Red Hat Inc. provides open source software solutions to more than 90% of the Fortune 500 companies, including internet service providers, airlines, healthcare companies and commercial banks. The company has been around for more than two decades and is well known for its Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) distribution. Red Hat provides a fully open technology stack, which you can alter to suit your needs – you’re not locked into the vendor’s vision of the software or stack components. Red Hat’s portfolio of products and services also include JBoss middleware, cross-platform virtualization, cloud computing (CloudForms and OpenStack) and much more.
Red Hat offers numerous professional certifications based on its software products, including operating systems, virtualization, storage and cloud-based solutions.
The Red Hat certification program aims at system administrators, engineers, architects, enterprise developers, and application administrators, as well as cloud and virtualization administrators, who use RHEL in their IT infrastructures. The certification program aims to ensure that candidates are proficient in RHEL by requiring them to pass performance-based certification exams. Whereas many certification exams ask multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank questions about specific technologies, Red Hat requires you to perform and complete real-world tasks using Red Hat technologies to pass its exams.
Red Hat traditionally offered certification exams only upon completion of a training course. Now you can take a Red Hat exam on your own schedule, outside of training, if you like. Each exam session is performed on a secured system in a professionally proctored testing center. These centers are located in select cities throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.
Once you earn a Red Hat certification, you become a Red Hat Certified Professional. This gives you access to Red Hat Certification Central, which allows you to connect with potential employers, join the Red Hat community, create study groups and collaborate on projects. In addition, you can explore Red Hat’s training options and easily schedule individual exam sessions. Discounts on recertification exams are offered there as well.
The largest group of Red Hat certifications is geared toward system administrators, engineers and architects. Some of the most popular and sought-after Red Hat certifications reside in this category, such as the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) and Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA).
The RHCA is probably Red Hat’s most versatile credential. In 2018, Red Hat implemented several changes to the RHCA program. The most notable change is that Red Hat now offers two separate RHCA credentials: the Red Hat Certified Architect in Enterprise Applications and the Red Hat Certified Architect in Infrastructure. Over the past year, Red Hat has retired a great many of its credentials, as you can see from the long list of “Retired Certifications” on the company’s All Certifications page. Candidates who have previously passed certification exams that are now retired may still be able to apply those retired certifications to current certification tracks. Check the certification overview page for each certification to find more details.
The RHCSA certification is designed for experienced Red Hat administrators and is required by some organizations to meet U.S. Department of Defense Directive 8570. It’s also a prerequisite credential for the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE).
Red Hat recommends three training classes to prepare for the RHCSA certification. The Windows admin classes are Red Hat System Administration I (RH124) and Red Hat System Administration II (RH134). Candidates may also take a Linux/UNIX admin class – RHCSA Rapid Track Course RH199 – to prepare for the RHCSA exam.
To obtain RHCSA certification, candidates must pass the 2.5 hour RHCSA exam (EX200).
The RHCE certification is geared toward experienced senior system administrators and fulfills requirements of U.S. Department of Defense Directive 8570.
To obtain the RHCE certification, you must first become RHCSA certified. The recommended training for the RHCE certification is based on your skill level. Windows admins with minimal Linux experience should take the Red Hat System Administration I and II (RH124 and RH134) courses, along with the Red Hat System Administration III (RH254) course to prepare for the exam.
Linux or UNIX admins with one to three years of experience should take both the RHCSA Rapid Track Course (RH199) and the Red Hat System Administration III (RH254) courses to prepare for the exam. RHCEs looking to recertify, or candidates who’d like the opportunity to engage in a lab-based review before taking the RHCE exam, should take the RHCE Certification lab (RH299). The certification lab is a four-day, instructor-led opportunity to work through all of the labs from the Red Hat System Administration I, II and III courses, along with the Rapid Track course.
To complete the RHCE certification, you must pass the 3.5-hour RHCE exam (EX300), which is currently based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.
The RHCA certification is the pinnacle cert in the Red Hat Certification program. Red Hat has changed the RHCA program to be more flexible that previous incarnations of the program, depending on the candidate’s particular areas of interest and expertise. Currently, Red Hat offers two RHCA credentials:
Red Hat recommends certain specific certification combinations to achieve the RHCA in Infrastructure or RHCA in Enterprise Applications. Candidates are free to follow the recommended path or select their own certifications based on their professional interests and requirements.
The RHCA in Enterprise Applications has three recommended certifications combinations: application acceleration, and integration; application automation; or DevOps, containers, and OpenShift. While not required, Red Hat recommends that all candidates obtain the Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Application Development and Red Hat Certified Specialist in Enterprise Application Server Administrations.
