Top 5 Linux Certs for Beginners in 2025
Have you ever wondered what you really should know about Linux as an aspiring IT professional? Linux is found in most server rooms, meaning the demand for IT pros who know the ins and outs of this powerful and versatile operating system is high.
IT certifications are a great way to develop and demonstrate competency in a particular IT domain. So where do we start when it comes to Linux certs? If you want to learn Linux skills, here are five certifications you should earn.
1. LPI Linux Essentials (010-160)
Some people might say it’s a waste of time to pursue fundamental certifications like Linux Essentials from the Linux Professional Institute (LPI). But there’s nothing wrong with starting with the basics. Earning a Linux Essentials cert will help you decide if you really want to go down the Linux track. And it will fit nicely into an incremental, slow, but steady approach to learning.
Linux Essentials provides a good foundation by covering just enough topics to introduce you to the open-source operating system. Here are some things you’ll learn include:
The Linux Community and a Career in Open Source
Finding Your Way on a Linux System
The Power of the Command Line
The Linux Operating System
Security and File Permissions
Every IT professional should know something about Linux, and this is a good start. Knowing Linux is also a must for systems administrators. These days, Linux is found in just about every server room.
Start studying for the Linux Essentials certification.
2. CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-005)
You can’t go wrong with any industry-recognized certification offerings from CompTIA. Because CompTIA certs are vendor-neutral, the knowledge and skills they validate can be applied anywhere — regardless of vendor. For that reason, CompTIA's Linux+ certification is an ideal starting point for IT newcomers.
The Linux+ certification covers skills like:
System management
Scripting, Containers and Automation
Security
Troubleshooting
Each CompTIA exam tests the student’s knowledge of a fully detailed list of objectives, which is freely available on their website. Successful completion of the Linux+ certification signifies a robust understanding of the operating system’s environment and capabilities.
Linux+ is a good choice for those seeking to prove themselves as systems administrators, network administrators, or penetration testers. It’s also a good stepping stone for those looking to prepare for higher-level certifications, such as CompTIA’s Pentest+ or CySA+.
Start studying for CompTIA Linux+.
3. Linux Professional Institute LPIC-1
Linux+ and LPIC-1 are separate and distinct certifications, but that wasn’t always the case. Until April 2019, CompTIA and the LPI had a partnership that guaranteed LPIC-1 certification to anyone who passed CompTIA's Linux+ exam.
Choosing between the two certs today, you may find LPIC-1 more challenging than Linux+, and it may hold more sway in the IT industry. Plus, it requires the completion of two exams rather than the single Linux+ test.
Like CompTIA, LPI exams are vendor and distribution-neutral. LPI says that the LPIC-1 validates a candidate's proficiency in real-world system administration and is a prerequisite for the more advanced LPIC-2 and LPIC-3 certifications.
4. Linux Professional Institute LPIC-2
While LPIC-1 is the true beginner Linux certification from LPI, we include LPIC-2 here because it’s a good way to round out the skills of a Linux professional early in their career. As expected, it is more difficult and in-depth than LPIC-1 and involves two exams.
An LPIC-2 certification shows that an IT professional can proficiently maintain and configure many of the core technologies on a Linux system, such as DHCP, DNS, SSH, FTP, and NFS. LPIC-2 deals with more of a Linux engineer's hands-on, practical tasks. It can validate a candidate’s ability to manage small- to medium-sized networks.
Start studying for the LPIC-2.
5. Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)
Unlike the certifications from CompTIA and LPI, RedHat exams deal with proprietary products. Linux may be open-source software, but many companies have used it to create their own commercial offerings. Like LPI, RedHat uses a multi-tiered certification path to develop the careers of Linux professionals. The entry-level exam is the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA).
Why get the RHCSA rather than one of the vendor-neutral alternatives? One consideration is money. In a previous article, we argued that employers are willing to pay higher salaries for Red Hat-certified professionals. The bottom line is that if you are administering a RedHat Enterprise Linux environment or would like to, the RHCSA is the place to start.
Start studying for the RHCSA on CBT Nuggets.
Ready to Add Linux to Your Skillset?
Linux is far removed from being a fancy buzzword. It is now found in just about every server room. As a result, organizations value IT pros who can leverage the Linux operating system and other open-source technologies.
Of course, this is not a comprehensive analysis of all the Linux certifications you can pursue.
Have a look at A Complete Open Source Certification Guide for a more detailed analysis. Every journey begins with a single step, as they say. And you can’t expect to know everything about Linux by preparing for one exam.
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