I have been a holder of RHCT/RHCE since 2007 so when the changes were announced to the Red Hat certification program I received a mail announcing that I would retroactively earn the new RHCSA certification. This morning I got a mail telling me that I am now the holder of the new RHCSA certification.

Dear Amit Caleechurn:

Last month we emailed you to inform you about changes to Red Hat’s certification program. As a Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT) under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, you are being awarded our new certification, Red Hat Certified System Administrator under Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. We have attached a certificate and hope you will begin using this new credential in your email signature, business cards, and so on.

Your new RHCSA certificate number is 100-019-744

You will also retain your RHCT and it will continue to be something that can be verified online. The effective date of your certification is the date on which you earned RHCT. Your RHCT will remain current until 60 days after the general availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7. Your RHCSA will be considered current for 3 years from the time you earned RHCT.

Wow this is great………………………………………… but a verification at the Central shows that the certificate is NOT CURRENT.

It may seem odd but the explanation is as follows. If you earned your RHCT more than 3 years ago, it means your RHCSA is non-current, but you are still entitled to use the title RHCSA. RHCT, which you earned earlier, is current longer than your RHCSA. There are two primary reasons for taking this approach. First, Red Hat does not want to change rules for anyone retroactively, so your RHCT terms and conditions are exactly what they have always been. Second, they want to apply a consistent set of rules within a particular program.  RHCSA uses a calendar-based policy and they are applying that to all RHCSAs, whether they are new ones earned on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and later or whether they are retroactively awarded ones such as my one.

Well since I did not technically earn RHCSA so I do not really mind as long as my RHCDS and RHCSS is not affected and I don’t see myself sitting for an RHCSA exam the till my RHCE expires. The only good thing is that when I sit for my EX442 (the last exam to earn my RHCA) in a few months, my RHCSA should become current.