There are four recommended certification combinations for the RHCA in Infrastructure: open hybrid cloud; DevOps, containers, and OpenShift; Red Hat OpenStack Platform; and Linux mastery.
Certification | No. of Req’d Certifications | Qualifying Certifcations List |
---|---|---|
RHCA in Infrastructure | 5 | Complete five certifications from the following (listed by recommended combinations):
Open Hybrid Cloud
DevOps, Containers and OpenShift Red Hat OpenStack Platform Linux Mastery
|
RHCA in Enterprise Applications | 5 | Complete five certifications exams from the following (listed by certification combinations):
Recommended certifications regardless of certification combination:
Application, Acceleration and Integration
Application Automation
DevOps, Containers and OpenShift
|
The number of recommended training courses varies for each RHCA concentration (RHCS means “Red Hat Certified Specialist” in the preceding table). At present only candidates who’ve already taken the retired exams in the DevOps category can earn RHCA: DevOps (hopefully, Red Hat will rectify this situation, or retire the credential). There is also some overlap in training course recommendations as shown in the table below.
Formerly, Red Hat offered certifications geared toward IT professionals familiar with Red Hat virtualization and cloud technologies. In addition to the RHCA: Cloud (mentioned previously in this article), one could find the Red Hat Certified Virtualization Administrator, Red Hat Certified System Administrator in Red Hat OpenStack and the Red Hat Certified Engineer in Red Hat OpenStack. Today, that last item – namely, RHCE in Red Hat OpenStack – is the only remaining member of this category still available.
The Red Hat Certified Engineer in Red Hat OpenStack focuses on IT professionals who possess the skills necessary to install, deploy, and work with Red Hat Ceph Storage, including creation of block devices for Ceph and integration of services with Ceph Storage devices. In addition, Certified Engineers in Red Hat OpenStack can create and manage devices for virtual networks and use the OpenStack Neutron Service. Candidates must possess the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) in Red Hat OpenStack Platform 8 to qualify for the credential. In addition to the RHCSA exam (EX210), candidates must also pass Red Hat Certified System Engineer in Red Hat OpenStack (EX310), a three-hour performance-based exam. Red Hat recommends that candidates take the Red Hat OpenStack System Administration Red Hat OpenStack Administration I (CL 110), II (CL210) and III (CL310) courses to prepare.
Red Hat offers an extensive training program: in-classroom, online, virtual, remote classroom, onsite team and online learning lab formats are available. Most courses are three to five days in length, depending on delivery format. A remarkably helpful resource is the Red Hat Training Resource Center, which contains links to online tools, references, student guides, a skills assessment and more.
Red Hat now offers the Red Hat Learning Subscription, which gives certification candidates access to a multitude of online, on-demand classes and exam prep videos for an annual subscription fee that varies depending on the specific certification you seek. In addition, Red Hat offers multiple ways for you or your company to save on certification and training costs. Browse the Red Hat Ways to Save page for training bundles and success packs.
You can also find lots of third-party study guidebooks to prepare for certification exams. Just search for “Red Hat Certification” on Amazon and be prepared for a lot of results.
What first began as an agricultural research project at North Carolina State University eventually grew into a full-fledged software and services company by 1976. SAS has gone on to develop a solid customer base in the banking and pharmaceutical industries as well as in academia and at numerous agencies at all levels of government. Today, SAS is a leader in business analytics, data warehousing and data mining.
SAS has been recognized as one of the best places to work by organizations like Fortune and the Great Place to Work Institute. Coming in at No. 37, SAS made its 21st appearance in Fortune’s list of 100 best companies to work for in 2017 and No. 23 in Fortune’s list of top 100 best workplaces for millennials in 2018. Indeed, the company’s low turnover rate (4 percent in 2016) is an indicator of its commitment to its employees and, indirectly, to its customers as well.
Of the top 100 Fortune Global 500 companies, 96 are SAS customers. SAS customers span the globe with more than 83,000 instances installed in 144 countries.
SAS has awarded more than 100,000 certifications since the program’s introduction in 1999, according to Brightcove. Today, the SAS Global Certification Program offers 23 credentials across seven categories:
SAS certifications, along with required exams and costs, are described in more detail in the following sections. Although experience levels aren’t specifically indicated for each certification, a good rule of thumb is a minimum of eight months of experience on the base SAS system for Base Programmers and two to three years of relevant, hands-on experience for all other certifications before candidates tackle their respective exams.
