LPI Certification - Practical study guide to be approved

Did you know that there is an “LPI guide” to pass the certification? Well, to succeed in the Linux business universe, obtaining the certification promoted by the Linux Professional Institute is one of the best ways to prove your competence.

Because it is a famous and desired certification, one of the pioneers in the area of Linux professionalization, it is necessary to prepare well to be able to obtain it.

Professionals who obtain this statement are able to work with any version of Linux, in addition to having the chance to advance to more complex levels of action.

So, if you want to understand more about how to prepare, you need to check out the complete LPI guide that we developed, with a curator of all the content and preparation tips for obtaining your certification. Follow up!

Is it worth having a Linux certification?

Yes! It is worth having a Linux certification to prove your knowledge and ability to execute and perform in the field.

The truth is that there are numerous benefits for IT professionals who want to pursue a career in open source software and operating systems such as Linux.

These benefits are fully enhanced with a recognized IT certification international weight for your resume and experience.

With it, IT professionals become more valued and, consequently, more “expensive”, with higher remuneration expectations.

In addition, because there are 3 levels of certification (LPIC-1, LPIC-2 and LPIC-3), you can set up a career plan in the area, always with the objective of being one level higher, and choosing one or more aspects to work on.

When talking about areas of activity, level 3 certifications provide an interesting basis with topics related to mixed environment, Linux security, virtualization and high availability, for example.

What falls under the LPI? See the contents

Photo: Freepik | What content does the test include? To prepare for the test, you need an LPI guide, that is, to know exactly what content is included in it, in order to avoid surprises.

This way, you can identify which content you already master, and you will need to study less, and which will need more attention when preparing.

Thus, check below what content is covered in exams 101 and 102, both of which are necessary to obtain the LPIC-1 level certificate.

Test Content 101-500

The time taken for the first test is one and a half hours (90 minutes), with about 60 questions, the vast majority of which are multiple-choice.

Within Exam 101-500, there are 4 basic topics covered, according to this LPI guide, each with a topic and knowledge competence, as described below:

• Topic 101 - System Architecture;
  • 101.1 - Configure hardware settings;
  • 101.2 - Boot the system;
  • 101.3 - Change system execution levels.
• Topic 102 — Linux Installation and Package Management;
  • 102.1 — Designing a layout for hard disk partitioning;
  • 102.2 — Installing a boot manager;
  • 102.3 — Determining shared libraries;
  • 102.4 — Managing packages using Debian;
  • 102.5 — Using RPM and YUM tools;
• Topic 103 — GNU commands and UNIX;
  • 103.1 — Work on command lines;
  • 103.2 — Apply filters and process streams;
  • 103.3 — Manage directories;
  • 103.4 — Redirect and process streams;
  • 103.6 — Change execution properties;
  • 103.7 — Manipulate search text files;
  • 103.8 — Editing text files using “vi”;
• Topic 104 — Devices, Linux File Systems, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard;
  • 104.1 — Creating partitions and systems;
  • 104.2 — Ensuring the integrity of the file system;
  • 104.3 — Configuring the assembly of file system;
  • 104.4 — Manage disk quotas;
  • 104.5 — Control access to files using permissions;
  • 104.6 — Create and manage physical and symbolic links;
  • 104.7 — Find files and commands in the appropriate locations.

In each of these topics, the approaches are divided into 3 or more levels, each with a specification, as you may have noticed.

So, thanks to the LPI Guide, knowing all these points, it is easier to identify where to concentrate your efforts when studying, don’t you think?

Test Content 102-500

Exam 102-500 contains topics that work as continuations of the previous exam, starting with topic 105.

This test has slightly more dense content, involving Shell, administrative tasks, and system security.

• Topic 105 — Shells and Shell Scripts:
  • 105.1 — Customize the Shell environment and use it;
  • 105.2 — Customize or write scripts;
• Topic 106 — User Interfaces and Desktops:
  • 106.1 — Installing and configuring X 11;
  • 106.2 — Understand graphic workspaces;
  • 106.3 — Show knowledge in accessibility;
• Topic 107 — Administrative Tasks:
  • 107.1 — Administer user accounts;
  • 107.2 — Optimize and automate administrative functions;
  • 107 .3 — Locate and internationalize the system;
• Topic 108 — Essential System Services:
  • 108.1 — Synchronize the system time;
  • 108.2 — Configure the log;
  • 108.3 — Understand Mail Transfer Agent (MTA);
  • 108.4 — Manage print queues and printers ; - Topic 109 - Network Fundamentals:
  • 109.1 - Understand the basics and protocols of the Internet network;
  • 109.2 - Configure the persistent network;
  • 109.3 - Solve network problems;
  • 109.4 - Configure the client’s DNS;
• Topic 110 — Security:
  • 110.1 — Administering security;
  • 110.2 — Configuring host security;
  • 110.3 — Protect with encryption;

Upon successful both exams, the candidate will be able to receive their LPIC-1 certificate. After all, all their theoretical knowledge, based on the LPI Guide, has been validated.

