RHCSA 10: Everything You Need to Know About Red Hat's Latest Certification

Objective

Red Hat just dropped a major update to their flagship certification, and it's making waves in the Linux community. The Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) exam has been refreshed for RHEL 10, and this isn't just a minor version bump. It's the most significant overhaul we've seen in years. If you're planning to take the RHCSA exam or just curious about what's changed, this comprehensive guide will walk you through everything from new exam objectives to practical study strategies. At LinuxCert.Guru, we've analyzed every change to help you prepare effectively.

Why RHCSA Still Matters in 2025

Before we dive into the changes, let's talk about why this certification continues to be relevant. The RHCSA isn't just another paper credential. It's a performance-based exam that proves you can actually do the work. No multiple choice questions here. You sit down at a terminal and complete real-world tasks in a live environment. For anyone working with enterprise Linux systems, managing cloud infrastructure, or pursuing DevOps roles, RHCSA remains the gold standard. It's also a prerequisite for the more advanced Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certification. At LinuxCert.Guru, we've seen thousands of students successfully pass their RHCSA exams by focusing on hands-on practice rather than just theory. RHCSA 10 makes that approach more critical than ever.

The Big Picture: What's Changed

RHCSA 10 reflects how modern Linux administration has evolved. Red Hat has added seven major topic areas that weren't heavily tested (or tested at all) in RHCSA 9. These additions make the exam more aligned with what you'll actually encounter in production environments.

1. Flatpak Has Entered the Chat

This is huge. For the first time ever, the RHCSA exam includes software management using Flatpak. You'll need to know how to configure Flatpak repositories, install applications, and remove them when needed. This reflects the growing adoption of containerized desktop applications in enterprise environments.

What you need to know: Adding Flathub repositories, installing Flatpak packages, removing applications, and managing Flatpak system-wide vs user-level installations.

2. systemd Timers Are Now Required

Remember when cron was all you needed? Those days are gone. RHCSA 10 expects you to create systemd timer units, understand the OnCalendar= syntax, and manage timers using systemctl. This is a major modernization that brings the exam in line with current best practices.

Key skills: Creating .timer and .service unit files, understanding OnCalendar syntax, enabling and starting timers, and troubleshooting timer execution.

3. Bootloader Tasks Got Serious

While RHCSA 9 touched on bootloader basics, RHCSA 10 explicitly requires you to modify kernel parameters, edit GRUB2 configuration files, and regenerate GRUB2 configs. If you've been skimming over bootloader topics, it's time to go deeper.

Critical knowledge: Editing /etc/default/grub, using grub2-mkconfig, modifying kernel boot parameters, and understanding GRUB2 menu entries.

4. Firewalld Gets Granular

The firewall requirements have expanded beyond basic service management. Now you need to understand source-based filtering, zones, rich rules, and more precise network access restrictions. Security isn't optional—it's the foundation.

Essential topics: Creating rich rules, managing zones, source-based filtering, port forwarding, and masquerading.

5. SELinux Knowledge Deepens

SELinux coverage has always been part of RHCSA, but version 10 emphasizes specific skills: managing port labels, working with boolean settings, and restoring file contexts. These topics are now more explicitly testable.

Must-know commands: semanage port, semanage fcontext, restorecon, getsebool, setsebool, and understanding SELinux contexts.

6. Shell Scripting Expectations Rise

RHCSA 9 had minimal scripting requirements. RHCSA 10 expects you to process command output within scripts, use loops (for and while), and implement conditional logic. If you've been avoiding bash scripting, now's the time to embrace it.

7. Performance Tuning Gets Attention

Managing tuned profiles and adjusting process scheduling with nice and renice are now more prominent. You'll need to understand how to optimize system performance for different workloads.

What Hasn't Changed

Not everything is new. Core topics like LVM storage management, user administration, file permissions, and NFS mounting remain fundamentally the same. If you've studied RHCSA 9 material, you're not starting from scratch you're building on a solid foundation.

