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Red Hat changes certification rules in response to the coronavirus pandemic

Red Hat is extending your soon to expire certifications and has launched a new online certification testing program for its top four certifications.
Written by Steven Vaughan-Nichols, Senior Contributing Editor

One of the best ways to get a job in tech is to have a certification. Yes, I know, you can do your work better than anyone with a certification, but try telling the human resources department that at a new company. Unfortunately, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, it's harder than ever to take the tests you need to get or keep a certification. Red Hat, the Linux and cloud power, has an answer.

First, if you already have a Red Hat certification, which would expire between March 17, 2020, and December 31, 2020, it's been extended to January 1, 2021.

Next, Red Hat is launching remote certification exams for its four most popular certifications. These are:

Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) exam (EX200V8K)
This exam tests knowledge in areas of system administration common across a wide range of environments and deployment scenarios. The skills tested in this exam are the foundation for system administration and cover all Red Hat products.
 
Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) exam (EX294V8K)
This exam tests knowledge and skills in managing multiple systems using Red Hat Ansible Engine and executing common system administration tasks across multiple systems with Ansible. Ansible is the automation framework used by multiple Red Hat products, so Red Hat Certified Engineers have a head start on automating other products in the catalog beyond Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Administration exam (EX280V42K)
Containers and Kubernetes are emerging as dominant deployment paradigms in today's enterprise IT organizations. This exam tests the knowledge, skills, and ability to create, configure, and manage a cloud application platform using the Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform

Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Application Development exam (EX288V42K)
This exam tests the ability to deploy existing applications in a Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform environment. 

Just like normal passed exams, these will count towards achieving Red Hat's top certification: The Red Hat Certified Architect.

To take the exam you'll need an X86_64, Fedora-compatible system. You must also have an external webcam with a one-meter cable. You need the cable, because you'll be required to show your working area to the test proctor. 

On this setup, you'll be running a customized version of Fedora, Red Hat's community Linux. This Linux distro is tailored for taking the Red Hat exam. This operating system will also run a compatibility tester to make sure you have what you need to take the test. It runs entirely in RAM and leaves your system untouched and unchanged. 

The exams are delivered using both on your PC and on the cloud. While you're taking the test, a remote proctor will watch you. Randy Russell, Red Hat's certification director, explained:

While running the live exam environment, test takers are strictly limited in what they can access and do -- no online searches, checking cheat sheets, or chatting with more knowledgeable friends. If it is easy to cheat on an exam, assertions made about the people who pass it are weakened. When we certify someone, Red Hat is saying that person has the skills and knowledge to use one or more Red Hat technologies in actual IT environments. We want to protect the value of our reputation by doing all we can to ensure that the people who have passed our exams have done so fairly through their own skills and knowledge.

These tests are ready today. If you've already purchased an exam or enrolled in one through your Red Hat Learning Subscription -- Standard Edition, you can choose between remote and testing center delivery.   If you're interested in taking one of these exams remotely on your own, you should select the Individual Exam option.

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