Linux Foundation Certified IT Associate (LFCA) – Complete Study Guide 2025

The LFCA exam validates entry‑level proficiency in Linux, cloud, security, DevOps and basic sysadmin tasks. It is a 90‑minute, proctored, multiple‑choice test that covers six weighted domains.

Exam at a Glance

• Format: 60 multiple‑choice questions
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Price: US $250, one free retake
• Delivery: remote‑proctored, PSI platform
• Experience Level: Beginner / first IT certification
• Prerequisites: None

Study Plan by Domain (Weight %)

1. Linux Fundamentals (20 %)

• Basic shell navigation, quoting, wildcards, pipes & redirects
• File permissions, ownership, chmod/chown
• Process management (ps, top, kill)
• Essential networking commands (ip, ss, ping)

2. System Administration Fundamentals (20 %)

• User & group management (useradd, passwd, sudo)
• Package management (APT, YUM/DNF, Snap)
• Systemd basics: units, targets, systemctl
• Troubleshooting boot, storage & networking issues

3. Cloud Computing Fundamentals (20 %)

• Public vs. private cloud, IaaS/PaaS/SaaS, CAPEX vs OPEX
• Serverless concepts, FaaS lifecycle, example with AWS Lambda
• Basic cost‑optimisation & high‑availability patterns
• Hands‑on with localstack & docker‑compose

4. Security Fundamentals (16 %)

• Principles: CIA triad, least privilege, zero trust
• Filesystem ACLs, umask, simple iptables/nftables rules
• SSH hardening, key‑based auth, fail2ban basics
• Data‑at‑rest vs in‑transit encryption (LUKS, TLS)

5. DevOps Fundamentals (16 %)

• DevOps culture & CALMS model
• Git essentials: branching, rebasing, pull‑requests
• Containers: Docker images, registries, basic docker run
• CI/CD anatomy: pipelines, artefact storage, blue‑green deploys

6. Supporting Applications & Developers (8 %)

• SDLC stages, issue‑tracking & Kanban boards
• Basic software architecture patterns (monolith vs micro‑services)
• Open‑source licensing (GPL, MIT, Apache 2)
• Reading a Dockerfile & package.json

Mock‑Lab Environment Scripts

Spin up a generic Ubuntu 22.04 VM (2 vCPU, 4 GiB RAM) and download the master script below. Each function provisions tasks aligned to a domain; feel free to run them individually or all at once.

usage: Download setup_lfca_labs.sh from https://github.com/LINUXexpert-org/lfca-lab then sudo bash setup_lfca_labs.sh

Additional Resources & Exam‑Day Tips

• Work through the Fundamentals of Open Source IT & Cloud Computing (LFS200) course first.
• Use tldr pages for quick command refreshers (sudo apt install tldr).
• On exam day, flag tough questions and return later—there is no penalty for review.
• Keep a running “cheat sheet” of man‑page sections (e.g., man 5 crontab).
• Remember: questions can mix domains—read carefully for context clues.

Happy studying, and good luck on your LFCA journey!