Red Hat training & certification

FAQs

Find answers to your questions about Red Hat® training and certification offerings, how to maximize your investment in training and certification, and the best way to create a skills path that matches your needs.

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Understand the how, why, and where of Red Hat training and certification

What are the requirements of training and certification offerings?

Our training courses teach you the fundamentals of each of our technologies, with practical use cases and in some cases extended access to hands-on labs designed to help you use our products successfully. By certifying those skills, you prove what you know and can do and validate your knowledge to the market or an employer.

You can get further details—including requirements and objectives—about each offering by reviewing the individual descriptions within our full lists of courses and certifications.

What is the difference between an RHCSA and an RHCE?

An IT professional who becomes a Red Hat® Certified System Administrator (RHCSA®) is able to perform the core system administration skills required in Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® environments. The credential is earned after successfully passing the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) exam (EX200).

A Red Hat® Certified Engineer (RHCE®) is an RHCSA who is ready to automate Red Hat Enterprise Linux tasks, integrate Red Hat emerging technologies, and apply automation for efficiency and innovation. To learn more about how the credential is changing to match new needs and fill skills gaps, check out our frequently asked questions about the RHCE program.

What are the various formats I can use to train with Red Hat?

Depending on the course or certification, we offer a number of learning styles for you. We conduct classroom, virtual, and on-site training, along with the self-paced training format. Learn more about all the ways to train that Red Hat offers.

What is the difference between classroom and individual exam sessions?

Individual exam sessions are a convenient alternative to Red Hat’s open enrollment exams that are delivered in classrooms. A professional proctor observes an examinee remotely as an exam is taken on a secured system in a testing center or remotely.

Classroom exams are monitored by a proctor and taken on preconfigured hardware at one of our testing facilities. You can also find out more about our ways to test as you choose the right method for you.

How do I know if my Internet connection can support all training formats?

Please keep in mind that self-paced training features high-definition videos and require a high-bandwidth, low-latency internet connection. You can always check your connections with our compatibility tester.

I can’t find a course or certification close to me. What are my options?

If you don’t see a good fit for you from among our locations and facilities, be sure to talk to a Red Hatter about how we can bring our training and certification offerings to you.

What is meant by “performance-based” testing?

Performance-based testing is testing by doing—that is, by having you perform real-world tasks similar to those you must perform in a job role. All Red Hat certification exams are performance-based tests, giving you the hands-on, practical application you need to demonstrate your skills.

What do I need to know to host a Red Hat training and certification course as an on-site customer, facility provider, or certified training partner?

Our classroom requirements datasheet can help you properly configure your classroom as part of an interactive and efficient training environment. You’ll get all the information you need about classroom computing hardware, operating system requirements, CPU specifications, hardware virtualization support, and more.

What happens if I’m not successful on my first exam attempt?

Certification candidates who are unsuccessful on their first individual exam attempt are now eligible for a free exam retake. The retake will appear in your scheduling application after your first exam results have been reported. To schedule the free retake, use the same process as scheduling an exam for the first time.

Maximize training and certification benefits

Why should I purchase a bundle instead of an individual course?

Purchasing a bundle that includes an individual course and exam offers a price savings over purchasing the course and exam separately. Just as importantly, however, a bundle allows you to extend the value of an individual course by both testing and validating the skills you've learned in the course through hands-on, practical exams.

Why should I get certified instead of just getting trained?

Organizations hiring employees, contractors, and consultants can look to Red Hat certifications as an input into hiring, assignment, promotion, and other management decisions. Similarly, individuals who earn these certifications benefit and see value by having official, impartial, and proven validation of their skills and knowledge.

Why might a Red Hat Learning Subscription be right for me?

Our subscription plan lets you access our entire portfolio of self-paced training and additional content, produced only for subscribers. We craft our lab environments so that you can gain skills and expertise with Red Hat products and architecture without spending your time on procuring and configuring local hardware. These environments are not simulations, but actual systems allocated to you for your laboratory use (subject to terms and conditions).

You can get more details about the Red Hat Learning Subscription program by viewing our more extensive FAQ resource.

How can I save on my Red Hat training investment?

Whether you want to purchase multiple courses or exams, want to train additional members of your team, or need to buy credits ahead of time, we have ways to save that match your needs.

How do I get my Red Hat certification digital badge and downloadable certificate?

After successfully passing a Red Hat certification exam, Red Hat will issue you a digital badge. To claim your badge and downloadable certificate, simply follow the steps listed below.

  1. Wait to receive an email in your inbox from Red Hat via Credly
  2. Click the button in the email to accept your digital badge
  3. Create a Credly account, if you don’t already have one
  4. Share your Red Hat achievement! There are many different forums and ways that you can share your digital badge with others. Credly provides basic instructions here that you can reference to help you set up sharing from your Credly account. Once you've completed the process of claiming your first Red Hat digital badge, claiming any subsequent badges will be even easier.

