Validate targeted expertise: Major updates to Red Hat Certification

At Red Hat, we’ve always believed that the best way to validate true technical skills is through hands-on evaluation of real-world tasks directly aligned with the technologies professionals use every day. That is why we are thrilled to announce a strategic evolution of Red Hat Certification, aligning it more closely with the Red Hat platforms you rely on daily.

Whether you are currently a Red Hat Certified Professional looking to maintain your edge, an individual actively pursuing your first certification, or a decision-maker needing transparency to hire top-tier talent, this massive revamp is designed with your success in mind.

5 specialized pathways for targeted expertise

To help organizations identify the right talent and help professionals target the exact expertise needed in the market, Red Hat Certification has created 5 specialized tracks. These tracks make it easy to navigate from a beginner all the way to a Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) and validate skills aligned to specific technologies:

• Enterprise Linux
• Ansible
• OpenShift
• Cloud-native applications
• AI

Why this matters:

• For professionals and candidates: You’ll be able to earn a Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) and Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) in each of these specific specializations. Instead of a general credential, you can now attain an "RHCA - Enterprise Linux" or "RHCA - OpenShift."
• For decision-makers and hiring managers: These specialized tracks remove the guesswork, making it incredibly easy to identify candidates who possess the precise expertise required to fill critical technical gaps on your team.

A progressive framework of clear certification paths

To strengthen the talent pipeline and provide a clear roadmap for career growth, Red Hat Certification has now reorganized the exams within the new specialized tracks into a structured, 5-level path to progressive skill development:

Level 1: Red Hat Certified Technologist 

• These optional, entry-level certifications validate foundational installation, configuration, and maintenance skills.

Level 2: Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) / Red Hat Certified Developer (RHCD)

• These certifications validate baseline competencies to support system reliability or manage application lifecycles.

Level 3: Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)

• This level recognizes comprehensive competency to manage, automate, and scale complex, enterprise-level environments.

Level 4: Red Hat Certified Specialist

• These elective certifications validate deep proficiency in specific, high-value functional areas. When combined with Red Hat Certified Engineer level certifications, specialist certifications help professionals progress to reach Red Hat Certified Architect.

Level 5: Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)

• This highest level of Red Hat Certification validates extensive, multidimensional expertise within a specialization track. This achievement is reached through successfully passing one Administrator/Developer exam, one Engineer exam, and 3 Specialist (elective) exams. 

Red Hat’s certification paths are designed for flexibility; while certain advanced designations require foundational credentials, many levels are accessible without prior prerequisites.

Simplified recertification to stay current

For our existing certified professionals, keeping your credentials current is critical. Certifications continue to remain valid for 3 years, but we’ve now introduced 3 highly flexible, cost-effective paths to keep them current:

• Retake: Pass the exam associated with your highest-level certification to renew all your certifications.
• Level up: Earn a new certification at the same level as your highest certification to renew all your certifications.
• Advance: Earn a higher-level certification to renew all your current certifications.

This shift helps maintain your current certifications as long as you’re moving forward, allowing you to save time and money on recertifying and instead focus on mastering new technologies.

Certification title updates

To efficiently align with our new progressive specializations, some of the existing Red Hat Certification titles are getting an update to better reflect targeted skills for both earners and employers.

For these exams, only the names are changing, so the content, descriptions, and difficulty remain exactly the same:

Ready to validate your expertise?

Whether you’re actively building your team, studying for your first technologist exam, or aiming to reach a new product specialization as an architect, these changes keep your Red Hat skills relevant and verifiable.

Explore the new certification pathways on the Red Hat Certification page to find the right exams for your role or team.

Wondering about your current credentials? As of May 11, 2026, the updated titles outlined above are officially displayed through the Red Hat verification page. For more details on how these changes affect you or your team, please refer to the Red Hat Training and Certification FAQ.