RHCSA Self Study Materials and Time Frame

Hello,

I'm thinking of self studying for the RHCSA exam and skipping the LPI/Linux+ route. I have very limited Linux experience I'm currently laid off and have 30 days of devoted full time study (192 hours) to this certification exam. A) Do you think this is a possible feat,

What if any materials would you use besides the ones I've listed below, and C) What would be the best way to go about this whole thing

*Any thoughts on the Pearson RHCSA Video Series? Expensive, but certainly not the price tag of Red Hat official training*

These are the self study resources I've found, If i'm missing anything please let me know:

(Perason RHCSA 7 study videos)
Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) Complete Video Course: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Pearson IT Certification

CBT Nuggets CenTOS Systems Administrator Prep
https://www.cbtnuggets.com/it-training-videos/course/linx_centos

Linux Command Line: A complete Introduction
The Linux Command Line: A Complete Introduction: William E. Shotts Jr.: 9781593273897: Amazon.com: Books

Michael Jangs Study Guide
http://www.amazon.com/RHCSA-RHCE-Red-Linux-Certification/dp/0071765654/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421425138&sr=8-1&keywords=RHCSA&pebp=1421425393863&peasin=71765654

*and* practice exams with labs
http://www.amazon.com/RHCSA-Certification-Practice-Virtual-Machines/dp/007180160X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421425138&sr=8-2&keywords=RHCSA&pebp=1421425421105&peasin=007180160X

Thank you for your input!

-Travis

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Comments

Verities

A lot of the same questions for the RHCSA are asked every week so I suggest reviewing some of the stickied posts like RHCE Resources. There are big differences between RHEL 6 and RHEL 7, so know which one you are studying for so that you don't mix up your study resources and end up studying two different versions.

orlandofl

Thank you very much for the information! You saved me some time pointing out there were major differences between V6 and V7. I definitely think i'll be going with version 6, much more study material (an amazon.com search of V7 yielded 0 results). According to Red Hat one has until Feb 28th 2015 to buy a V6 voucher (and a year to schedule the exam), then it's nothing but V7 being offered. It would seem RHCSA certification is valid for 3 years leaving ample time for V7 to be earned and staying in good graces.

Once again thanks!

-Travis

teancum144

orlandofl wrote: »

I'm thinking of self studying for the RHCSA exam and skipping the LPI/Linux+ route. I have very limited Linux experience

Some time ago, I started studying for the RHCE, took a break to obtain other certifications, and now I'm back to linux; but have opted for LPIC series to start. At the time I studied for the RHCE, the first half of the test was the RHCSA.

While I think it's possible; if you really have "very limited Linux experience", it will be difficult and you probably won't acquire a deep understanding of Linux fundamentals. If your goal is to get the certification for what it will do for your resume, go for it. If your goal is to understand Linux, I suggest doing the LPIC series first.

orlandofl

While I think it's possible, if you really have "very limited Linux experience", it will be difficult and you probably won't acquire a deep understanding of Linux fundamentals. If your goal is to get the certification for what it will do for your resume, go for it. If your goal is to understand Linux, I suggest doing the LPIC series first.

You're right. I do realize it's a bit naive to jump into Red Hat certifications from nada. I absolutely do want to have a solid understanding of Linux, but I also have mouths to feed, and while i'm financially good now, I need to get back to work in the <very near> coming months.. sort of a catch 22. While Red Hat version 6 has books, videos, and all that good stuff, If i fail (which Uncle Same will pay for-either way)...i cannot buy another V6 voucher...and would have to start over @ 7....anyway...

A better plan might be to do the LPIC-1 <and possibly the LPIC-2> to get the foundation....start studying for RHCSA V7 with what is available ...and grab the V7 books & Labs as they come off the press and aim for RHCSA in July-Aug time frame

Verities

Props to you being very ambitious. Keep in mind its a $400 exam, so there is a lot of incentive to not fail it. Study study study and lab like a madman. Michael Jang's books are awesome and there are a lot of free resources out there as well.

brownwrap

Warning: As someone posted elsewhere, you have until February 28th to sign up for RHEL 6.

orlandofl

Props to you being very ambitious. Keep in mind its a $400 exam, so there is a lot of incentive to not fail it. Study study study and lab like a madman. Michael Jang's books are awesome and there are a lot of free resources out there as well.

I can promise you i'm not all-together that ambitious!

lol...no, honestly just trying to get ahead as fast as i can...but i suppose so is everyone else. I'll more than likely go the LPIC route first..the cert is what i want to put on my resume to get noticed....but i also want to be able to speak intelligently about Linux in job interviews.. Not to say everyone who went straight to Red Hat can't do that...but i'm sure they would have had much more experience than I before doing it. The possibility of setting myself up for failure <and waisting money> is an idea i wholeheartedly loath.
Gotta learn to crawl before the 5K marathon ideology i suppose.

Once again thanks,

-Travis

varelg

Congratulations on making the decision to go at it solo.
Somebody mentioned there's big difference between version 6 and 7. There's this core of linux functionality however that rarely changes, if ever. The official name is I think, core-utils and maybe few other packages. So try to get the core under your belt first.
Read and lab the RHCSA objectives, though they seem a bit vague, at least when compared to LPIC objectives.
Guides: yeah there are some great guides out there, but check out the man pages of utilities involved in various scenarios.
Good luck on your linux journey and I hope you'll make it.

brownwrap

I just saw your last sentence. I have ran 5 marathons and walked one, big difference between a 5k and a marathon!

JockVSJock

I found this tonight when I was looking for RHCSA resources

Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) - Exam EX200 Course Online

It appears that some of the first videos are free, however there is a fee to access the others.

I also hunted around youtube.com and found a few dedicated to RHCSA/RHCE, along with videos directly from Redhat.