The vendor-neutral Linux certification — validates Linux administration skills for sysadmins and DevOps engineers.
Exam cost
$338 USD
Duration
90 minutes
Passing score
720 / 900
Valid for
3 years
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Key facts for the CompTIA Linux+ exam.
Exam cost
$338 USD / ~£275
Duration
90 minutes
Question count
Maximum 90 questions
Passing score
720 / 900
Validity
3 years
Delivered by
Pearson VUE
Online proctored
Yes — available
Retake policy
No wait after first attempt; 14 days after second failure
Question formats
CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-005) validates the skills required to administer Linux systems — system configuration, scripting, security hardening, storage management, and troubleshooting. It is vendor-neutral, covering concepts applicable to any Linux distribution (Red Hat, Ubuntu, Debian, SUSE). It is also DoD 8570 approved.
Official prerequisite
None
Recommended experience
CompTIA A+ or Network+ and 12 months of Linux administration experience
12 months of Linux administration. Should be comfortable with the command line, file system structure, and basic scripting.
Should you skip this exam?
If you are targeting Red Hat specifically, RHCSA (Red Hat Certified System Administrator) is more valued in Red Hat enterprise environments. Linux+ is better for vendor-neutral environments and DoD 8570 compliance.
Courseiva study tip
Linux+ XK0-005 added scripting (Bash, Python) and automation heavily. The PBQ questions often require writing or debugging a shell script in a terminal. Practise on a real Linux system (VirtualBox + Ubuntu or CentOS) — not just reading man pages.
UK salary range
£40,000–£65,000
US salary range
$65,000–$100,000
Job roles that cite XK0-005
What certification to take next
$338 USD.
720 out of 900.
RHCSA is more valued in enterprise environments that run Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). Linux+ is vendor-neutral and better for environments running mixed distributions, and for DoD 8570 compliance. Both require hands-on lab skills.
Yes — 3 years, with renewal through CompTIA CE.
Yes. Linux+ is approved for IAT Level II under DoD 8570 / 8140.
See how XK0-005 stacks up against related certifications.
Courseiva provides free CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-005) practice questions with original exam-style questions, detailed explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics. Courseiva is an independent platform and is not affiliated with CompTIA.