All exams are administered by Pearson VUE or through a SAS-sponsored certification exam session (typically in conjunction with a training course). SAS also offers online proctored exams for all certification credentials through their partnership with Pearson VUE. Note that all certifications covered below are based on SAS 9.4.
Foundation Tools credentials aim at SAS professionals whose workdays revolve around writing and managing SAS programs. The company currently offers three Foundation Tools certifications:
Certification | Required Exam(s) | Exam Cost* |
---|---|---|
SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9 | SAS Base Programming for SAS 9 exam (A00-211) | $180 |
SAS Certified Advanced Programmer for SAS 9 | SAS Advanced Programming for SAS 9 exam (A00-212)
Must possess SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9 credential |
$180 |
SAS Certified Clinical Trials Programmer Using SAS 9 | Clinical Trials Programming Using SAS 9 exam (A00-280)
OR Clinical Trials Programming Using SAS 9 – Accelerated Version exam (A00-281) Requires the SAS Certified Base Programmer for SAS 9 credential |
$180 each exam |
* SAS offers a 50 percent discount on the cost of all exams to instructors, students, faculty and staff at schools and higher education institutions as well as to SAS employees. See the SAS FAQs for details.
The Advanced Analytics credentials are designed for SAS professionals who gather, manipulate and analyze big data using SAS tools, run reports and make business recommendations based on complex models. The certifications in this category include:
Certification | Required Exam(s) | Exam Cost |
---|---|---|
SAS Certified Data Scientist Using SAS 9 | No exam is required. Credential is awarded to candidates who possess the following two certifications:
SAS Certified Big Data Professional Using SAS 9 (2 exams, $180 each, $360 total) SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9 (3 exams, $610 total) |
$970 |
SAS Certified Advanced Analytics Professional Using SAS 9 | Predictive Modeling Using SAS Enterprise Miner 13 (Candidates with SAS Certified Predictive Modeler Using SAS Enterprise Miner 7, 13 or 14 do not need to take this exam.), $250
SAS Advanced Predictive Modeling (A00-225), $180 SAS Text Analytics, Time Series, Experimentation and Optimization (A00-226), $180 |
$610 |
SAS Certified Predictive Modeler Using SAS Enterprise Miner 14 | Predictive Modeling using SAS Enterprise Miner 14 exam | $250 |
SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst Using SAS 9: Regression and Modeling | SAS Statistical Business Analysis Using SAS 9: Regression and Modeling exam (A00-240) | $180 |
The Business Intelligence and Analytics credentials are designed for IT professionals who create interfaces and reports for SAS 9 or who use SAS Visual Analytics routinely. For the following certifications, there are no credential prerequisites required to take these exams, though a thorough knowledge of a number of related skills and techniques is required. The three certifications in this category are:
Certification | Required Exam(s) | Exam Cost |
---|---|---|
SAS Certified BI Content Developer for SAS 9 | SAS BI Content Development for SAS 9 exam (A00-270) | $180 |
SAS Certified Visual Business Analyst: Exploration and Design Using SAS Visual Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics 7.4 Exploration and Design exam (A00-277) | $180 |
SAS Certified Visual Modeler Using SAS Visual Statistics 7.4 | SAS Interactive Model Building and Exploration Using SAS Visual Statistics 7.4 exam (A00-272) | $180 |
Professionals whose workdays (or career aspirations) revolve more around managing data and platforms rather than deep statistics, analysis and modeling will gravitate to data management credentials. For the following certifications, there are no credential prerequisites required to take these exams, though a thorough knowledge of a number of related skills and techniques is required. The three certifications in this category are:
Certification | Required Exam(s) | Exam Cost |
---|---|---|
SAS Certified Big Data Professional Using SAS 9 | SAS Big Data Preparation, Statistics, and Visual Exploration exam (A00-220)
SAS Big Data Programming and Loading exam (A00-221) |
$180 each, $360 total |
SAS Certified Data Integration Developer for SAS 9 | SAS Data Integration Development for SAS 9 exam (A00-260) | $180 |
SAS Certified Data Quality Steward for SAS 9 | SAS Data Quality using DataFlux Data Management Studio exam (A00-262) | $180 |
The administration category has a single credential – the SAS Certified Platform Administrator for SAS 9 – designed for professionals responsible for supporting the SAS Business Analytics platform from installation through day-to-day maintenance. Candidates must know how to set up folders, manage user accounts, monitor system performance, apply security techniques, perform backups and complete other administrative tasks. The certification exam features 70 multiple-choice questions, a 110-minute time limit, and candidates must answer at least 70 percent of the questions correctly to pass the exam.
