Linux Certification
Linux Certification is common term for a professional certification related to the Linux operating system and its related free software and open source software. Since Linux is not a product but a collaborative effort of many individuals, there is no one body or institution capable of creating a single unified professional certification. Instead, there are many corporations and organizations that fill this void with their own certification programs in order to give IT professionals a way to prove their proficiency relating to Linux.
Certifying bodies
Because Linux has no single vendor, certification bodies can be split into those that are offered by vendors and those offered by other organizations.
Vendors
Organizations
Certifications
The following are Linux certification programs listed in alphabetical order.
Linux Professional Institute
The Linux Professional Institute offers Linux certification which purports to be vendor and distribution neutral as part of its Linux Professional Institute Certification program.
Abbreviation |
Name |
Relative Difficulty |
Exams Required |
Date Introduced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LPIC3 |
LPI Certification, Level 3 |
Enterprise / Advanced |
2 (There are 5 areas to specialize in) |
January 2007 |
LPIC2 |
LPI Certification, Level 2 |
Intermediate |
2 |
Unknown |
LPIC1 |
LPI Certification, Level 1 |
Base |
2 |
Unknown |
Novell, Inc.
Novell offers Linux certification oriented towards their Linux distribution. There are currently two designations.
Abbreviation |
Name |
Relative Difficulty |
Exams Required |
Date Introduced |
Current Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CLE |
Certified Linux Engineer |
Advanced |
? |
Unknown |
CLE 10 |
CLP |
Certified Linux Professional |
Base |
? |
Unknown |
CLP 10 |
Red Hat, Inc.
Red Hat offers a Linux certification program oriented towards their distribution as part of their Red Hat Certification Program. There are currently four designations. Red Hat distinguishes itself as the only certification that requires performance-based examinations.
Abbreviation |
Name |
Relative Difficulty |
Exams Required |
Date Introduced |
Current Release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RHCSS |
Red Hat Certified Security Specialist |
Enterprise / Advanced |
3 |
2005 |
RHEL 4 |
RHCA |
Red Hat Certified Architect |
Enterprise / Advanced |
5 |
2005 |
RHEL 4 |
RHCE |
Red Hat Certified Engineer |
Intermediate |
1 |
2000 |
RHEL 5 |
RHCT |
Red Hat Certified Technician |
Base |
1 |
2003 |
RHEL 5 |
# of Exams denotes the number of exams that must be passed in order to receive certification. Multiple Choice'' exam type denotes answering questions on a computer (or paper) similar to Prometric testing center.Performance'' exam type denotes performing tasks on live system.
Press coverage
CertCities.com’s 10 Hottest Certifications for 2006 rated RHCE the top IT certification for 2006 with LPIC2 placing 10th.