Shortcuts: Downloads | Fedora | Red Hat Network

RHCA Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why did Red Hat launch this new curriculum and certification?

   Demand. Red Hat is responding to the market, to the needs of customers who are building Linux and open source architecture. Linux entered the market in the 1990s primarily as a mid-range server for Internet infrastructure and has moved steadily up into the corporate datacenter for enterprise computing, mission-critical applications, databases, and transactions. New technologies and skills are driving competitive gains in price/performance and productivity that make wider Linux deployments more desirable and strategic. Linux is also expanding down to the end-user as desktop solutions in public and private organizations. This means vast numbers of Linux systems will need to be deployed and managed.

   Individuals and employers look to Red Hat to make training and certification available for these enterprise computing skills. The Linux 'stack' of skills is thus already wide and deep. Complex organization-wide deployment and integration of open-source architecture require talent and expertise at the level of an 'architect', supervising the larger team of RHCEs and RHCTs. Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat's RHCE and RHCT certifications have already demonstrated that more can be done with the same or fewer technical staff because of the strengths of the OS and the proven skills of these certified engineers and technicians. RHCAs enable an organization to maximize the efficiency of its RHCEs and RHCTs and take productivity gains to a new level, for example using RHN Satellite and RHN Proxy.

   How popular is this new curriculum? The early courses in the Enterprise Architect curriculum RH401 and RH423 have become the best-selling advanced training beyond the level of RHCE. And the newest RH400-series courses, RH436 and RH442 have been filling from the very first sessions.

   • back to top

2. What are pre-requisites for the Enterprise Architect courses?

   RHCE or equivalent level skills and experience are pre-requisite. You can assess your pre-requisites in one of 3 ways:

   1. Obtain RHCE on RHEL 3 or RHEL 4 (best strategy)
   2. Score high on the automated online pre-assessments for the RHCE track (next best strategy)
   3. Depend on self-assessment of prior experience (risky, not recommended)
   • back to top

3. Are the RHCA series courses all the same level?

   The courses are all "peer" level. Each can be taken by someone with RHCE or equivalent skills. Any order is fine. Some customers find that RH401 gives them a good foundation for other RH400 courses and for the all-around architect-level skills that will help them in deployment of various Linux solutions. Even if your organization's immediate focus is one of the other RH400 courses, your organization will likely need you to have the skills in RH401 at some point, as well. Endorsement Exams for all five courses are available starting in the spring of 2005.

   • back to top

4. How do I obtain RHCA certification?

   Current RHCEs will be granted Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) certification upon successfully passing all of the five required Endorsement Exams that prove the competencies covered in the Enterprise Architect courses. RHCA certification means that an RHCE has passed the five Endorsement Exams that make up the RHCA certification testing program.

   • back to top

5. What are the Endorsement Exams?

   Each course in the Enterprise Architect curriculum has a corresponding Endorsement Exam scheduled on the fifth day. Endorsement exams may be taken immediately following the corresponding course, or at any time. The exams are performance-based and test skills of the job role competencies covered in the prior four days of hands-on training. Passing the Endorsement Exam earns the candidate an endorsement to his or her RHCE credential for that specific enterprise skillset. Endorsement exams vary in length from 2 to 8 hours depending on the course, and can only be taken by current RHCEs.

   • back to top

6. Is RHCE required to take the Endorsement Exams?

   Yes. You must be a current RHCE to take an endorsement exam. With the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 in February 2005, RHCEs earned on the following versions are considered current: all RHCEs earned on Red Hat Linux 8.0, Red Hat Linux 9, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0.

   • back to top

7. When will the Endorsement Exams be available?

   They are available and scheduled sequentially with the Enterprise Architect courses starting in Spring of 2005.

   • back to top

8. So there are 5 Endorsement exams rather than a single RHCA exam event?

   In deciding on the testing format for RHCA it was neither practical nor beneficial to customers to force performance-based testing of all enterprise architect level competencies into a brutal 3-day or 4-day high stakes all-or-nothing marathon. This is not an episode of 'Fear Factor'. A person who did not pass just the storage management element on the first try would have to sit and pass the entire exam again. This would be an expensive and time consuming gamble, and would not be suited to customers who at this stage are focused on just a subset of the enterprise architect skill areas. With the endorsement exam system, an RHCE can focus on a specific skill area, prove competency in that area, and receive a meaningful performance-based credential added to their RHCE.