How to Schedule the Exam at LPI or CompTIA?

It is preferable to schedule the test at a Pearson VUE center. First, because there will almost always be a center close to you and, before the test, you decide where you want to take it.

But where to find a Pearson VUE Center? It’s simple, just choose from their website:

• Go to: http://www.pearsonvue.com;
• Select “Test Takers”;
• Type COMPTIA in the box that will appear;
• then you can click the “Find a Test Center” button and enter the name of your city.

What is the test environment like?

Photo: Freepik | LPI test environment. It is done by a computer located in a small closed room isolated from sound and distractions. It looks like a small screen.

The candidate cannot bring anything: he must leave his cell phone, agenda, paper, everything. Applicators will provide paper, pencils, and an English-Portuguese dictionary if the test is in English.

Under any strange move on the part of the candidate, they cancel the test. You will also be filmed by a webcam during the exam to ensure that it was properly applied and nothing unusual occurred.

Another important detail of the computer test is that, if you get a question wrong on any topic, the computer selects more questions from the same topic to further test your knowledge on the topic.

This has a good side and a bad side. The good thing is that, if you make a “stupid” mistake, you will have another chance to redeem your mistake. But if you are in fact not properly prepared for the subject, you will be undermined.

How to prepare for the LPI exam?

The brain is a “muscle”. The more exercised, the stronger and more resilient it becomes. More synaptic connections he will be able to make and respond to the environment appropriately.

So do a lot of exercises on the topics. Exercise the controls. See your options and arguments. Test the functionalities of each of them, study the LPI Guide.

Many people ask about which Linux distribution is best suited for certification, testing commands, etc. The answer is simple: the one you like best.

Unlike other Linux certifications, the LPI values the independence of distributions and neutrality. The test focuses on Linux, whatever it may be.

Both certifications do not use any “wizard” or automatic configurator that some distributions have in the test.

Thus, all configuration and management of the server are done with commands in the Shell and directly in the configuration files.

This is very good because professionals are experienced with any Linux and are not addicted to any user-friendly tool.

Discover our Linux LPIC 1 certification book: multimedia and super didactic for you.

What is the best Linux for LPIC testing?

I recommend openSUSE. It is a very stable distribution, made by Germans who highly value complete compliance with the Linux Standard standards.

The commands, files, and structure are just like “send the costumes”. Just one important detail: you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the Debian and RedHat package managers.

Generally, a distribution adopts one or the other. And to prepare for the test, it’s good to be sharp on both models. So choose a distribution based on Debian and another on RedHat.

If you enroll in my course, we have 6 different Linux distributions so you can freely train everything you need to pass the exam.

How to prepare for the LPI Certification? Tips and resources for studying

Photo: Pexels | Studying for the LPI Certification. Preparing for the LPI Certification will depend largely on your learning style, study techniques, and productivity to unravel the topics in this LPI Guide.

As you will see below, there are ways to identify your “student profile” and optimize study time, directing learning.

1. Adopt your learning style

You also need to know yourself a bit for learning to be effective.

Our mind basically works with 3 types of learning styles: physical, visual, and linguistic/sound.

How do you best fix what you’ve learned? See what these styles look like and try to identify yourself with them:

Physical or motor learning style

People with these characteristics are the restless, they are the “diggers”, the dismantlers of equipment and toys, those who want to know how it works and see inside, those who are unable to remain calm in their place.

They are people who are unable to sit for a long time. They simply reason better when their bodies are in motion, shaking their bodies between one leg and the other, back and forth.

They interact better with the world through manual and body contact. Physical “Apprentices” love sports, inventing, building, and dancing.

When they are learning or acquiring academic training, these people will benefit more from body expression activities, manipulating and touching objects, performing exercises, etc.

Tips for you to learn better:

• Carry out your studies with assembling and constructing objects and simulations;
• Include virtual classes on computers;
• Alternate theoretical and practical sections during the study.

Language Learning Style/Sound

They are those people who keep singing or chanting a sound even with their mouths closed, the singers and those described as having a musical ear.

They see sounds in everything: they may not be the best singers or musicians, but they have a natural ability to interact and understand sounds, musical or not.

Its relationship with the world is through sounds and sound rhythms. The activities that may be most useful for them are listening to music, playing instruments, interpreting sounds, and singing.

When they are learning or acquiring academic training, these people will benefit more by writing lyrics and songs for songs, playing instruments to accompany their work or others, or developing multimedia projects.

