?

Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT) will be not be offered for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) will be launched in place of RHCT.

No one is losing their certification. The certification verification page will continue to report if one has earned RHCT and RHCTs may continue to use the title per the terms and conditions of the program.

What if I recently earned my RHCT on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5?

While RHCSA differs from RHCT, Red Hat will issue RHCSA retroactively to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 RHCTs in order to provide continuity for them and potential employers who are not yet familiar with RHCSA.

The similarities between RHCT and RHCSA make it reasonable to award RHCSA to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 RHCTs retroactively. However, the differences mean that version 5 RHCSAs who wish to upgrade to RHCE must re-certify as RHCSA on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 in order to ensure that their skill sets are complete. In other words, an RHCSA on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 must pass both the RHCSA exam and RHCE exams on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 in order to become an RHCE on that release.

Can Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 RHCTs (RHCSAs) take just EX300 under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 in order to upgrade to RHCE?

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 RHCTs who receive RHCSA must take the RHCSA and RHCE exams under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 in order to earn RHCE. This is essentially the same situation as they would have faced had the program not undergone any changes.

Will there be any considerations given to those who already passed the RHCT prior to Red Hat Enterprise 5?

Those individuals that have already taken and passed the RHCT exam on releases prior to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, will be offered a discount for a limted time on the all new RHCSA exam.

RHCTs earned under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 or earlier are already non-current. Those earned under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 were earned three or more years ago and will become non-current 60 days after Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 is released. Because these older certifications are either already non-current or soon to be non-current, those holding them will not be issued RHCSA retroactively.

Is Red Hat changing the re-certification policy?

A new re-certification policy will be in effect for certifications earned on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 or later. All earlier certifications will remain under the policies under which they were issued.

Certifications earned on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 will become non-current 60 days after general availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.

Certifications earned under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 will be considered current until 60 days after the general availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.

Under the new policy, RHCSA certification will be current for three years. We refer to this three-year period as the currency window. If someone passes a higher-level exam during that three-year period, Red Hat will reset the three-year currency window to the date of the more recent exam. For example, if an RHCSA earns RHCE, the currency window is moved to the date one passes the RHCE exam. If an RHCE passes a Certificate of Expertise exam, the currency window moves to the date one passed that exam. In order to qualify for the extension, the exam cannot be one that has been taken before on the same operating system release or the same layered technologies. For example, an Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization exam could be taken again to extend one’s currency status if the exam uses a newer release of Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization.

Certificates of Expertise only extend currency for certifications earned on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 or higher.

Someone who earned RHCE on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 or earlier and then earns a Certificate of Expertise after Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 will not have his or her currency changed by doing so. However, one can move to the new currency policy by re-certifying as an RHCE under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Only RHCEs earned under version 4 will need to do this to retain upper-level credentials such as Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA), Red Hat Certified Security Specialist (RHCSS) and Red Hat Certified Datacenter Specialist (RHCSS.) Those who earned RHCE under version 5 can wait until Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, or they can accelerate the process by re-certifying under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.

How are professionals who have earned RHCA, RHCDS, and RHCSS affected by these changes?

Everyone currently holding these titles is subject to the re-certification policy in place at the time they earned them. Consequently, those who have earned certification under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 will need to re-certify under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 in order to remain current. Thereafter they will remain current for three years and can extend the currency window by taking new exams or retaking ones they have previously taken, provided the exam is on a newer technology.