How do I get a digital badge for completing a Red Hat Training course?

Red Hat Course Attendance Credentials are issued to students for the attendance of Red Hat Training courses. Students must meet this attendance criteria for the specific ways to train:

  • Instructor-led classroom training: attend 75% or more of the instructor-led classroom training
  • Virtual Instructor-led training: attend 75% or more of the training
  • Self-paced training: A user must visit 75% or more of the total pages in the Self-paced course
  • Red Hat Learning Subscription Premium: A user must attend all premium live sessions of a course

Learn more about Digital Credentialing at Red Hat

Try a 14-day free trial

Get limited access to hands-on labs and more than 50 courses with your no-cost trial of Red Hat Learning Subscription.

Manage training and certification profiles

What are the age and identification requirements for taking an exam?

You must be 16 or older to take an exam. Most testing sites require government-issued photo identification to verify age and identity. If you are in a region for which government-issued photo IDs are not available, contact your local Red Hat office or your authorized Red Hat training partner for guidance on acceptable forms of identification. To find more requirements and exam prerequisites, check the descriptions within our full list of certifications and exams.

How do I manage my certification profile?

Log into the Red Hat Certification Central portal to make changes or updates to your profile.

How do I verify that a certification is active or recertify?

You can verify whether a Red Hat certificate is current by entering the certificate number. For detailed information on our recertification policies, visit our certification renewal page.

How can I share my Red Hat Training and Certification achievements on social media, the web, etc?

The Red Hat Training and Certification program offers digital credentials and downloadable certificates through Credly. Learn more about Digital Credentialing at Red Hat and read this blog to learn how to collect your badge.

When am I eligible for a certificate of attendance vs. digital badge when attending a Red Hat Training course?

Starting February 19, 2024, Red Hat Course Attendance Credentials will be available and issued through Credly as digital badges. For any course attended prior to February 19, 2024, you are eligible for a Certificate of Attendance.

Where can I go for digital credentialing support?

External audiences (customers and partners) should send an email to digitalcredentialing@redhat.com which will open a support ticket with our internal team.

Validate your skills

Find out how Red Hat certifications help you embrace technology challenges while adding value to your career or your IT team.

Take the next steps on your skills path

How do I know where to start my training and certification path?

For either an individual or a team, you can assess skills and get course recommendations based on role, skills gaps, or the product you’re interested in.

I’ve purchased my learning subscription. Now how do I get started?

Login to your subscription and check your email for information on getting started.

 

What are my options if I’d like to test my knowledge without taking a certification exam?

We now offer Red Hat Preliminary Exams, which are designed to help you validate in-demand, foundational skills in key technologies. Learn more about this new offering to see how it can help clarify your skills path.

When do I receive my official results after taking an exam?

Exam results are mailed within 3 U.S. business days, assuming you have provided accurate contact information. Unfortunately, some mail servers mistakenly treat results emails as spam and filter them, which can cause delays. If you do not receive your results within 3 U.S. business days, you should contact Red Hat Certification.

When do I get my certificate upon passing an exam?

You will be issued an electronic certificate that will be attached to your results email.

I’m still having trouble. Who can I talk to about my issue?

If you’re experiencing an issue with your purchase or logging in, please reach out to a member of our account support team. If you’re having a technical issue, you can share your problem on our Customer Portal and a Red Hatter will assist you.

Learn about all your options in services and support

What are the support channels that I should be using?

Your Red Hat subscription gives you direct access to the product knowledge and best practices you need to build, deploy, and manage your enterprise solutions. For access to product documentation and to connect with Red Hat support, check out the Red Hat Customer Portal, which includes a searchable knowledgebase, product documentation, and other support features. For assistance in managing your subscription, account, or user permissions, please reach out to our customer service team.

Who can help me assess and mitigate challenges specific to my organization?

When you’re in need of more than just technical expertise, our consulting program can team you with a strategic adviser. A Red Hat expert will work with you to identify business challenges, propose viable solutions, and understand how to scale to your business’s unique needs.

What if I need an even higher level of specialized support?

When potential problems arise, you want someone on your side to minimize disruption and resolve issues while you focus on your key business challenges. If your organization would benefit from a seasoned professional to guide you through best practices, supportability assessments, lifecycle planning, early beta access, and other stops on your technology roadmap, find out more about our Technical Account Management program.

How can I help my team of developers build apps both faster and better?

When you’re ready to transform your culture, speed up app development, and realize the benefits of DevOps, consider our Open Innovation Labs residency program. Our interactive menu features a push-button infrastructure that lets you design your own technology stack—allowing you to get started quickly.

How can my academic institution offer Red Hat training and certification?

Red Hat Academy seeks to help prepare students for the enterprise through mastery of Red Hat technologies in an institutional setting. Using hands-on instruction, curriculum, labs, and performance-based testing, we have partner institutions all over the world who work with us to enable their IT infrastructures and foster innovative ways for their students to learn.

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