Comparing RHCT and RHCE Certifications

Comparing RHCT and RHCE Certifications
1. (a) The RHCE Certificate:
The RHCE certificate is designed to fit in a specific place within the computer industry spectrum of UNIX/Linux user levels.
The RHCE Certificate is granted upon passing the RHCE Exam, a performance-based test on live equipment that measures actual competencies at server system administration, setup of networking services, and network security, and diagnostics and troubleshooting. The RHCE Exam can be taken alone as RH302 RHCE Exam (1-day) or as the final day of the RH300 RHCE Rapid Track course (5-days). RH300 consists of 4 days of intensive training, emphasizing hands-on lab workshops with realistic configuration and administration tasks using Red Hat Linux, plus the Certification Lab Exam on day 5.
(b) The RHCT Certificate:
The RHCT Certificate is granted upon passing the RHCT Exam, a performance-based test on live equipment that measures actual competencies at system administration, including installation and configuration of a Red Hat Linux system and attaching it to a live network running network services. The RHCT Exam can be taken on the final day of RH133 Red Hat Linux System Administration (4.5 days), or alone as RH202 RHCT Exam. The RHCT certificate may also be granted to those who take the RHCE Exam and pass all RHCT-specific competencies which are included in the RHCE Exam.
2. Goal of RHCE and RHCT Certification
The primary goal of RHCE and RHCT certification is to meet the demand of individuals and employers for useful metrics of individual skills and competencies with Red Hat Linux, the largest-selling distribution of Linux. The RHCE Program provides performance based certification at two critical job role levels: Technician (RHCT) and Engineer (RHCE).
RHCE and/or RHCT may be required for selected personnel employed at Red Hat channel partners, IHVs, ISVs, OEMs, and other partners, to provide meaningful assurance of standards.
3. Meaning of RHCE and RHCT Certification
RHCE or RHCT certification serve as a metric (hopefully one of many) of use to both individuals and employers to assess individual preparation and competency for key job roles involving Red Hat Linux computing.
(a) RHCE certification indicates that the person has passed a realistic performance-based lab exam that tests his/her ability to: install and configure Red Hat Linux; understand limitations of hardware; configure basic networking and file systems for a network; configure the X Window System; perform essential Red Hat Linux system administration; configure basic security for a network server; set up and manage common enterprise networking (IP) services for the organization, carry out server diagnostics and troubleshooting.
The readiness objective of RHCE is to assure standard level of systems and network administration skills so that a person is "ready from a technical point of view for professional responsibilities in setting up, configuring, and managing a Red Hat Linux server running common enterprise networking services and security."
(b) RHCT certification indicates that the person has passed a realistic performance-based lab exam that tests his/her ability to: install and configure Red Hat Linux; understand limitations of hardware; configure basic networking and file systems for a single system attached to a network; configure the X Window System; perform essential Red Hat Linux system administration; configure basic host security, set up client-side networking services required to attach to a production network, and carry out basic diagnostics and troubleshooting.
The readiness objective of RHCT is to assure a minimum level of systems administration skills so that a person is "ready from a technical point of view for professional responsibilities in installing, configuring, attaching, and supporting Red Hat Linux systems on an existing production network."
4. Certification in the context of professionalism
Becoming a successful technician or engineer requires years of experience in heterogenous, networked computing environments, coping with day-to-day issues, and developing best practices. This kind of experience does not result from taking one course or exam, but it can be measured during training and in a certification exam, especially if these are administered using hands-on exercises in a lab. That's why the RHCE and RHCT exams are lab-based, performance-based practical exams.
Red Hat is benchmarking the RHCE and RHCT certificates to be useful metrics for measuring experience, skill, and competency with Red Hat Linux, and for demonstrating preparedness for professional responsibilities at two critical levels of Red Hat Linux systems administration.
5. The RHCE Certification Lab Exam
The RHCE certificate requires passing the RHCE Certification Lab Exam. The RHCE Certification Lab Exam is composed of two elements: a server install and network services configuration lab (3 hours) and a troubleshooting and maintenance lab (2 1/2 hours). The two performance based parts of the Lab Exam present realistic problems that require planning, diagnosis, and development of complete solutions.
Fair game for the Certification Lab Exam consists of: the prerequisites for RHCE, plus everything covered in the RHCE curriculum and prerequisites. The exam is closed book; no notes.
The RHCT Certification Lab Exam
The RHCT certificate requires passing the RHCT Certification Lab Exam. The RHCT Certification Lab Exam will be composed of two elements: a diagnostics and troubleshooting lab (1 hour), and system install configuration, and attachment to network (2 hours). RHCT is thus entirely performance based, with no multiple choice component. RHCT presents realistic problems that require planning, diagnosis, and development of complete solutions.
Fair game for the Certification Lab Exam consists of: RH033, prerequisites for RH133 including Networking Fundamentals and Internetworking with TCP/IP, plus everything covered in the RH133 curriculum. The exam is closed book; no notes..
6. Certificates
The RHCE and RHCT exams are pass or non-pass. Official notification of PASS or DID NOT PASS is sent via email within 3 business days of the RHCE Exam. Individuals who complete all training elements but do not pass the Exam will receive a Certificate of Achievement. Individuals who complete all training and pass the Certification Lab Exam will receive in addition a Red Hat Certified Technician or Red Hat Certified Engineer certificate. Electronic certificates suitable for printing will be sent with exam results for those who qualify. All certificates list the specific release of Red Hat Linux.
7. Verification and Validity Period
Red Hat provides complete verification of RHCE certification, including version numbers, at Certification Central, so that individuals, their employers and customers can make their own informed decisions based on what version they are actually running and how critical re-certification is for their own requirements.
The validity period for all RHCEs and RHCTs is pegged to the release of the Enterprise product commercially available at the time certification was earned. RHCE and RHCT certifications are considered current until Red Hat retires exams of the release following the version on which your certification was earned. For example, certificates earned on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 will be current until August 31, 2007, the last date on which Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 exams will be offered. Note that Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 was released in March, months before the final retirement of the version 4 exams.
To provide further clarification for earlier versions, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 will remain current until Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 exams are retired, several months after the release of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Certifications earned on Red Hat Linux 8.0 and Red Hat Linux 9 are pegged to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, and hence will nolonger be current after August 31, 2007.
Our information suggests that the RHCE is such a strong certification that RHCEs in continuous practice as professionals are likely to be able to keep their skill levels up in pace with Red Hat Linux technology. Some Red Hat partner programs mandate RHCEs maintain certification on the most recent release.
8. Courses and Certification above RHCE
Persons with RHCE certification or equivalent skills may be interested in part or all of the Enterprise Architect curriculum and the related Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) certification. These five courses provide in-depth, hands-on training for senior Linux system administrators responsible for the deployment and management of many systems in large enterprise environments. RHCA is a capstone certification to RHCE and RHCT, the most recognized, acclaimed, and mature certifications in the Linux space. The full RHCA curriculum consists of four advanced 400-level Enterprise Architect courses and an upper-level security course.
If the market need for other levels or types of certification becomes clear, Red Hat will consider ways to address these.