Validate your expertise with Red Hat Certifications

April 22, 2026•
Resource type: Datasheet

Overview

Technical excellence is best proven through action. Designed to align with Red Hat technologies and modern domains like AI, certifying with Red Hat ensures earners validate their industry expertise through every certification they attain.

Navigating your Red Hat Certification journey

The chart in Figure 1 displays the complete Red Hat® Certification program. The tiered, 5-level model allows learners to build certifications step-by-step using foundational credentials as building blocks to earn higher-level designations, such as Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA®).

chart displaying the complete Red Hat® Certification program including tiered, 5-level model which allows learners to build certifications step-by-step

Figure 1. Red Hat Certification building block journey

Find your certification path

Plot a certification journey based on your technology specialization and current role. Use the 2 steps below to identify your appropriate starting point and understand the prerequisites needed to reach advanced levels.

Step 1: Select a technology specialization

Identify the product, platform, or technology domain that best matches your daily workload:

Table 1. Certification technology specialization 

Specialization

What it covers

Enterprise Linux

System administration, security, performance tuning, and storage management on Red Hat Enterprise Linux®.

Ansible automation

Automating infrastructure, building playbooks, and managing Red Hat Ansible® Automation Platform.

OpenShift

Deploying, managing, and scaling containerized workloads with Kubernetes and Red Hat OpenShift®.

Cloud-native applications

Building, deploying, and managing distributed applications in hybrid cloud environments.

AI

Deploying and managing AI/ML workloads on Red Hat platforms.

Step 2: Map your progress

Review the tiers below to understand how Red Hat certifications build on one another. While your daily responsibilities might align with an advanced tier, achieving the highest credentials requires completing certain foundational prerequisites.

Table 2. Red Hat Certification levels

Role level

Daily focus

Description

Red Hat Certified Technologist

Entry-level support

Optional starting point for those new to the technology

  • Red Hat Certified System Administrator
  • Red Hat Certified Developer

Day-to-day operations

  • Core server management, security, and storage (administrator)
  • Building and deploying containerized applications (developer)
  • Red Hat Certified  Advanced System Administrator
  • Red Hat Certified Advanced Developer

Automation and scale

  • Multisystem environments and automation (advanced system administrator)
  • Distributed applications and hybrid cloud integration (advanced developer)

Red Hat Certified Engineer

Advanced operational abilities 

  • Earned after completing the system administrator or developer certification

and 

Advanced administrator or developer credentials in the same specialization. 

  • No separate exam required

Red Hat Certified Specialist

Deep focus area

  • Expert knowledge in a specific technology (e.g., security, clustering, storage)
  • Earn alongside any track

Red Hat Certified Architect

Multidimensional expertise

  • Earned when you hold an engineer credential plus 3 specialist certifications in a single concentration.
  • No separate exam required

With this new alignment, Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE®) and Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) designations can now be earned for each of these specializations. This change allows Red Hat Certified Professionals (RHCPs) to validate in various product areas and more clearly share their specific expertise.

How to keep your certifications current

Certification validity

All Red Hat certifications are current for 3 years from the date earned. A Red Hat Certification renewal must be completed before the expiration date. Expired Red Hat Certifications cannot be renewed. The certification must be earned again from the starting point.

Renewal options

With a Red Hat certification, the more you earn, the greater the reward becomes. Completing a higher-level renewal restores all your lower-level certifications.

Renewal path

What gets renewed?

Recertify your highest credential

Renews all certifications at or below that level for another 3 years.

Earn a certification at the same level

Renews all certifications at the same level or below.

Earn a higher-level certification

Renews all certifications below the new level.

Retake the original exam

Renews that specific certification for another 3 years.

Explore which pathway to take

Whether you are starting your journey or have earned various levels of certification, discover more about Red Hat’s rewarding certification program. 

Visit Red Hat Certification

Tags:Professional development