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Study guide · Exam overview
Linux Essentials and LPIC-1: two LPI steps
How the Linux Professional Institute entry exams are built, what each topic is worth, and how to move from a desktop user to the LPIC-1 administrator exams.
Exam version notice: This overview was checked against LPI’s public pages on October 9, 2026. Linux Essentials on the certificate page is still version 1.6, exam code 010-160. Version 2.0 objectives are published; the beta ended on September 15, 2026, and LPI scheduled the public release for mid-October 2026. After a new version ships, the previous version stays available for six months. These notes follow the published version 2.0 topics 011–015. LPIC-1 is version 5.0, exams 101-500 and 102-500. Items tagged Extra are useful context the objective list does not require. Confirm the code, fee, and language with LPI before you register. The fee is set by the test center and is not one global price.
What Linux Essentials and LPIC-1 cover
Linux Essentials is an introductory certificate for someone who can use a Linux desktop or a managed system: open source ideas, major applications, the command line, simple scripts, and basic users and permissions. LPIC-1 is the first professional certification. It checks whether you can install Linux, manage packages, control the boot process, work with filesystems, schedule jobs, configure a client network, and apply basic host security. You must pass both LPIC-1 exams. Linux Essentials is not required first, and it does not expire. LPIC-1 lasts five years.
Who it is for
- Students and career changers starting with Linux Essentials
- Junior administrators preparing for LPIC-1
- People who already use the terminal and need the exam map
What this path is not
- Not LPIC-2, LPIC-3, CompTIA Linux+, or RHCSA
- Not a substitute for the official objective PDFs
- Not a shell simulator; type commands on a real system
Command practice that is not organized as an LPI exam is on the Linux CLI Fundamentals path. Use that for everyday flags, and use this path when the goal is the LPI certificates.
Exam format
Figures come from LPI’s certificate pages and FAQ, reviewed in October 2026.
| Item | Linux Essentials | LPIC-1 |
|---|---|---|
| Current published version | 1.6 is still listed as the live exam. Version 2.0 is the published next objective set. | 5.0 |
| Exam codes | 010-160 for version 1.6. Confirm the version 2.0 code when you book. | 101-500 and 102-500. Both are required. |
| Length | 40 questions, 60 minutes | 60 questions, 90 minutes, on each exam |
| Question style | Multiple choice | Multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank |
| Score | 200–800, passing score 500 | 200–800, passing score 500, on each exam |
| Prerequisite | None | None. Linux Essentials is not required. |
| Validity | Lifetime | 5 years, unless retaken or a higher LPI certification is earned |
How 500 works: LPI does not publish a raw-percentage cutoff. A harder form can require fewer correct answers to reach 500 than an easier form. Objective weight still tells you how many questions to expect: one question per weight point, and each of these exams totals 60 weight points except Linux Essentials, which totals 40.
Linux Essentials topic weights
Version 2.0 topics 011–015. Total weight 40, matching the 40-question exam.
- 011 The Linux operating system and open source7
- 012 Command line basics9
- 013 Data processing9
- 014 System administration basics8
- 015 Security and file permissions7
| Objective | What to be able to do | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 011.1 Distributions | Name Debian, Enterprise Linux, SUSE, and Alpine families, and tell kernel space from user space. Version 1.6 called this Linux evolution and popular operating systems. | 2 |
| 011.2 Open source applications | Match desktop, server, and web applications to the job they do. You are not asked to install them. | 2 |
| 011.3 Licensing | Separate copyleft (GPL) from permissive (BSD), and know Creative Commons, the FSF, and the OSI. | 1 |
| 011.4 Linux usage | Know where Linux runs, including VMs and cloud instances, and the basics of passwords, MFA, and encrypted transfers. | 2 |
| 012.1 Command line | Use bash, variables, quoting, echo, history, type, and PATH. | 3 |
| 012.2 Documentation | Use man, -h, --help, and /usr/share/doc/. | 2 |
| 012.3 Files and paths | Use pwd, cd, ls, absolute and relative paths, ~, hidden names, and find. | 2 |
| 012.4 File management | Create, copy, move, and remove files, including simple globs. Linux file names are case sensitive. | 2 |
| 013.1 Archives | Create and extract tar and zip archives, and compress with gzip, bzip2, and xz. | 2 |
| 013.2 Redirection | Use pipes, > and <, and filters such as grep -E, cut, sort, uniq, and wc. | 3 |
| 013.3 Shell scripts | Write a shebang, test file existence and equality, and loop over a list or a glob. This is the heaviest Essentials objective. | 4 |
| 014.1 Installation | Know ISO installs, virtual machines, cloud images, dual boot, and Windows Subsystem for Linux. | 1 |
| 014.2 Hardware | Name major parts, device files under /dev, and /dev/null, /dev/zero, and /dev/urandom. | 2 |
| 014.3 Processes and logs | Use ps, top, free, systemctl, journalctl, and dmesg. | 3 |
| 014.4 Networking | Read addresses with ip, name resolution in /etc/resolv.conf, and test with ping and host. | 2 |
| 015.1 Remote access | Use ssh, scp, ssh-keygen, sudo, and su. | 2 |
| 015.2 Users and groups | Read /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, and /etc/group, and use useradd and passwd. | 2 |
| 015.3 Permissions | Read ls -l and change mode and owner with chmod and chown. | 2 |
| 015.4 Special files | Use /tmp, the sticky bit, and ln -s. | 1 |
LPIC-1 exam 101-500
Version 5.0. Topics 101–104. Total weight 60.