Tips for you to learn better:

• Try to transform what you are learning into music;
• Record what you are learning to listen to later;
• Use pleasant music during your studies.

Visual Learning Style

These people are the modern Picassos and Renoirs, graffiti artists and doodles, and individuals who have a natural talent for colors and for harmonizing environments.

Visual individuals seem to have an artistic sense that makes everything they create appear pleasing to the eye. Its relationship with the world is through paintings and images.

Activities that may be most beneficial to them include painting, sculpture, and the creation of graphic arts.

When they are learning or acquiring academic training, these people will benefit more from drawing and creating diagrams, including graphics, cartographic reading, creating maps, or making demonstrations.

Tips for you to learn better:

• Create multimedia presentations;
• Use the interpretation of maps, diagrams, and graphs;
• Use and abuse illustrations, graphics, slides, movies, etc.
• Once you have identified yourself in at least one of these styles, make use of your brain’s potential. This makes it easier for you to learn.

Interesting exercises

As an exercise, execute each command in each topic at least more than once, exercising the possible situations, according to this LPI Guide.

Ask the following questions for each command studied:

• What is this command for?
• How is it used?
• When is it used?
• What files does it affect?
• I suggest that you make a herringbone diagram for the commands, so that it works with all the learning potential of your brain: visual, physical, and read the text aloud to also exercise the sound side.

In my Linux course I have herringbone schemes or mind maps for all test topics.

In this type of scheme, pay attention to at least two types of learning style: physical because you are making movements when writing; visual because you are making a diagram. It also helps with logic and memorization because you are categorizing information into HOW, WHAT, WHEN, and FILES. If possible, buy 10x15cm lined cards, which are excellent for making quick inquiries and can help you memorize.

Try to imagine the situations in which the commands are used and test the various types of options they have. This is important because a one-command option can invert the result.

For example, the command “grep uira texto.txt” will filter all occurrences of the word “uira” in the file texto.txt. Grep with the “-v” option, on the other hand, inverts, so the command will show all the lines that do not have the word “uira” in texto.txt.

Another important detail: read the “MAN” of the commands for each topic. They have important information that the programmer who developed the software left there in a special way for you.

2. Practice with Simulations for Exam 101 and 102

A simulation will give you an exact idea of what the test questions you will encounter along the way are, in addition to all the points explained in this LPI Guide.

There are issues that are mischievously formulated to make you fall into the ditch of common sense.

The test is designed not to be easy. And this is extremely important to attest the quality of the people who are certified.

If anyone with little preparation can be certified, what’s the point of showing this title in the curriculum? But if it’s for the few who really dedicated themselves and studied thoroughly, well, it’s a weighty certification.

Notice that there are issues that will prioritize through simple memorization, others will exercise your analytical capacity to understand a problem from the “real world” and your ability to transpose it to the “computational world”.

Others will exercise your judgment in the face of a problem in question and others will present you with a problem and the solution and you must assess whether the solution is correct or not and why.

There are simulations in books and on websites on the Internet. Most are in the language of Shakespeare. Do everything you can find in front of you.

And especially when you get a question wrong, write it down to find out what your mistake was and what would be the correct answer and why. Learning is built that way.

When you enroll in the Linux course, you will have access to over 499 true questions to truly prepare you for exams 101 and 102, where you can test for 7 days free of charge!

3. Reinforce the study with practical and online classes for certification

It’s not enough just to rely on free content found on the internet. If you really want to do well in the certification and prepare correctly, you need to reinforce your study.

Do this by attending practical online classes that assist and guide you. In the Linux Certification LPIC-1 preparatory course, you will have access to:

• 83 classes with a duration of 20 hours;
• Content updated to version 5.0 of the exam;
• +1000 updated questions;
• 200 server hours per month
• 24 months of unlimited access.

These resources will make your study journey simpler, more effective, and more assertive. It’s worth checking it out and guaranteeing the highest quality preparation!

**4. Save time with the Linux LPIC-1 Certification Book

If you prefer, you can also choose the Linux LPIC-1 Certification Book, which encompasses tests 101 and 102 and already has over 11,000 copies sold.

A book developed in a logical order, with all the necessary steps to prepare for the test and truly understand Linux, is much more effective than wasting time trying to find loose content on the internet.

In addition, the content you find out there is not always really up-to-date or contains reliable information.

Therefore, the best thing to do is to choose the purchase of e-books corresponding to the LPIC 101 AND 102 exams!

Conclusion

Have you noticed how preparing for certification is not a “7-headed animal”?

It is entirely possible to maintain a preparation routine that respects your learning mode and guarantees good results based on this LPI Guide.

It is enough to bet on simulations, reinforce the study with practical online classes and direct the study through robust content.

With that in mind, be sure to check out our Linux training sessions and e-books, developed with love and a lot of knowledge to help you!