The Complete Exam Blueprint

The RHCSA 10 exam (code EX200) is organized into ten major skill areas. Here's what you'll be tested on:

• Essential Tools: You'll work with shell commands, redirection, pipelines, grep, regular expressions, SSH, file operations, permissions, compression tools, and system documentation.
• Software Management: Both RPM and Flatpak repository configuration, plus installing and removing packages from both systems.
• Shell Scripting: Writing scripts with conditional execution, loops, argument processing, and command output handling.
• Running Systems: Boot operations, systemd targets, process management, scheduling priorities, tuned profiles, logging, journal management, and secure file transfers.
• Storage: Creating GPT partitions, managing LVM (physical volumes, volume groups, logical volumes), UUID-based mounting, and adding storage non-destructively.
• File Systems: Working with VFAT, ext4, and XFS file systems, NFS mounting, autofs configuration, extending logical volumes, and fixing permission issues.
• System Deployment: Scheduling with cron, at, and systemd timers, managing services, bootloader modifications, and system updates.
• Networking: IPv4 and IPv6 configuration, hostname resolution, service auto-start, firewalld management, and network access restrictions.
• Users and Groups: Creating and managing users and groups, password aging policies, and privilege management.
• Security: Firewall management, default permissions, SSH key authentication, SELinux modes, context management, port labels, and boolean settings.

A Realistic Four-Week Study Plan

If you're starting from a reasonable Linux background, four weeks of focused study should prepare you. Here's how to structure your time. For interactive hands-on practice, check out LinuxCert.Guru's RHCSA labs which provide auto-graded exercises covering all exam objectives.

• Week One focuses on survival skills master the shell, understand redirection, get comfortable with grep and regex, nail down permissions and links, learn compression tools, and practice both RPM and Flatpak management. Set up SSH key authentication and work with basic networking.
• Week Two is all about storage. Create GPT partitions, build complete LVM stacks from physical volumes through volume groups to logical volumes, work with ext4, XFS, and VFAT file systems, practice UUID-based mounting, and configure both NFS and autofs.
• Week Three shifts to services and security. Master systemd services and timers, create firewalld rules with precision, work extensively with SELinux including booleans and port labels, and understand logging and journal management.
• Week Four brings everything together. Practice GRUB2 modifications, work with boot targets, write practical shell scripts, troubleshoot network issues, and most importantly, run complete mock exams that simulate the real testing environment.

Hands-On Practice: The Non-Negotiable Skills

Theory only gets you so far. You need to be able to perform these tasks quickly and accurately. At LinuxCert.Guru, our browser-based labs let you practice these exact scenarios without any software installation:

Can you redirect both stdout and stderr correctly? Use regex patterns with grep? Set up SSH key-based authentication? Create GPT partitions and build complete LVM stacks? Resize logical volumes without data loss? Mount file systems using UUIDs? Configure autofs for network shares? Can you configure IP addresses manually? Create specific firewall rules? Configure SELinux port labels and booleans? Generate and deploy SSH keys? Create systemd timer and service unit pairs? Write bash scripts with loops and conditionals? Interrupt the boot process for troubleshooting? Modify GRUB kernel options?

If any of these makes you hesitate, that's your study focus.

Practice Scenarios to Master

Work through these realistic scenarios:

• Create a 500MB logical volume named data_lv, format it as XFS, mount it at /data, and ensure persistence across reboots.
• Write a script that loops through /var/log and displays only filenames larger than 10MB.
• Create a systemd timer that executes /usr/local/bin/cleanup.sh daily at 01:00.
• Configure Apache to listen on port 8080 by modifying SELinux port labels.
• Add the Flathub repository and install a Flatpak application.
• Set the default boot target to multi-user mode and regenerate the GRUB configuration.

Conclusion

RHCSA 10 represents a meaningful step forward for Red Hat certification. The additions: Flatpak, systemd timers, enhanced SELinux coverage, deeper bootloader work, and expanded scripting make this exam more relevant to modern enterprise Linux administration than ever before. The exam remains performance-based, typically lasting about 3 hours. You'll work in a real RHEL 10 environment, completing practical tasks. There's no guessing, no multiple choice, just you and the command line. If you're coming from RHCSA 9, the good news is that your foundational knowledge is still valid. You're adding new skills, not replacing everything you know. If you're new to RHCSA, this is actually a great time to start, you'll learn the modern tools and approaches from day one.

Red Hat has clearly done their homework with this update. The new topics aren't arbitrary, they reflect genuine shifts in how enterprise Linux systems are managed in 2025. Whether you're pursuing RHCSA for career advancement, DoD 8570 compliance, or simply to validate your skills, this certification continues to be worth the effort.

Ready to Start Your RHCSA 10 Journey?

At LinuxCert.Guru, we provide:

• Browser-based labs covering all RHCSA objectives
• Auto-graded exercises that simulate real exam conditions
• Mock exams to test your readiness
• 24/7 access to practice environments
• Downloadable study materials for offline learning

Start with our free RHCSA labs and experience hands-on learning that actually prepares you for the exam. No software installation required, just open your browser and start practicing. Now go spin up a lab environment and start practicing. Your future sysadmin self will thank you.