Which is harder Linux+ or RHCSA?

Asif DaslAsif Dasl Member Posts: 2,116 ■■■■■■■■□□
in LPI, Red Hat & Linux Foundation
I'm thinking of upping my Linux skills, something tells me I'm going to need them more and more. I previously failed the Linux+ exam probably 5/6 years ago, never went back to it - probably should have, although I think I failed it by a wide margin.

I was just wondering which is harder Linux+ or RHCSA?. I'm kinda in VMware study mode at the moment but would like to take this slow and work on it gradually over the next year or so - I know that's a long time but I'm Windows through and through. But I think I'll need better Linux skills.

So what would you recommend I do?

Thanks!
You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. - Naguib Mahfouz

The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent. - Arnold Schwarzenegger
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  • JasminLandryJasminLandry Member Posts: 601 ■■■□□□□□□□
    I believe that if you have failed Linux+ in the past go at it again. From what I heard, RHCSA is harder since it's more of a practical questions. You'll need to know the basics of Linux before going for RHCSA.
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  • thatguy67thatguy67 Member Posts: 344 ■■■■□□□□□□
    Linux+ is a CompTIA exam, it probably isn't very difficult. I am aiming for the RHCE by the end of the year (the RHCSA is a pre-req), and the exams are lab-based.

    You have to configure stuff yourself rather than select answers in a multiple-choice test. I don't think you can be a ****-chump if you have a Red Hat cert.
    2017 Goals: []PCNSE7 []CCNP:Security []CCNP:R&S []LCDE []WCNA
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  • Asif DaslAsif Dasl Member Posts: 2,116 ■■■■■■■■□□
    So RHCSA is lab based as well? This is where I am ignorant of the exam objectives... I don't think RHCSA being harder is something that I want to shy away from, I'd like to be competent with Linux, and I am setting myself a target of a year to feel comfortable with Linux. Not RHCE level but maybe RHCSA with Linux+ along the way by the looks of things.
    You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. - Naguib Mahfouz

    The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent. - Arnold Schwarzenegger
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  • gkcagkca Member Posts: 243 ■■■□□□□□□□
    I would suggest the RHCSA - it's purely hands-on practical lab based exam, no stupid multiple choice questions, you just get a list of very basic tasks to do and they start the timer, that's it.
    "I needed a password with eight characters so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." (c) Nick Helm
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  • Asif DaslAsif Dasl Member Posts: 2,116 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Thanks everyone, I will set Linux+ as a 6 month goal and RHCSA as a 12 month goal and fit my study around other exams that I have planned. Thanks again!
    You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. - Naguib Mahfouz

    The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent. - Arnold Schwarzenegger
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  • brownwrapbrownwrap Member Posts: 549
    thatguy67 wrote: »
    Linux+ is a CompTIA exam, it probably isn't very difficult. I am aiming for the RHCE by the end of the year (the RHCSA is a pre-req), and the exams are lab-based.

    You have to configure stuff yourself rather than select answers in a multiple-choice test. I don't think you can be a ****-chump if you have a Red Hat cert.
    How can you make a statement that since its a CompTIA exam it isn't difficult? The person already said they failed it once. Have you taken any exams yet? I wouldn't be so quick to write off Linux+ as being easy.
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  • jmritenourjmritenour Member Posts: 565
    I've got RHCSA/RHCE, and I'm aiming for RHCA by the end of the year. I'm not sure I could pass Linux+/LPIC without a lot of cramming. I don't memorize a lot of command switches - that's what aliases and man pages are for. :)
    "Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible; suddenly, you are doing the impossible." - St. Francis of Assisi
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  • Asif DaslAsif Dasl Member Posts: 2,116 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Thanks jmritenour, memorizing a lot of command switches is exactly what tripped me up on the Linux+ when I took it. I know Windows command lines but I need a bit of time to learn the Linux commands and I probably didn't use enough time to do that when I took it first. Good luck with your RHCA!
    You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. - Naguib Mahfouz

    The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent. - Arnold Schwarzenegger
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  • thatguy67thatguy67 Member Posts: 344 ■■■■□□□□□□
    brownwrap wrote: »
    How can you make a statement that since its a CompTIA exam it isn't difficult? The person already said they failed it once. Have you taken any exams yet? I wouldn't be so quick to write off Linux+ as being easy.

    You are right, I shouldn't have said that. But I would imagine the RHCSA exam would be much more difficult.
    2017 Goals: []PCNSE7 []CCNP:Security []CCNP:R&S []LCDE []WCNA
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  • teancum144teancum144 Member Posts: 229 ■■■□□□□□□□
    thatguy67 wrote: »
    ...You have to configure stuff yourself rather than select answers in a multiple-choice test. I don't think you can be a ****-chump if you have a Red Hat cert.
    According to feedback from others who have taken the LPIC-1 exam, approximately 20 - 25% of the 60 questions are fill-in-the-blank. In other words, up to 15 of the 60 questions are fill in the blank.
    If you like my comments or questions, you can show appreciation by clicking on the reputation badge/star icon near the lower left of my post. :D
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  • varelgvarelg Banned Posts: 790
    RHCSA I'd say is harder than linux +. Performance based exam in my view is much more resistant to cramming than multiple choice questions exam. You could cram all kinds of options for all kinds of commands and then after a week of talking the test you can't recollect half of what you crammed.
    But maybe I'm wrong. I have never taken performance based exam.
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  • kly630kly630 Member Posts: 72 ■■□□□□□□□□
    As someone who's just taken and passed both the LPIC-1 and RHCSA, RHCSA is definitely harder, but it's really very achievable if you have an LPIC-1. The RHCSA is an exam that really covers what I'd consider to be the essentials of Linux for a junior sys admin, like updates, kickstart, kvm, lvm, and grub. LPIC-1's material is very close to that, but it is easy to leave a few things out of your study program because it's not a lab exam. So you don't have to "try it yourself" so to speak to get a passing grade, just answer questions about each.