- 101 System architecture8
- 102 Installation and packages12
- 103 GNU and Unix commands26
- 104 Devices and filesystems14
Topic 103 is almost half the exam. Spend the most time on the shell, text filters, file management, pipes, and processes. The heaviest single objectives on 101 are weight 4: working on the command line, basic file management, streams and pipes, and process control. Topic 104.4 was removed in version 5.0 and is not tested. Upstart appears only as awareness next to SysVinit and systemd.
LPIC-1 exam 102-500
Version 5.0. Topics 105–110. Total weight 60. Pass 101 and 102 to earn LPIC-1.
- 105 Shells and shell scripting8
- 106 Interfaces and desktops4
- 107 Administrative tasks12
- 108 Essential system services12
- 109 Networking fundamentals14
- 110 Security10
Objective 107.1, user and group accounts, is weight 5, the highest single weight on either LPIC-1 exam. Networking topic 109 is the largest topic on exam 102, at weight 14. Shell startup files and simple scripts are weight 4 each. Wayland is awareness inside the X11 objective, not a separate exam.
How the questions are asked
Linux Essentials items are multiple choice. LPIC-1 adds fill-in-the-blank items that expect a command, a path, a signal name, or a short option. There is no published negative marking. On a timed exam, leave nothing blank.
- Single answer. One option is correct. Read the stem for “best,” “first,” or a specific distribution family.
- Fill in the blank. The real 101 and 102 exams use these. Practice by typing the command from memory, then check
man. This site’s practice engine uses choice, matching, and ordering instead of a blank box. - Performance-style practice. Matching a file to its job, or ordering a boot sequence, is how this site drills the same facts. The real exam does not use drag-and-drop labs.
How to plan the two certificates
Essentials first is optional and usually faster. LPIC-1 assumes you can already live on the command line.
Finish Essentials by weight
Start with scripts (weight 4), then the command line, redirection, and processes. Licensing and installation are weight 1: learn them, and do not let them crowd out the shell.
Make exam 101 a command exam
Topic 103 is weight 26. Drill pipes, find, tar, signals, and vi until you can do them without notes. Then add GRUB, packages, and filesystems.
Treat exam 102 as administration
Users, cron, logs, time, and client networking are the core. Desktops are only weight 4. Do not skip OpenSSH and GnuPG, which are weight 4 together with the rest of topic 110.
Recall, then time yourself
Use the flashcards for files and commands. Then take a timed practice set at the real length: 40 questions for Essentials, 60 for each LPIC exam.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Linux Essentials before LPIC-1?
No. LPI lists no prerequisite for either certificate. Linux Essentials is a useful first exam, and LPIC-1 is the professional certification that requires both 101-500 and 102-500.
Which Linux Essentials version should I study?
As of October 9, 2026, the public Linux Essentials page still lists version 1.6, exam code 010-160. Version 2.0 objectives are published, the beta ended on September 15, 2026, and LPI scheduled the public release for mid-October 2026. These notes follow version 2.0. Confirm the exam code before you book, because the previous version stays available for six months after a new release.
What is the passing score?
Each LPI exam is scored from 200 to 800. The passing score is 500. The number of correct answers required can change with the question mix, so 500 is not a fixed percentage.
How long are the certificates valid?
Linux Essentials is valid for life. LPIC-1 is valid for five years unless you retake it or earn a higher LPI certification.
Are the practice scores official?
No. Practice scores are unofficial. The 200–800 figure is a linear estimate for comparing your own attempts. LPI does not publish the conversion, and a practice result does not predict the exam.
Continue the LPI study path
The overview, core notes, flashcards, and practice exams are all published.
Overview
Exam format, the 500 passing score, topic weights, and a study plan.
Core Notes
Reference notes for the shell, packages, boot, filesystems, users, logs, networking, and SSH.
Flashcards & Memory Notes
40 recall cards in four decks, plus memory notes for permissions, boot, cron, and SSH.
Practice Exams
200 original questions with custom exams, explanations, and an unofficial 200–800 score.
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Legal Disclaimer
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