Certification | Required Exam(s) | Exam Cost |
---|---|---|
SAS Certified Platform Administrator for SAS 9 | SAS Platform Administration for SAS 9 exam (A00-250) | $180 |
SAS JMP is data analysis and visualization software that allows users to explore, mine and share data analyses in a graphical format. The JMP credential includes two exams:
Both of these certification exams feature 50 to 60 multiple-choice and short-answer questions, a 150-minute time limit, and candidates must achieve a score of at least 725 points from the possible point range of 200 to 1,000 points. Find out more about scaled scores via the exam FAQ.
Certification | Required Exam(s) | Exam Cost |
---|---|---|
JMP Certified Specialist: JMP Scripting Using JMP 14 | JMP Scripting Using JMP 14 exam (A00-908) | $180 |
JMP Certified Specialist: Design and Analysis of Experiments Using JMP 14 | Design and Analysis of Experiments Using JMP 14 (A00-909) | $180 |
SAS offers credential programs for certified SAS resellers, VARs, and consultants though its partner program. There are six partner credentials available to SAS partners:
Access to the Partner credentialing portal is restricted to authorized SAS partners only. As a result, some details of the partner exam process are hidden from public view. If you work for a SAS partner, ask your company SAS liaison or your SAS sales team for more details about partner certifications.
SAS offers links to SAS classroom and eLearning courses, sample exam questions and full practice exams. Refer to the exam Preparation tab for each certification on the SAS Certification website. Candidates can purchase certification packages that include training courses, preparation materials and exam vouchers with typical discounts of 35 to 40 percent.
SAS training can be pricey, depending on factors such as delivery method and class length.
Individual courses range from lows around $1,100 to highs of $4,000. Candidates should be sure to check out the SAS Discounts web page for information on current discount programs, best value deals, veteran’s discounts and more before enrolling.
The SAS Training and Books webpage provides links to certification prep books, training courses, eLearning opportunities (SAS onDemand) and the SAS Global Academic Program. SAS also offers sample exam questions and training software may be accessed through the SAS University Edition.
Many colleges and universities, such as Philadelphia University, Florida State University and the University of Missouri, to name just a few, also offer SAS certificate programs to their undergraduate and graduate students. If you’re in (or thinking of going to) getting SAS certified as part of your degree program, it pays to check out your SAS certification options before choosing an institution of higher learning.
Ed Tittel
Ed is a 30-year-plus veteran of the computing industry, who has worked as a programmer, a technical manager, a classroom instructor, a network consultant and a technical evangelist for companies that include Burroughs, Schlumberger, Novell, IBM/Tivoli and NetQoS. He has written for numerous publications, including Tom’s IT Pro, and is the author of more than 100 computing books on information security, web markup languages and development tools, and Windows operating systems.
Earl Follis
Earl is also a 30-year veteran of the computer industry, who worked in IT training, marketing, technical evangelism and market analysis in the areas of networking and systems technology and management. Ed and Earl met in the late 1980s when Ed hired Earl as a trainer at an Austin-area networking company that’s now part of HP. The two of them have written numerous books together on NetWare, Windows Server and other topics. Earl is also a regular writer for the computer trade press with many e-books, white papers and articles to his credit.
MUNCIE, Ind. – Red-tail Land Conservancy seeks individuals and organizations of east central Indiana who have naturally-landscaped yards to apply for Growing Home™ Habitat Certification before the submission deadline on July 31.
Growing Home™ is a backyard habitat program for east central Indiana from Red-tail Land Conservancy. The program is designed to empower community members to rethink how their yard or garden can also serve birds, bees, butterflies, and other beneficial wildlife.
Criteria for habitat certification include providing food, water, shelter, and native plants that benefit wildlife. Habitats must also be at least 50 square feet, free of invasive species on Indiana’s banned plants list, and located in east central Indiana.
“It may seem daunting at first, but many people already meet the criteria or are very close,” said Kelley V. Phillips, Red-tail’s Communications & Outreach Manager. “Native plants, bird feeders, and brush piles are all features of a healthy habitat.”
Once an outdoor space meets the criteria for a healthy habitat, the owner can apply for it to be reviewed and certified by a committee of plant and wildlife specialists. The Growing Home™ Committee includes a nursery manager, botanist, wildlife biologist, invasive plant removal specialist, Master Gardener, and environmental science educators.