    I personally think it's best to treat the LPIC-1 and RHCSA as part of the same study program for people new to linux. To make an analogy think of linux as a foreign language you're trying to learn. You take a written exam like the lpic-1 to show you know how to read and write the language, and you take the "oral exam" of the RHCSA to show you know how to speak and listen to the language. You can't really be great with the language though if you can't do all 4. You must read, write, speak, and listen every day to master it. Also note that with this analogy of Linux as a language, on the job experience trumps both because it's the equivalent to living abroad in a foreign country.
    http://klyrhce.blogspot.com/
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  • teancum144teancum144 Member Posts: 229 ■■■□□□□□□□
    kly630 wrote: »
    As someone who's just taken and passed both the LPIC-1 and RHCSA, RHCSA is definitely harder, but it's really very achievable if you have an LPIC-1. The RHCSA is an exam that really covers what I'd consider to be the essentials of Linux for a junior sys admin, like updates, kickstart, kvm, lvm, and grub. LPIC-1's material is very close to that, but it is easy to leave a few things out of your study program because it's not a lab exam. So you don't have to "try it yourself" so to speak to get a passing grade, just answer questions about each.

    I personally think it's best to treat the LPIC-1 and RHCSA as part of the same study program for people new to linux. To make an analogy think of linux as a foreign language you're trying to learn. You take a written exam like the lpic-1 to show you know how to read and write the language, and you take the "oral exam" of the RHCSA to show you know how to speak and listen to the language. You can't really be great with the language though if you can't do all 4. You must read, write, speak, and listen every day to master it. Also note that with this analogy of Linux as a language, on the job experience trumps both because it's the equivalent to living abroad in a foreign country.
    Outstanding explanation. I'd add to your rep for this post, but it won't let me because I've already added rep to your previous post. :)

    I'm currently studying for the LPIC-1 exam. However, to make sure it's not just a paper exercise, I've installed virtual box and Fedora, Open SUSE, and Ubuntu. I practice each command and all the exercises in each of the environments. It definitely takes longer to do this, but I'm hoping both my knowledge and experience with Linux will benefit.
    If you like my comments or questions, you can show appreciation by clicking on the reputation badge/star icon near the lower left of my post. :D
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  • brownwrapbrownwrap Member Posts: 549
    teancum144, when you say you practice each command and exercise, what are you using?
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  • teancum144teancum144 Member Posts: 229 ■■■□□□□□□□
    brownwrap wrote: »
    teancum144, when you say you practice each command and exercise, what are you using?
    Currently, I'm using this resource: In general, it is an outstanding book, but has the following shortcomings: I chose this resource because it was the best available at the time (according to most reviewers) and I wanted to get started. It is well written and I'm pleased overall.

    I see that a more current book (by a different author) is available for pre-order:
    If you like my comments or questions, you can show appreciation by clicking on the reputation badge/star icon near the lower left of my post. :D
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  • kly630kly630 Member Posts: 72 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Outstanding explanation. I'd add to your rep for this post, but it won't let me because I've already added rep to your previous post.icon_smile.gif

    I'm currently studying for the LPIC-1 exam. However, to make sure it's not just a paper exercise, I've installed virtual box and Fedora, Open SUSE, and Ubuntu. I practice each command and all the exercises in each of the environments. It definitely takes longer to do this, but I'm hoping both my knowledge and experience with Linux will benefit.
    I think most people really like the analogy to language with what we're doing here (taking certifications), because it's so intuitive and matches what we all think in terms of how to practically develop complex skills in technology. There are few people who would move to a new country and not even try to study the language, so it kind of aptly describes who certs have practical value for.

    For me, I found that practicing like that while studying for the LPIC-1 was a great help. The big thing was that coming out of it, I understood how to start and stop services, where key configuration files were, how disks and basic networking configurations worked, how runlevels worked, and how to manuever the command line. the RHCSA complicates that just a bit because I feel the coverage of LVM, grub, and yum is deeper on that test (because the LPIC-1 is more broad since it's distro neutral), but with the LPIC-1 you'll make it. If you have no knowledge of linux at all and try to study for the RHCSA, I think it would be a bit harder to absorb everything.
    http://klyrhce.blogspot.com/
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  • astudentastudent Member Posts: 26 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I can not tell if Linux+ exam is hard or not because I do not have any experience about it.

    I took a lot of exams. RHCSA was the hardest to me. It is stressful! From the view of risk assessment, this exam has single point of failure. This means that a single big mistake can fail you. It is not like a paper exam of multiple choices , which you can simply pick one answer and move on even you do not understand what the question is asking.
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