   • back to top

9. What are benefits of the Endorsement exams over a single RHCA exam event?

   The Endorsement system allows gradual accumulation of certified knowledge and skill, with proof of competency at each stage. Customers can focus on precisely the advanced skills and knowledge required by the individual and his/her employer, and earn a meaningful credential for those skills. As the organization or individual grows their need for additional architect level skills, those endorsements can be earned. The program thus provides incremental value that grows with organization and individual needs. You have the option to prove competency on enterprise storage solutions, or enterprise directory services, and prove each of these to your employer. If you prove all the architect skills by passing all five endorsements, you are automatically issued a certification as RHCA.

   Separate exams and endorsements allow people to gain recognition for their Architect-level skills as they acquire them, rather than trying to acquire and prove mastery of all at one sitting. This is more aligned with how knowledge and skill are accumulated. Complex skills require practice and development over time. Separate endorsements increases the audience for these upper-level credentials and classes. Some people may not need or want to pursue RHCA in its entirety, but may have interest in one or more of its components. Candidates can focus their study and preparation on one area at a time, in line with their business requirements.

   • back to top

10. What is the price of the Endorsement Exams?

    The Endorsement Exams are list priced at $749 taken alone and $549 when combined with purchase of the corresponding course and attended sequentially. These exams require far more dedicated expensive equipment than the RHCT or RHCE exam and are more complex and costly to administer. We have kept the price of each endorsement exam at no greater than the RHCE Exam.

    • back to top

11. If I fail an endorsement exam, can I re-take it?

    Sure. Like RHCT and RHCE, the endorsement exams are performance-based and will be challenging. Some candidates may not pass on first attempt. As part of the introduction of this innovative program those enrolling in Enterprise Architect courses and taking the corresponding endorsement exam through December 31, 2005 will be entitled to one (1) free re-take as part of their purchase. Exam must be purchased and attended the same week as the course. Re-take is limited to that specific exam and must be attended within 90 days of the initial failed exam. Other conditions may apply.

    • back to top

12. Why are the Enterprise Architect courses priced higher than other Red Hat courses?

    The RH400-series courses require more equipment than other Red Hat courses. Each student gets access to 2 or more servers and a SAN, and in the RH436 course ($3998) as many as 5 servers and a storage array. Class size in RH400-series classes is smaller, usually 8 students, so there is more personal instruction time.

    • back to top

13. For how long will my RHCA certification remain current?

    RHCE certification must be maintained as current for the Endorsements and RHCA (if earned) to remain current. The validity period for RHCE (and RHCT) is now officially pegged to the release of the Enterprise product commercially available at the time certification was earned, and certification shall be current until after one (1) major release of the Enterprise product. For example, a certificate earned on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 would be current until the release of Red Hat Enterprise 5.

    • back to top

14. So, if I keep my RHCE current, my Endorsements and RHCA will not technically expire?

    Correct. However: verification of your Endorsements will indicate the version numbers of the specific enterprise technologies on which the Endorsement was earned. Persons verifying your endorsement will be able to see this information as part of your certification records. If a major new version of the enterprise technology is released, for example GFS or the Red Hat Cluster Suite, you may want to re-take the Endorsement exam for that skill area so that you can prove your competency on the new version of the technology. This is entirely up to you and/or your employer.

    • back to top

15. Is there a single 'Rapid Track' course for preparing for RHCA?

    No. This is not possible. The program has been made as rapid as it can be. Requiring RHCE level skills is part of what enables the courses to commence at a high level. There will be bundle pricing, and discounts for those who take the entire suite of Enterprise Architect training.

    • back to top

16. Will the RHCA be available worldwide?

    Yes, rollout of updated Enterprise Architect courses and Endorsement Exams at selected locations worldwide occurs soon after rollout in North America.

