I'm currently working as a Windows Systems Administrator and I'm eager to transition into the Linux world. I have a very basic understanding of Linux. For those of you who have successfully completed your RHCSA certification, could you share what study materials and resources you found helpful? Also, how often did you study? Any suggestions on a study schedule or useful resources would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
One thing to remember is to practice on the specific version of Linux you're being tested on. I made the mistake of preparing on a slightly older version and encountered problems during the exam. It led to some unnecessary stress because features that worked in that version didn’t carry over. If you can, make sure you’re familiar with the version you’ll actually be tested on!
Building your own homelab can be an awesome way to study. I took the Kodecloud RHCSA course, and it was pretty much spot on with the actual exam. It helped me feel mostly ready when the time came! And don’t worry if it takes you a couple of tries—many find they need to take the exam more than once before passing.
Sander Van Vugt offers great courses for RHCSA preparation, and I've also heard good things about KodeKloud. I used to rely on ACloudGuru, but that’s no longer an option. O'Reilly has some of Sander's materials, and some libraries even provide free access—great if you want to save some cash! I studied for about three months and did pass on my first try, but it's not unusual to need to take the exam more than once. Just keep a steady daily study habit. You should definitely practice tasks like disk provisioning; it builds your confidence for the exam. Remember, while you're allowed to refer to man/info pages, it can slow you down if you rely on them too much. Taking timed practice exams was super helpful for me to identify areas where I needed more work. And if you have more questions, just ask!
Honestly, the best way to get good with Linux is just to dive in and use it daily. I recommend trying out different distros and maybe even going for Gentoo, which requires a manual installation process. It gives you a great understanding of how everything fits together. I can't provide specific tips for RHCSA, but messing around with Linux will definitely pay off.
I agree! Practicing with virtual machines helped me a lot too, and I primarily used HyperV. It’s also fine to study with WSL on Windows. Just get as comfortable with the terminal as you can!