Is the EX188 Worth It?
The Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers (EX188) certification shows you know your way around enterprise container technology. It's an exam that tests your ability to create, deploy, and manage containers using Red Hat's container tools, including Podman, Buildah, and Skopeo.
Containers are a standard way to package and deploy applications these days, which makes this cert a solid choice for IT professionals. If you work with Linux systems or are looking to move into DevOps, this cert could help you on your career journey.
What is the Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers (EX188)?
The Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers (EX188) tests your containerization skills in a Red Hat Enterprise Linux environment. This is not a multiple-choice style exam. You’ll simulate real tasks on a live system during a three-hour practical exam.
The focus is on Red Hat's container stack instead of Docker. Depending on what systems you want to work on, this could be a good or bad thing. The good news is that Red Hat built these tools with improvements in mind, but kept familiar ways of working with containers.
Red Hat certs are valuable because they are hands-on. This means that you know how to work on actual systems, which is something that employers love. The results of the exam reflect your actual knowledge of working with containerization technologies. You’ll have to deploy containers correctly, set up storage configuration, and even build and manage custom images. You can't fake your way through this kind of assessment, which is what makes the certification an excellent addition to your quiver.
What Does the EX188 Test?
Because you’ll be working with Podman, Buildah, and Skopeo, you’ll need to nail down these skills:
Create and run containers with Podman
Build custom images with Buildah
Work with registries using Skopeo
Set up networking between containers
Manage persistent storage
Use container security best practices
Orchestrate multi-container applications
Each question that you have to do in the exam is a simulation of a real-world task that you'd come across in production environments. There are no theory questions to trip you up, just practical container operations that will prove that you know what you're doing.
How Much Does the EX188 Exam Cost?
The EX188 exam costs $400, and each attempt costs the full fee, so you really have to prepare yourself properly before you sit the exam. Although it is in the mid-range for IT certification costs, it is still better to be ready before you attempt it.
Red Hat certifications have a 3-year ‘currency period’. After that, your certification becomes non-current, but doesn't completely lose its value. To maintain your current status, you'll need to recertify or earn more certs.
Prepare yourself with:
Self-study with Red Hat's documentation
Online training like the Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers course
Practice with home labs for hands-on experience
If you're already familiar with containers, self-study can definitely work. If you are new to containers, or you don’t have as much hands-on experience with them, then online training can save you time and give you a better chance of passing the first try.
What Experience Do You Need for the EX188?
There are no prerequisites needed for you to register for the EX188, but without practical experience, you will struggle. This isn't an exam you can cram for overnight.
At minimum, you should have:
Solid Linux command line skills
Proper understanding of container concepts
Hands-on time with Podman or Docker
Knowledge of container registries
Networking and storage fundamentals
Red Hat recommends 6-12 months of container experience before attempting this exam. To be successful, you really need a lot of hands-on practice. A good tip is to set up a lab environment and work through every exam objective until you can finish tasks without looking at the documentation.
Time management is another thing to think about. You have three hours to complete all of the tasks in the exam, so you need to work through problems quickly without getting stuck.
EX188 for DevOps Engineers
DevOps engineers need to know everything about containers and related tools for CI/CD pipelines and application deployments. The EX188 certification validates your skills in working with container technologies that align with DevOps scenarios.
The skills that this exam tests are valuable for organizations that use Red Hat Enterprise Linux or OpenShift, Red Hat's enterprise container platform.
EX188 for Cloud Engineers
Cloud engineers have to understand containers because every major cloud platform supports some form of container deployment. With the EX188 certification, you show that you are familiar with the container technologies that underpin a lot of cloud apps.
You'll prove that you know how to deploy containerized applications across environments using networking skills and managing storage for apps.
The things that you’ll learn in this exam will apply to more than one cloud platform, which makes your skills valuable across different cloud provider environments.
Is the Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers (EX188) Worth It?
It all depends on your career goals and where your skill level is at the moment. There are two ways to think about how this cert can help you.
Using EX188 to Learn Skills
If you're new to container technologies, studying for the EX188 gives you a solid learning path. The objectives in this exam cover everything from basics to advanced topics like networking and security.
It forces you to develop practical skills, and just memorizing facts will not help in this kind of exam. You'll need to actually perform tasks with container tools to pass.
Container skills are valuable no matter which certification you get them from. IT systems are relying on containers more and more, so understanding how they work will open doors in DevOps, cloud systems, and app deployment.
Using EX188 to Validate Skills
If you already work with containers, the EX188 certification validates your skills. This helps with:
Applying for jobs that need you to have container experience
Getting a promotion at your current job
Working as a consultant where verifiable certifications are a requirement
Getting this certification also shows that you want to grow and adapt to new technologies like containers, which looks great on your resume.
Conclusion
The EX188 cert is worth it if you work with container technologies in Linux environments, especially using Red Hat products. It gives you a learning path and validation for container skills at the same time.
The practical skills that you need for this exam arguably make it more valuable than knowledge-based certifications because they show you can complete tasks in the real world, not just parrot back facts.
At $400, it's not a trivial investment, but it can pay off with better job opportunities and increased earning potential. If staying current is a must, then remember to recertify every three years to maintain your current status.
Want to learn more about container technologies? The Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers (EX188) course gives you hands-on practice with the exact skills you'll need for the exam.
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