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Keep your skills—and your certification—current
Red Hat® Certified Professionals (RHCPs) are skilled, proven, and ready to take on the toughest IT challenges. Their certifications, validated through rigorous, performance-based examination, prove they deliver results.
How do I keep my certification current?
Options for keeping certifications current
It’s critical for IT professionals to apply their skills and knowledge regularly to stay fresh. They must also remain current with new and revised technologies. Red Hat policies for RHCPs ensure they meet these expectations.
There are different ways to keep a certification current, depending on the type of certification. You always have the option of retaking an exam to renew its associated certification. In some instances, you can earn other certifications to keep your certification current. This approach allows IT professionals to expand their skills and knowledge into new areas, which is increasingly important for a successful IT career.
Keep it current
Red Hat certifications are current for 3 years. These certifications do not “expire,” or become “terminated” or “invalid,” but they can become “non-current.”
Select your certification
Find out how you can keep it current
Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)
RHCSA is the core of all of our system administration credentials.
Keep your RHCSA current by completing one of the following:
- Pass the Red Hat Certified System Administrator exam (EX200) again.
- Earn your Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE®) certification by passing the Red Hat Certified Engineer exam (EX294) as a current RHCSA.
- Pass any of the exams an RHCE can apply towards earning Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) while still a current RHCE.
Note: Earning your RHCE—or another eligible credential—moves the non-current date for your RHCSA out to 3 years from the date on which the additional credentials were earned. This does not keep your RHCSA in Red Hat OpenStack® and RHCE in Red Hat OpenStack current. (See below.)
Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
Keep your RHCE certification current by completing one of the following:
- Earn your RHCE certification by passing the RHCE exam (EX294) as a current RHCSA
- Pass any of the exams an RHCE can apply toward becoming a Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) in Infrastructure while still a current RHCE
Note: Earning additional credentials beyond RHCE moves the non-current date for both your RHCE and RHCSA out to 3 years from the date on which the additional credentials were earned. These additional earned credentials do not keep your RHCSA in Red OpenStack and RHCE in Red Hat OpenStack current. (See below.)
Red Hat Certified Specialist
Like other Red Hat credentials, all Red Hat Certified Specialist certifications are considered current for 3 years. However, these can only be kept current by taking and passing their respective exams again.
Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)
RHCA is Red Hat’s highest level of certification, and its requirements for staying current are demanding. An RHCA must maintain 5 eligible credentials beyond their RHCE or RHCJD, but that does not necessarily mean maintaining the same 5 credentials earned. You can earn a new Certificate of Expertise and allow a previously earned Certificate of Expertise to go non-current.
If you have earned more than 5 eligible credentials beyond RHCE or RHCJD, you earn a higher level of RHCA. For example:
- If you earned 7 credentials beyond RHCE, you would be an RHCA Level III.
- If one of these became non-current, then you would become an RHCA Level II.
- If you let another certification became non-current, you would have 5 current certifications and would be an RHCA.
- If the number of eligible, current certifications goes below 5, you would lose your RHCA status, but it can be easily restored by either re-taking past exams or by taking new Certification of Expertise exams.
Ways to test
When it’s time to renew your certification, Red Hat offers several testing options.
Classroom exams
Take our hands-on examinations in a classroom setting at a Red Hat testing facility, monitored by a proctor and using preconfigured hardware from Red Hat.
Individual exams
Our performance-based exams can be taken either remotely or on a secure, preconfigured testing station at a Red Hat or Red Hat partner location—at a date and time convenient for you.
Onsite exams
Get greater flexibility and convenience by having certification exams delivered to your location.
Certification toolkit
The information you need. All in 1 place.
It shouldn’t be a chore to learn about—and register for—the certification you need. We provide a number of ways to help you.