Red-tail has published a Growing Home™ Certification Guide that details each criterion, why it is important, and ideas on how to fulfill it. The guide also includes a suggested memorizing list and links to helpful resources. It can be found and downloaded on Red-tail’s website.
People or organizations whose outdoor space is certified receive a certificate and have the option to purchase a “Certified Habitat” yard sign. This fall, Red-tail is offering an exclusive event for the Growing Home™ community with continuing education and Q&A with experts.
“The beautiful certificate yard sign are great ways to show recognition for the work someone goes through to attract and support wildlife. But the real reward is knowing that your effort is the difference between survival and stress for our local and migrating wildlife. If everyone were to transform just part of their yard into a pocket nature preserve, our community would create a patchwork quilt of re-wildling in response to increasing habitat loss,” said Phillips.
The program started in 2021 and has certified more than 80 habitats across Delaware, Hamilton, Henry, Jay, Madison, Marion, Randolph, and Wayne counties. Organizations with Certified Habitats include natural areas managed by Minnetrista Museum & Gardens, Muncie Sanitary District, and Ball State University. Red-tail Land Conservancy hopes to surpass 100 Certified Habitats by the end of 2023.
“With the tremendous success of the program since its inception, we know our east central Indiana community will want to be part of the movement to grow places wildlife can call home,” said Phillips.
The Growing Home™ guide, certification details, submission process, and application can be found by visiting www.ForTheLand.org/GrowingHome. Red-tail welcomes questions about how to apply by emailing info@fortheland.org.
Kelley V. Phillips is the communications and outreach manager of the Red-tail Land Conservancy in Muncie, Ind.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Applications for backyard habitat certification due July 31
Northwestern is committed to being a leader in sustainability, and faculty and staff have essential roles to play in reaching the University's sustainability goals. The Green Office Program engages faculty and staff in the process of adopting environmental best practices in the workplace. The program offers guidance on conserving energy and water, reducing waste, and increasing awareness of sustainability and environmental justice on campus. The process empowers all of our faculty and staff to become green leaders and its success is based on broad engagement and collective impact.
The Green Office Program provides tools and support to help offices and departments conserve resources, reduce costs, and create a healthier, greener workplace. Participating offices and Green Office leaders receive University-wide recognition for their efforts and become part of a campus-wide community of sustainability leaders.
sustainNU guides Green Office leaders as they work toward certification. Here are the basic steps to the certification process.
Certified Green Offices keep up their commitments to environmentally friendly practices and receive ongoing support from sustainNU to continue improving the sustainability of their offices.
Getting started is simple. Reach out to sustainNU at sustainNU@northwestern.edu to set up your introductory call. Check out our Green Office FAQs if you have more questions.
Want to get connected with sustainability initiatives right away?
Green Office Program Overview
An introduction to the Green Office Program, the program requirements, ways to get involved, the certification process, and the sustainable practices.
Faculty and Staff Participation Form
Use this form to create a list if everyone in your office and keep track of who has participated in the Green Office presentation. To achieve certification, your office needs at least 75% participation in the presentation.
Green Office Assessment
Conduct an assessment of equipment and practices in your office to identify areas for improvement.
Green Office Certification Guide
Use this guide to implement environmentally sustainable practices in your office. To become certified, your office needs to implement at least 24 of these sustainable practices.
Certified Office Profile Guide
Use this guide to document your successful certification and get featured on our list of Certified Green Offices.
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification is an industry‑recognized professional certification that validates one’s knowledge in the design and deployment of distributed applications in AWS Cloud. Having the certification can be a unique opportunity to grow your career, boost your resume, highlight in‑demand skills and generally become more competitive.
Get this prep guide for FREE and learn all you need to know to pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification exam:
Download now!
Sponsored by
The course is an online, standardized, competency-based training program, designed to provide aspiring or established guides the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the industry, regardless of their area of outdoor expertise. If you are considering becoming or growing as a rock climbing, rafting, hunting, wildlife viewing, fishing, cycling, hiking, snowmobiling, ATVing, horseback riding, skiing, paddle sports (or any other form of outdoor guide) this training is specifically designed for you!
The course contains videos from industry experts, readings, discussions, knowledge checks, and short assignments. It is self-paced and flexible and should take approximately 32 hours to complete. Outdoor guide employers can use this course to supplement or enhance any internal training program already offered. Competency areas include 1) becoming a more effective outdoor educator, 2) improving naturalist skills, and 3) developing professional skills.