Our look into the Linux certification arena began with a top-level overview of all the available Linux certification options.
Today, we continue the series with a deeper discussion of the Linux Professional Institute Certification (LPIC).
LPI, the folks behind LPIC, is a Canadian non-profit organization that advocates Linux usage in enterprise environments. They are also firm supporters of the open source and free software movements.
LPI is unique in its approach to establishing Linux certification standards via strategic partnerships. They employ the help of leading technical companies and a team of virtual volunteers to assist with test development and scoring scheme.
LPIC Overview
LPIC is one of two distribution-neutral certifications in the Linux space, the other one being CompTIA’s Linux+ cert. LPIC certifies competency in both the basic operating system components and associated administration tools.
There are three certification levels: LPIC-1, LPIC-2 and LPIC-3. Each test objective is weighted based on their relative importance, using a scale of 1 to 10. As you might expect, the higher the weight, the more questions on the exam will be dedicated to that objective.
LPIC-1 — Junior Level Linux Professional
This entry level certification consists of two exams, both of which must be passed. There are no prerequisites.
The first exam (Exam 101), has 4 topic areas focusing on system architecture, while the second (Exam 102) covers 6 topic areas encompassing, shells, scripting and data management.
Detailed test objectives are available here: exam 101 and exam 102.
Candidates should be familiar with the Linux command line, be able to perform typical system maintenance tasks and manage installation of workstations and networking.
LPIC-2 — Advanced Level Linux Professional
This advanced level certification also consists of two exams. To qualify for LPIC-2, you must hold an active LPIC-1 certification, but the tests can be taken in any order.
Exam 201 has seven topic areas including the kernel, boot process and networking. Exam 202 has 6 topic areas covering web services, security and troubleshooting.
Detailed test objectives are available here: exam 201 andexam 202.
Candidates should be able to administer up to a medium-sized site, manage and troubleshoot networks and associated services, and advise management on best practices and purchasing decisions.
LPIC-3 – Senior Level Linux Professional
This is the highest LPIC certification, designed for professionals who manage enterprise level Linux installations. To qualify for LPIC-3, you must hold an active LPIC-2 certification.
Candidates must pass one exam on the following topics: authentication, troubleshooting, network integration and capacity planning. Full details and test objectives are available here: exam 301.
LPIC-3 Specialty Designations
Exams 302 and 303 are for those interested in extending their LPIC-3 with specialty designations for mixed environments and security, respectively. Test objectives and sample questions are available here exam 302 and 303.
Exam Weights & Topics
LPIC exams are weighted, dependent upon topic importance. With the exception of exam 301, weighted at 50, all LPIC exams are weighted at 60. And the weight determines the number of questions on the exam, so a 60 weighted exam will have 60 questions. Scores can range from a low of 200, to a high of 800, with a passing score of 500 — reported immediately upon completion.
LPIC Exam Process
Exams are administered via testing centers: Prometric (www.prometric.com) and Pearson VUE (www.pearsonvue.com). Each have more than 3,000 locations in over 120 countries, so finding a testing facility close-by, shouldn’t be a problem. If you need to retake an exam, there is a required delay:
- Take an LPI exam once and you must wait one week before re-taking
- Take an LPI exam a second (and subsequent) time, you’ll have a 90 day wait before you can re-take
- Not sure under what circumstance this would apply, but if you pass an LPI exam, you can’t retake that exam for at least two years
LPIC Exam Pricing
Nearly all LPIC exams are $160, with one exception, exam 301 — LPIC-3 is $260. It is important to note, that no matter where you take your tests, fees must be paid in U.S. dollars. Depending upon your location, there may also be a bit of pricing variance, due to exchange rates and currency conversion.
LPIC Recertification
As anyone who has gone through any technical certification can attest to, the process can be brutal. Consequently, recertification is a question at the forefront of every certified professional’s mind. Each organization has a different policy, sometimes unclear, and often subject to change.
For LPIC certified professionals, recertification is recommended after two years, in order to retain current status. Things get tricky though if we’re talking about active certification, which requires that you recertify within 5 years. There are other caveats and I recommend reading the fine print details of the policy here.
How to Prepare for Your LPIC Certifications?
Undoubtedly, this seems like an overwhelming amount of information. But there is help. LPI is a non-profit organization and thus, does not offer certification training courses, but they do maintain a list of approved training partners at their website.
An obvious starting point is the Linux man pages (syntax: man [command name].
In terms of book recommendations, I suggest you start with these:
- the LPIC Bible gets good reviews at Amazon
- O’Reily fans will want to check out their text — LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell
- the GNU/Linux Manuals are also recommended
And don’t overlook the LPIC website, as many study resources, including sample exam questions (none of which will actually appear on an exam) are freely available.
Be sure to join me for the next article in my Linux Certification series, which will cover the CompTIA Linux+ certification process.
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