    • back to top

17. If I already have RHCE, do I need to go for RHCA?

    That decision is up to you and your employer. If your organization is deploying Linux in ways that require the skills covered in the Enterprise Architect curriculum, then one or more of the Endorsement Exams, or indeed all of the skills that make up the RHCA may be a useful goal and performance measurement to assure readiness to deploy and manage this level of Linux architecture for the organization. Certification is not a requirement of using Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It is a proven value-added benefit for assessing and assuring readiness to support an organization's total investment in Linux technology at critical levels of skill and sophistication.

    • back to top

18. Does RHCA include testing of the RHCT and RHCE level skills?

    Yes and no. Yes, in that those skills are assumed and you will need to use them to complete RHCA tasks. No, in that the endorsement exams do not discretely re-test RHCE and RHCT skills. You cannot earn RHCE or RHCT by taking RHCA courses. That is one of the many reasons why RHCE is a requirement before taking endorsement exams. RHCA is focused on testing critical advanced skills covered in the Enterprise Architect curriculum. Since you cannot register for endorsement exams without already being RHCE, you have already proven RHCE-level skills.

    • back to top

19. Why did Red Hat make RHCE a requirement to take the Endorsement Exams?

    RHCAs provide technical leadership, and as such must understand and be capable of performing the core tasks he or she might assign an RHCT or RHCE to do. The way to prove that is to already have RHCE. If we did not require RHCE, the endorsement exams would be considerably longer. Secondly, the higher you go up the skills stack the less likely it is that you can learn these skills on your own. The equipment is not available, and if you knew how to configure a test environment for these skills, you wouldn't need the training. Third, testing at this level is expensive and seats are precious. In fairness to all exam-takers, and particularly to those who have invested in getting hands-on training at this level, Red Hat has a responsibility to take steps to assure that those who get a seat in the endorsement exam sessions are as prepared as possible, and have the best chance of passing. Red Hat has no interest in selling seats just to fill the exams, and then having people not be successful. Fourth, it is quite common for advanced level certifications to require lower levels of certification before being eligible to attempt higher level exams. Cisco CCIE for example, requires a special qualifying exam just to be eligible to register for a seat in the performance-based portion of CCIE.

    Finally, since RHCE and RHCT are open exams, anyone can train to RHCE level on a do-it-yourself basis, earn RHCE and qualify to take the Endorsement Exams. No one is forced to take Red Hat training. All Red Hat training and certification offerings are optional. Red Hat training and certification provide a time-tested guarantee of competency and greater ROI on technology to those organizations and individuals who decide to take advantage. Customers always have choice.

    • back to top

20. Should I pay my own way through all the training courses toward RHCA?

    This is not recommended unless you are already a successful IT consultant in business for yourself. Most training at this level is and should be employer-sponsored and reimbursed, since it relates directly to strategic IT investments and plans. The need and justification for training increases higher up the skill stack and is connected with the benefits of the solution(s) being deployed. Some companies connect their reimbursement with conditions, such as, if you leave within one year of completing your training, you will have to reimburse the organization for part or all of your training costs. Some companies will only reimburse training if there is a grade or assessment, and the endorsement exams provide this.

    • back to top

21. Should I pay my own way through the endorsement Exams for RHCA certification?

    Employers have widely different policies on reimbursement of testing costs. Sometimes reimbursement is easy if a test is bundled with a course. Some employers insist that employees who want 'certification' pay for it themselves, and will reimburse training expenses only. The Endorsement Exams are individually not a certification, so perhaps for such employers they can be reimbursed as a training assessment. The mixed reimbursement policies for certification are a legacy of the bad messaging and over-marketing of multiple-choice certifications in the 1990s. The multi-choice IT certification industry is still paying the price. Many employers will reimburse certification testing if they know it is performance based. RHCT, RHCE, and RHCA have earned a reputation as 'different' from other certifications. The VA Administration reimburses RHCE certification costs for eligible veterans. Even employers that have blanket rules for not reimbursing certification often bend these so that their engineers can get reimbursed for at least their first try at RHCE or RHCA. They are a performance based assessment. Again, with the exams for RHCA, the case can be made that this is ever more strongly connected with mission-critical strategic objectives for the organization's IT strategy. Let us know if we can be of help explaining the benefits of Red Hat training and certification to your employer.

    • back to top