Red Hat OpenShift is built on the trusted foundation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, providing the same security, stability and ecosystem that you know and expect. Just as Red Hat brought Linux to the enterprise, we are doing the same with Kubernetes. And because containers are fundamentally a Linux technology, Red Hat is able to deliver an optimized path for you to add containers and Kubernetes to your core skills.

As a result of the heightened industry importance of containers, we are extending two of our core Linux courses by a day to include containers. Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, Red Hat System Administration II (RH134) and RHCSA Rapid Track course (RH199) will be extended from four to five days with the final day focused on container, Kubernetes, and OpenShift content. Any students who have purchased or taken either course within the last year will be given free access to the added course materials and virtual instruction, which will help prepare them for the upcoming changes to the Red Hat Certified System Administrator exam (EX200).

This update to our Linux courses allows for our Red Hat Certified System Administrator exam (EX200) exam to include container material as well. This new exam content will give test-takers hands-on experience in real world container applications and will extend the duration of the exam by 30 minutes.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 EX200 will not be impacted by these changes. Content changes are only occurring on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 RH199, RH134, EX200.

Preliminary exam in Containers, Kubernetes, and OpenShift (PE180) to retire

Currently, Red Hat’s Preliminary Exam in Containers, Kubernetes, & Openshift (PE180) allows you to test and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and abilities required to create new container images by extending existing images, manage images, including pulling and pushing images from a private registry, and manually run and link containers in a development environment.

Although preliminary exams are hands-on exams that test skills and knowledge of a subject area, these exams were primarily designed to gauge skills and demonstrate progress toward proficiency for those on a learning path toward certification — not to result in certification.   

In order to provide greater long-term consistency with the rest of the Red Hat certification program, we plan to launch the Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers and Kubernetes exam (EX180) on Oct. 1, 2020.  

This new exam will supersede the existing Preliminary Exam, which will be retired and no longer available for purchase or for enrollment within a Red Hat Learning Subscription — Standard Edition. As with our other certification exams, this new exam will be available in testing centers and classroom sessions (where available), and will also be available using our new remote exams delivery option.

Although we will retire the PE180 in favor of the newer exam, an EX180 certification will be conferred to those who have received a certification from PE180. Additionally, on Oct. 1, 2020, we will update the name of DO180 from "Introduction to Containers, Kubernetes, and Red Hat OpenShift" to "Red Hat OpenShift I: Containers & Kubernetes" in order to better reflect the offering and related curriculum updates.

Looking forward

In the coming months, we are developing container curriculum focused on container security and scalable OpenShift deployments to add to our current catalog of OpenShift courses.

[Editor's note: Post updated on Sept. 8th, 2020 to add details about the exams and correct the length of the RH134 and RH199 courses.]