RHCE Exam objectives — RHCE

This exam and the exam objectives provided here are based on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 version of the exam. We are offering Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) Exam (EX300) on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 via onsite and Individual Exam Sessions. View the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 exam objectives.
This guide provides information candidates may use in preparing to take the Red Hat® Certified Engineer (RHCE®) exam on Red Hat Enterprise Linux® 7. Red Hat is not responsible for the content or accuracy of other guides, books, online resources, or any other information provided by organizations or individuals other than Red Hat Training and Certification. Red Hat reserves the right to change this guide when appropriate. Candidates who have enrolled in forthcoming classes or exams are advised to check this guide periodically for changes.
Prospective employers should verify any and all claims by people claiming to hold this credential by requesting their certificate numbers and verifying it with the Red Hat certification verification tool online.
To earn the RHCE credential, one must also pass the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) exam. Someone can enroll in and take the RHCE exam without first having passed the RHCSA exam, but RHCE certification will not be issued until both credentials are earned by a candidate. In the event that a candidate has not yet earned RHCSA, Red Hat will retain the candidate's RHCE exam record and will attach that record to a candidates' RHCSA record once it is earned at a later date.

Performance-based exams

The RHCE exam is a performance-based evaluation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux system administration skills and knowledge. Candidates perform a number of routine system administration tasks and are evaluated on whether they have met specific objective criteria. Performance-based testing means that candidates must perform tasks similar to what they must perform on the job.

Authorized Training Partners

Only Red Hat and Red Hat Certified Training Partners administer the RHCE exam. Prospective candidates should exercise due diligence when purchasing a seat in an RHCE exam from a provider other than Red Hat itself. They should verify that the provider is, in fact, an authorized training partner or reseller in good standing. Please notify training@redhat.com about organizations that claim to offer the RHCE exam but are not Red Hat Certified Training Partners.

Scores and Reporting

Official scores for the RHCE Version 7 Training  exams come exclusively from Red Hat Certification Central. Red Hat does not authorize examiners, training partners, or other departments or individuals within Red Hat to report results to candidates. Scores on the exam are reported within 3 US business days.
Red Hat does not report performance on individual items, nor will it provide additional information upon request. This policy helps ensure impartiality and fairness for all candidates worldwide. Scores are used to establish whether certification should be issued and are reported for the benefit of candidates. Red Hat makes no representations regarding the use of scores for any other purpose, such as ranking or comparing candidates.

Format of the RHCE exam

The RHCE exam is a hands-on, practical exam that lasts 4 hours. Internet access is not provided during the exam. Outside materials are not permitted. Documentation that ships with Red Hat Enterprise Linux is available during the exam. Red Hat reserves the right to make changes to the format, including timing and the policies above. Such changes will be made public in advance through revisions to this document.

Preparation for the RHCE exam

Red Hat encourages all candidates for RHCE to consider taking one or more of its official training courses to help prepare. Attendance in these classes is not required, and one can choose to take just an exam. Many successful candidates who have come to class already possessing substantial skills and knowledge report that the class made a positive difference for them. To help you determine the best courses to take, Red Hat provides online skills assessment.
While attending Red Hat's classes can be an important part of one's preparation, attending class does not guarantee success on the exam. Previous experience, practice, and native aptitude are also important determinants of success.
Many books and other resources on system administration for Red Hat's products are available. Red Hat does not endorse any as preparation guides for any exams. Nevertheless, candidates may find additional reading deepens understanding and can prove helpful.

Exam objectives

RHCE exam candidates should consult the RHCSA exam objectives and be capable of RHCSA-level tasks, as some of these skills may be required in order to meet RHCE exam objectives. Red Hat reserves the right to add, modify, and remove objectives. Such changes will be made public in advance through revisions to this document. RHCE exam candidates should be able to accomplish the following without assistance. These have been grouped into several categories.

System configuration and management

• Use network teaming or bonding to configure aggregated network links between two Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems.
• Configure IPv6 addresses and perform basic IPv6 troubleshooting.
• Route IP traffic and create static routes.
• Use FirewallD, including Rich Rules, Zones and custom rules, to implement packet filtering and configure network address translation (NAT).
• Use /proc/sys and sysctl to modify and set kernel runtime parameters.
• Configure a system to authenticate using Kerberos.
• Configure a systems as either an iSCSI target or initiator that persistently mounts an iSCSI target.
• Produce and deliver reports on system utilization (processor, memory, disk, and network).
• Use shell scripting to automate system maintenance tasks.
• Configure a system to log to a remote system.
• Configure a system to accept logging from a remote system.

Network Services

Network services are an important subset of the exam objectives. RHCE candidates should be capable of meeting the following objectives for each of the network services listed below:

• Install the packages needed to provide the service.
• Configure SELinux to support the service.
• Use SELinux port labelling to allow services to use non-standard ports.
• Configure the service to start when the system is booted.
• Configure the service for basic operation.
• Configure host-based and user-based security for the service.

HTTP/HTTPS

• Configure a virtual host.
• Configure private directories.
• Deploy a basic CGI application.
• Configure group-managed content.
• Configure TLS security

DNS

• Configure a caching-only name server.
• Troubleshoot DNS client issues.

NFS

• Provide network shares to specific clients.
• Provide network shares suitable for group collaboration.
• Use Kerberos to control access to NFS network shares.

SMB

• Provide network shares to specific clients.
• Provide network shares suitable for group collaboration.

SMTP

• Configure a system to forward all email to a central mail server.

SSH

• Configure key-based authentication.
• Configure additional options described in documentation.

NTP

• Synchronize time using other NTP peers.

Database Services

• Install and configure MariaDB.
• Backup and restore a database.
• Create a simple database schema.
• Perform simple SQL queries against a database