FAQs

The RHCE credential can be earned by fulfilling the requirement to become a Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) first, followed by passing the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) exam (EX300). You will be able to choose between taking a pathway for either Red Hat^® Enterprise Linux^® 7 or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 to earn the RHCE credential.

The new RHCE pathway is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, which will be supplemented by a new course and exam. The course and the corresponding certification—Red Hat System Administration III: Linux Automation (RH294) and Red Hat Certified Engineer exam (EX294)—will focus on the automation of Linux system administration tasks using Ansible and shell scripting.

With IT organizations facing challenges related to scaling infrastructure efficiently, companies are increasingly turning to Red Hat^® Ansible^® Automation as a common language to automate across different functions. As a result, system administrators need to understand more than how to deploy, configure, and manage an operating system—they need to know how to automate functions and how to make the automation itself scalable.

By shifting the focus of RHCE to the automation of system administration tasks—principally using Red Hat Ansible Automation—we are reflecting the current reality for progressive organizations and the coming reality for the technology industry.

The new Red Hat Certified Engineer exam and recommended courses will reflect the program changes when Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 is released.

Becoming a Red Hat Certified Engineer will demonstrate that you are a Red Hat Certified System Administrator who can automate Red Hat Enterprise Linux tasks using Ansible Automation and shell scripting. You’ll have knowledge of how Ansible Automation interacts with other Red Hat technologies, allowing you to add automation to your regular deployment and configuration.

If you have a Red Hat Learning Subscription, the early access feature makes course content available to you before it is released to the public. If you do not yet have a subscription, you can still access the content for 7 days via a free trial of Red Hat Learning Subscription.

No, you will retain your RHCE status for the full 3 years from when you became an RHCE. You can recertify under the new program if you would like, but it is not a requirement. Review all the certification renewal details to learn how to ensure your credential remains current. These options include earning other certifications that apply toward becoming a Red Hat Certified Architect in Infrastructure.

As long as your Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) credential is current, you can renew by passing the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 version of the RHCE exam (EX294) when it becomes available or by passing the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 version of the RHCE exam (EX300) while it remains available. You can also renew by earning other credentials as described in our certification renewal policies.

If you want to demonstrate Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 skills more comprehensively, you can recertify as an RHCSA when the RHCSA exam is revised for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, then renew your RHCE under the new program. This combination of certifications will demonstrate your skills in system administration on the newest release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, as well as your ability to automate system administration tasks using Ansible and shell scripting.

If you do not have the time to invest in recertifying as an RHCSA, consider our new course, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 New Features for Experienced Administrators (RH354). This offering focuses on the technical differences between Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. Attending the course will not update your certification to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, but the curriculum will update your skills and knowledge.

Please reach out to your local Red Hat Training and Certification sales team to work together on a plan to migrate you to the new RHCE program.

If you’ve taken Red Hat System Administration I (RH124) to prepare for Red Hat System Administration II (RH134) and the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) exam (EX200), you can choose to move to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 track to include Ansible Automation in your learning and certification journey.

You can also choose to continue preparing on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 version of the course and take the associated version of the exam. This option will remain available for one year after the general availability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. If you choose this option, you would follow this skills pathway to move from RHCSA to RHCE:

• Red Hat System Administration I (RH124)
• Red Hat System Administration II (RH134)
• Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) exam (EX200)
• Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) exam (EX300)

We recommend that you take the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 version of the RHCSA exam (EX200) to become a Red Hat Certified System Administrator, which is required in order to become a Red Hat Certified Engineer. You can then choose either the new track (based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8) or the legacy RHCE program (based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7), depending on your needs and interests. We view automation as a growing requirement for system administration jobs in the market, so the newer track might be the better long-term investment of time and effort.

The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 version of the RHCE exam (EX300) and associated Red Hat System Administration III (RH254) course will be available for one year after the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 version of the RHCE exam (EX294) becomes generally available.

There will be incremental changes to the RHCSA curriculum as part of the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, but these adjustments will be distinct from and less impactful than the RHCE changes. To successfully pass the new RHCE exam, you will not be required to become a RHCSA on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. However, we do recommend you take the new curriculum to properly prepare for the new RHCE exam (EX294) that is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 concepts.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 has a large installed base, and the skills covered in the RHCE exam (EX300) aligned to that release will still remain valuable in today’s market. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 version of the RHCE exam (EX300) will be available for one year from the general availability of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 version of the RHCE exam (EX294).

If you wish to certify on Ansible skills, consider taking Automation with Ansible with exam (DO408). These offerings will remain available for one year from the general availability of the new RHCE exam (EX294).

You have the option of either pursuing the new, automation-focused RHCE or working toward becoming an RHCE under the existing program. If you wish to pursue the new RHCE track, we recommend that you take the Red Hat System Administration III: Linux Automation (RH294) course and RHCE exam (EX294) when they become available.

The RHCE changes will not affect your Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation credential, which will be considered current for 3 years from the time you earned it. However, instead of renewing your Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation certification when the time comes, you will need to earn or renew your RHCE credential, which will include coverage of Ansible skills and knowledge. You should also consider taking the new course and exam we will be offering on Ansible best practices to deepen your Ansible skills.