Which Red Hat certification should our team standardize on first?

RHCSA (EX200) is the right baseline for every team running production RHEL — covers user management, package management, SELinux, systemd, file systems, and core sysadmin operations. RHCSA is the prerequisite for RHCE (EX294) and every Red Hat specialist track, so it's worth standardizing across the team before branching.

How is the RHCSA exam different from a traditional multiple-choice cert?

Red Hat exams are performance-based — engineers solve real sysadmin problems on a live RHEL system within a time budget. No multiple choice, no flashcard tricks. The CBT Nuggets training pairs video instruction with hands-on labs that mirror the exam environment so engineers practice the actual skills they're tested on.

How do you measure ROI on Red Hat training for a team?

For Linux teams, start with mean time to resolve on RHEL-related incidents, onboarding velocity for new sysadmin hires, and certification coverage by role (RHCSA across the team baseline, RHCE on the senior bench). CBT Nuggets gives managers the reporting surface to track completion and capability coverage; the training itself keeps engineers moving through the right Red Hat path.

Does this work for compliance training programs (SOC 2, FedRAMP, CMMC, DoD)?

Yes. RHCSA and RHCE are widely cited in compliance frameworks for teams running Red Hat infrastructure in regulated industries. Team reporting helps managers document assigned training, completion, and certification coverage for the audit packet auditors actually want to see.

How does Red Hat cert refresh work?

Red Hat certifications expire after 3 years and can be renewed by passing the current version of the exam, taking a higher-level cert, or earning credentialed Red Hat learning subscription credits. CBT Nuggets training contributes to renewal preparation; managers can use assigned training paths to keep team renewals on schedule.

Can our team learn Red Hat without prior Linux experience?

Yes. CBT Nuggets training assumes basic IT operations knowledge but doesn't require prior Linux experience. Engineers transitioning from Windows or cloud-only environments typically need 8–12 weeks for RHCSA from a cold start. Pair the RHCSA prep with CompTIA Linux+ training for engineers who want a vendor-neutral baseline first.

Standardize your team on Red Hat

Red Hat Certification Training & Courses for IT Teams

RHCSA fundamentals through RHCE and the specialist tracks for Ansible network automation and container orchestration. Every Red Hat certification path comes with structured training, hands-on labs, and team admin reporting — the credential auditors look for on teams running production Linux infrastructure.

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Certifications

Role paths

Levels

Linux systems administrators reviewing terminal output beside production server racks

Red Hat-credentialed team

Built for teams running production RHEL, OpenShift, and Ansible infrastructure.

CertificationsRed Hat4 certs · Entry to Specialist

Spotlight

Most popular Red Hat certifications

4 certifications

The Red Hat certifications IT directors most often standardize their teams on. Each one comes with hands-on virtual labs and team admin reporting included.

RHCSA

AssociateLabsPracticeEX200

Linux administrationUser and group managementFile permissions

The Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification validates the skills and knowledge required to perform core system administration tasks in Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments. It is ideal for IT professionals who are responsible for managing Linux systems and want to demonstrate their expertise in system administration.

Exam investment: 400 USD

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RHCE

ProfessionalLabsPracticeEX294

Ansible AutomationLinux System AdministrationShell Scripting

The Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certification validates an individual's skills and knowledge in configuring and troubleshooting a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system, and is ideal for senior system administrators, architects, and engineers who require a high level of proficiency in Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Exam investment: $400 USD

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RHCS in Ansible Network Automation

SpecialistLabsPracticeEX457

Ansible automationNetwork configuration managementNetwork device automation

The Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Network Automation certification validates an individual's ability to automate network infrastructure using Ansible. It is designed for network administrators, engineers, and IT professionals who want to demonstrate their skills in automating network tasks and managing network devices using Ansible. This certification is ideal for those looking to enhance their career in network automation and management.

Exam investment: 400 USD

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RHCS in Containers

SpecialistLabsPracticeEX188

Container managementKubernetesOpenShift

The Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers (EX188) certification validates a professional's ability to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot containerized applications using Red Hat OpenShift. It is ideal for IT professionals, developers, and system administrators who want to demonstrate their skills in managing containerized environments.

Exam investment: $400 USD

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Associate

Professional

Specialist

Associate

Professional

Specialist

Customer outcome

Linux capability your team can prove on the job

Mid-market IT leaders measure Red Hat training value in operational terms — defensible Linux admin coverage for compliance audits, faster onboarding for new sysadmin hires, and a shared RHEL vocabulary across operations and platform teams. Those are the outcomes leadership cares about, not seat-time or completion percentages.

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Role-based paths

Red Hat certifications by IT job role

Match Red Hat certs to the actual roles your team holds. Each path bundles the right certs plus the operational depth engineers need day-to-day.

Red Hat certs for Linux Sysadmins

2 certifications

RHCSA (EX200) is the baseline credential auditors recognize for teams running production Red Hat Enterprise Linux. RHCE (EX294) layers Ansible-driven automation on top — the modern operating model for Linux ops teams.

RHCSA

AssociateLabsPracticeEX200

Linux administrationUser and group managementFile permissions

Exam investment: 400 USD

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RHCE

ProfessionalLabsPracticeEX294

Ansible AutomationLinux System AdministrationShell Scripting

Exam investment: $400 USD

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Red Hat certs for Automation & Network Engineers

1 certification

The Ansible Network Automation specialist track (EX457) covers infrastructure-as-code patterns for network teams operating Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and other vendors via Ansible playbooks.

RHCS in Ansible Network Automation

SpecialistLabsPracticeEX457

Ansible automationNetwork configuration managementNetwork device automation

Exam investment: 400 USD

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Red Hat certs for Platform & Container Engineers

1 certification

RHCS in Containers (EX188) covers Podman, OpenShift integration, and the container patterns platform-engineering teams use to ship workloads on Red Hat infrastructure.

RHCS in Containers

SpecialistLabsPracticeEX188

Container managementKubernetesOpenShift

Exam investment: $400 USD

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Engineer configuring Linux servers in a hands-on lab environment

Hands-on Red Hat practice

Human-led training is the point: engineers practice real skills with expert guidance, not just video playback.

Why CBT Nuggets

How CBT Nuggets is different for Red Hat teams

The platform features IT directors evaluating us against Pluralsight, Udemy Business, and LinkedIn Learning ask about most often.

Practitioner-led Linux training

Shawn Powers teaches Red Hat from decades of Linux production experience. Your team learns from someone who has actually run RHEL servers — not from the exam-objectives slide deck.

Hands-on Linux labs

Practice configuring RHEL systems, writing Ansible playbooks, and managing SELinux policy in realistic lab environments. Labs run alongside the videos so engineers apply each concept immediately.

Practice exams included

Exam-style scenarios for RHCSA, RHCE, and the Red Hat specialist tracks. Teams rehearse before performance-based exams so leaders aren't paying for retakes.

Trainerbot in Slack

Linux questions answered where engineers already work. Trainerbot uses CBT Nuggets training content in Slack so an SELinux or systemd blocker becomes a learning moment.

Every certification includes

Expert-led video training

Virtual labs

N2K practice exams

Per-team completion reporting

Practitioner-led