Linux + Exam Review

I took my Linux + exam earlier this month and passed with a score of 785 ( passing score is 720). Overall I'm happy with that score although I wish I could've broken the 800 mark. Studying for this exam helped to refine my understanding of Linux system administration, which is my main role at work and something that I thoroughly enjoy learning about and doing even in my free time. Here's the breakdown of what I did in preparation for the exam as well as thoughts on the practicality of the exam and what I'm planning on studying now that I have this certification.

Studying

It's tough to say when I started studying for this exam. I've been using Linux as a daily OS for about three years so I've had a fair amount of opportunity to troubleshoot issues. Not only that, but I've been working in a professional context with Linux for about a year and a half and worked with some of the more enterprise level technologies surrounding it as well. Things like Ansible, Puppet, bash scripting, and basic to moderate troubleshooting are all things that I've had a good amount of exposure to. In addition to all that I run my homelab entirely on Linux! This blog, my home media technology stack, and other services are powered by Linux and docker.

If you strictly define studying for this exam as intentionally learning the things outlined in the topics covered, then I've been studying since late July/ early August. I definitely took breaks where I wouldn't study for a few days, but as time came closer to the exam I buckled down and was studying everyday for probably the last month before test day. My resources included the older version of the Linux + textbook (for the XK0-004 exam) from Sybex by Richard Blum as well as the official CompTIA Exam Prep Bundle. I bought the older book because back in July there wasn't a newer version of the book available and the crossover between the exams was substantial enough that I figured I'd be ok. As for the CompTIA bundle, I was fortunate enough to have some help from my employer to get that paid for.

The official Exam Study guide was probably the most useful thing, although the practice tests that came with the bundle were helpful as I got closer to taking the exam. The book was probably the least useful and I only say that because there's a newer version out that's probably better, and I felt like it went way more in depth about topics than were necessary for the exam.

The Exam

The exam itself was not bad. I was the least nervous for this one compared to other CompTIA certifications I've taken. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned with how it may look if, as a junior Linux admin and someone who runs Linux daily, I did not pass this exam the first time, but luckily I don't have to worry about that. I had a lot more networking questions involved than I expected, but that was good because I spent more time on that topic knowing parts of it were pain points for me. Honestly there weren't as many questions on specific command syntax and what arguments to pass as I expected, especially since my practice exams seemed to be riddled with them.

Overall Thoughts

There were some real benefits to studying for and taking this exam. I learned more efficient ways to work within the Linux ecosystem (using sed and awk for instance). I understand more about Linux networking which previously was a pain point for me. And finally I gained more confidence in my Linux troubleshooting skills and overall ability.

One of the other things that I think is cool when it comes to the CompTIA certs is that they have what's called 'stackable certs'. So when you acquire certain groups of certifications, such as the Linux + and A+, you also get another certification, in my case the Systems Support Specialist, which demonstrates a deeper understanding of troubleshooting systems in IT.

What's Next?

With my Linux + behind me, I've got a couple of ideas on what to do next. A part of me wants to go for the Network + and get not only that certification but another three stackable certs. Networking can be a weakness of mine at times and I'd like to start fixing that. It also doesn't hurt that I'm familiar with the CompTIA exams and know what I can expect from them. I also already know some good resources for Network + studying (Professor Messer on YouTube, Sybex book, CompTIA Apps) as well.

All that being said, I'd like to start looking at other vendors besides CompTIA for training. My ultimate goal is to move into information security, specifically offensive security and I'm thinking about whether or not to go for something like TCM's Practical Network Penetration Testing cert. Ultimately I think the Network + is the next step to get some more stackable certs and demonstrate a working knowledge across multiple areas. Then I'll go for TCM's cert after that.