CompTIA · 2026 Edition
A complete preparation guide written by CompTIA-certified engineers. Covers the exam format,all 4 blueprint domains, a week-by-week study plan, and proven tips for passing first time.
3–5 months
Prep time
Intermediate
Difficulty
90
Exam questions
720/1000
Pass mark
Exam code
XK0-005
Full name
CompTIA Linux+
Vendor
CompTIA
Duration
90 minutes
Questions
90 items
Passing score
720/1000 (scaled)
Domains covered
4 blueprint domains
Recommended experience
A+ and Network+ recommended; 12 months of Linux administration experience or equivalent self-study
Typical prep time
3–5 months
Linux+ is the only vendor-neutral Linux certification approved by the US DoD 8570 framework. It validates sysadmin skills across distributions and is increasingly relevant as cloud infrastructure runs predominantly on Linux.
Job roles this opens
Domain percentage weights are not currently available for this exam. The checklist below is still useful for planning your study.
Weeks 1–3
System Management: filesystem hierarchy, package management, storage, process management
Tip: Set up a home lab immediately — Linux+ is a hands-on exam. Run Ubuntu or CentOS/Rocky Linux in a VM and practise every command you study. Reading about chmod without typing it does not build the muscle memory the exam requires.
Weeks 4–6
Security: file permissions, SELinux/AppArmor, SSH hardening, firewalld/iptables
Tip: SELinux contexts and booleans appear regularly on Linux+. Know how to use getenforce, setenforce, chcon, restorecon, and getsebool. Also know the difference between enforcing, permissive, and disabled modes.
Weeks 7–9
Scripting and Automation: Bash scripting, version control (Git), container basics (Docker)
Tip: Bash scripting is tested at an intermediate level. Know variables, if/then/else, for loops, while loops, functions, and how to make a script executable (chmod +x). Questions give a script snippet and ask what it outputs or what is wrong with it.
Weeks 10–13
Troubleshooting: boot process, log analysis, hardware issues, network diagnostics
Tip: Troubleshooting carries 28% of XK0-005 — it is the heaviest domain. Know the systemd boot sequence, journalctl usage, how to analyse /var/log/messages and /var/log/syslog, and how to recover a system from single-user mode.
File permissions are fundamental and tested throughout the exam: rwxrwxrwx maps to owner/group/other. Know octal notation (chmod 755 = rwxr-xr-x) without converting by hand.
systemd is the default init system on modern Linux distributions. Know systemctl commands: start, stop, enable, disable, status, daemon-reload. Know the difference between enabling a service (starts at boot) and starting a service (starts now).
Package management differs by distribution: apt/apt-get for Debian/Ubuntu, yum/dnf for RHEL/CentOS/Fedora. Know the equivalent commands for install, remove, update, search, and list installed packages on both systems.
The Linux+ exam includes performance-based questions with a simulated terminal environment. Practice in a real terminal — browser-based labs (TryHackMe, OverTheWire, Linux command line practice sites) are adequate if you do not have a VM available.
XK0-005 added container and automation objectives. Know Docker basics (run, ps, exec, stop, rm, images, pull) and Ansible concepts (inventory, playbook, module, idempotency) at a level sufficient to interpret simple examples.
Apply everything in this guide with adaptive practice questions, detailed answer explanations, and domain analytics.
Deep-dive explanations of the key topics tested on XK0-005 — with exam key points and common misconceptions.