RHCSA exam-day guide
RHCSA · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Valid government-issued photo ID
The name on your ID must match your exam registration exactly. The exact list of accepted identity documents is set by the provider - confirm which forms are accepted for your delivery mode before exam day.
Exam appointment details and Red Hat account access
Know your exam ID, start time, time zone, and whether you are testing at a site or remotely. Be able to log in with the account you used to register.
Remote delivery: completed system/hardware check
If testing online, run the provider's compatibility or pre-check tool in advance on the exact machine and network you will use. Requirements (webcam, microphone, OS/browser, bandwidth) change over time - verify current requirements with the provider.
Stable wired network and a private, quiet room (remote)
Wired Ethernet is more reliable than Wi-Fi. The room should be private, well lit, and free of other people. Confirm the provider's workspace and network requirements for your session.
A clear desk - nothing else within reach
Notes, books, phones, smartwatches, and extra monitors are not permitted. Where you store personal belongings varies between test sites and remote setups - confirm the procedure with the provider.
No study material - plan to use only on-system documentation
You will work on a live system where man pages, command help output, and installed documentation under /usr/share/doc are available. Practise finding answers there rather than from memory of a book.
A mental list of the published exam objectives and your weakest two or three
Review the objectives published by Red Hat well before exam day, and identify the areas where you are slowest. Do not plan to review objectives during the exam - there is no time budget for it.
A verification routine you have already rehearsed
For every task you complete, know how you will prove it works: service enabled and running, firewall rule present, mount persistent after reboot, SELinux context correct. Build this habit in your own lab before exam day.
Rest, food, and water beforehand
The exam is a long, continuous hands-on session. Being rested matters more than one more hour of cramming the night before.
Confirmed logistics with the provider
Before exam day, confirm exam duration, current pass mark, reschedule/cancellation terms, break policy, and how and when results are delivered. These details are set by the provider and can change.
Plan the day
Stop reading and start doing. In your own lab, repeat the full set of objective areas end to end - users and permissions, systemd services, networking with nmcli, storage with LVM and file systems, SELinux, firewalld, package management, boot/root-password recovery, cron and timers. Time yourself and do the tasks without looking things up first, then check the man page for anything you missed.
Verify logistics: appointment time and time zone, delivery mode, ID document, and (for remote) run the compatibility check and a full dry run of the check-in process on the same machine and network you will use.
Light review only: navigation of man and help, the syntax of commands you use most, and how to verify persistence after a reboot. Prepare your workspace or bag, get your ID ready, confirm the start time in your own time zone, and sleep.
Eat, hydrate, and arrive or log in early - the provider recommends arriving ahead of your start time, so confirm the window. For remote sessions, close every other application, silence your phone and put it out of reach, and clear your desk completely.
Read through the whole task list before touching anything. Note which tasks are quick wins and which are long. Also note anything global, such as a required hostname, network settings, or repository configuration, that other tasks may depend on.
Work the easy and high-confidence tasks first to bank points, then return to the harder ones. After each task, verify the actual state, not just that the command returned success. Watch the clock and leave a buffer at the end - do not let one difficult task consume the session.
Stop starting new work. Re-verify the tasks you completed: services enabled as well as started, configuration files valid, firewall and SELinux settings in place, and storage entries persistent. If a task depends on persistence across reboot, test that carefully and be aware that a reboot takes time.
Rules to check
Bring valid photo ID; the name must match your registration. If it does not match, resolve it with the provider before exam day.
The exam is individual work. No help from other people and no use of communication tools; remote sessions are proctored and monitored.
Reference material is limited to what is on the exam system itself. Notes, books, phones, smart devices, and additional screens are not allowed. Confirm the permitted-items list for your delivery mode with the provider.
The timer runs continuously once the exam starts. Whether breaks are allowed and whether the clock pauses varies by delivery mode. Ask the provider in advance rather than assuming.
Scoring is performance-based: an automated check evaluates the real state of your systems after the exam, so partially completed tasks can still earn credit. Red Hat has historically used a pass mark of 210 out of 300 for this exam. Confirm the current pass mark and scoring description on your exam page.
Results are typically sent by email some days after the exam. Confirm the stated delivery time with the provider and check the inbox and spam folder for the address tied to your Red Hat account.
You accept the exam agreement when you sit the exam, which includes not disclosing or publishing exam content. Do not discuss specific tasks afterwards.
If a task seems ambiguous, there is generally no one who can clarify its content mid-exam. Make the most reasonable interpretation consistent with the objectives, document nothing outside the system, and move on so you protect your remaining time.