Red Hat Certified System Administrator in OpenShift (EX280)
Red Hat Certified System Administrator in OpenShift is the current name of the Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator credential — Red Hat renamed it on 11 May 2026 without changing the exam. You earn it by passing EX280, a 3-hour hands-on exam on a live OpenShift cluster. Red Hat certifications stay valid for three years; Red Hat does not state a price or passing score on the exam page.
- Certification
- Red Hat Certified System Administrator in OpenShift (formerly Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator)Red Hat Training & Certification FAQ, checked 10 October 2026
- Exam
- EX280Red Hat EX280 exam page, checked 10 October 2026
- Status
- Active; renamed 11 May 2026, exam content unchangedRed Hat Training & Certification FAQ, checked 10 October 2026
- Format
- Hands-on, practical tasks on a live system; product documentation providedRed Hat EX280 exam page, checked 10 October 2026
- Duration
- 3 hoursRed Hat EX280 exam page, checked 10 October 2026
- Exam cost
- Not published on the EX280 exam pageRed Hat EX280 exam page, checked 10 October 2026
- Passing score
- Not published by Red Hat on the EX280 exam pageRed Hat EX280 exam page, checked 10 October 2026
- Prerequisites
- None required; RHCSA strongly recommendedRed Hat EX280 exam page, checked 10 October 2026
- Validity
- 3 yearsRed Hat Training & Certification FAQ, checked 10 October 2026
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Why you can trust these EX280 questions
What is the Red Hat Certified System Administrator in OpenShift?
It is Red Hat’s administrator-level credential for OpenShift Container Platform. Red Hat describes a holder as someone who has demonstrated the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to create, configure and manage a cloud application platform: running the cluster, deploying applications, handling users and permissions, network security, operators and application security.
The credential is earned with one exam, EX280. Red Hat states that passing it also counts towards the Red Hat Certified Architect in OpenShift, and it is the stated prerequisite for the next step up, the Red Hat Certified Engineer in OpenShift, which is earned with exam EX380.
Source: Red Hat — Red Hat Certified System Administrator in OpenShift. Checked 10 October 2026.
Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator: the old name
If you are searching for the Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator, this is the same credential. On 11 May 2026 Red Hat reorganised its certifications into a five-level path — Technologist, Administrator/Developer, Engineer, Specialist (electives) and Architect — and its renaming table maps “Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator” to “Red Hat Certified System Administrator in OpenShift”.
Red Hat is explicit that for renamed exams only the names are changing: the exam SKUs, content, descriptions and difficulty remain exactly the same. Study material written for the OpenShift Administrator exam therefore still targets the same EX280.
Older still is the title Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Administration (EX280). Red Hat’s own former web address for the exam carries that name and today opens the current EX280 page, titled Red Hat Certified System Administrator in OpenShift exam. Three names, one exam code.
Source: Red Hat — Training & Certification FAQ. Checked 10 October 2026.
EX280 exam format: a hands-on test
EX280 is a hands-on, practical exam. There are no multiple-choice questions to pick from: you perform real administration tasks on a live OpenShift system, and the tasks are graded on whether the result works. Red Hat also requires that configurations and services persist and keep working across the normal lifecycle of the platform without manual intervention.
The time limit is 3 hours. Relevant product documentation is provided during the test, but you must complete the tasks without outside assistance — so knowing where things are in the OpenShift documentation is part of the skill being tested.
On the platform version, the exam page currently names two: it says the exam is based on OpenShift Container Platform 4.22 and, in another place, that the tasks are based on 4.18. Red Hat points candidates to their own exam objectives in the learning platform, so check which version applies to your booking.
Red Hat’s FAQ states that nearly any Red Hat exam can be taken from home or office through remote exam delivery.
Source: Red Hat — EX280 exam page. Checked 10 October 2026.
EX280 exam cost and passing score
The EX280 exam page does not state a price, and neither does Red Hat’s Training & Certification FAQ. The binding figure appears when you buy the exam. Red Hat’s training policies add that all individual exam purchases are final and fees are non-refundable.
Red Hat also does not publish a passing score for EX280. Results are emailed from Red Hat Certification Central, usually within 3 U.S. business days, and Red Hat states it does not report performance on individual items or provide additional information on request.
One cost detail Red Hat does publish: candidates who fail their first individual exam attempt are eligible for a free exam retake.
Source: Red Hat — EX280 exam page. Checked 10 October 2026.
EX280 exam objectives
Red Hat publishes the EX280 objectives on the exam page; it does not publish a weighting for them. The list is long and practical. Grouped the way the page groups them, it covers:
- Manage OpenShift Container Platform — web console and CLI, projects, container images, resource queries, cluster status, events, alerts, logs, troubleshooting
- Declarative resource management — YAML manifests, Kustomize and overlays, secrets and configuration maps
- Deploy applications — templates and Helm charts, replica sets, labels and selectors, services, external access
- Manage authentication and authorization — HTPasswd identity provider, users, groups, permissions
- Configure network security — routes, ingress, TLS, network policies, non-HTTP/SNI applications, load balancer services
- Enable developer self-service — cluster and project quotas, limit ranges, project templates
- Manage OpenShift operators — install, uninstall and delete operators
- Configure application security — service accounts, security context constraints, access to Kubernetes APIs, jobs and cron jobs
Source: Red Hat — EX280 exam page. Checked 10 October 2026.
EX280 prerequisites and recommended preparation
There is no mandatory prerequisite. Red Hat states that the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) is strongly recommended but not required, and recommends experience with container technology.
For training, the exam page lists Red Hat System Administration I (RH124) or comparable experience, Red Hat OpenShift Administration I (DO180) and Red Hat OpenShift Administration II (DO280), each or comparable work experience with OpenShift Container Platform. The objectives also say to be prepared to perform all tasks of a Red Hat Certified Technologist in OpenShift — the level below in the new framework.
Source: Red Hat — EX280 exam page. Checked 10 October 2026.
How long is the certification valid?
Red Hat certifications remain valid for three years. Red Hat’s FAQ says renewal is now more flexible under the new framework: retake the exam for your highest-level certification, expand by earning another certification at the same level, or advance by earning a higher-level certification — each renews the certifications below it.
In the OpenShift track, the advance route is the Red Hat Certified Engineer in OpenShift, which requires this credential first and is earned with EX380.
Source: Red Hat — Training & Certification FAQ. Checked 10 October 2026.
EX280 vs RHCSA and the OpenShift engineer level
RHCSA (EX200) is the Linux system administrator credential; this one is its OpenShift counterpart at the same administrator level. Red Hat recommends RHCSA before EX280 but does not require it — the two test different platforms, Linux hosts versus a Kubernetes-based cluster.
Above EX280 sits the Red Hat Certified Engineer in OpenShift. Its exam, EX380 (Red Hat Certified Advanced System Administrator in OpenShift), emphasises automation skills, and Red Hat lists the System Administrator in OpenShift credential as its prerequisite.
Source: Red Hat — Red Hat Certified Engineer in OpenShift. Checked 10 October 2026.
EX280 dumps and the confidentiality agreement
EX280 dumps do not fit the way this exam works. The exam is a set of tasks on a live cluster, graded on whether your configuration works and persists — memorised answers cannot type commands for you.
They also break Red Hat’s rules. Individual exams are subject to the Red Hat Exam Privacy and Confidentiality Agreement, which you accept before you start, and Red Hat’s policies name nullification of exam results and revocation of pass status and certification as consequences of not complying with its exam security terms.
The reliable preparation is hands-on: a practice cluster, the published objectives and the OpenShift product documentation you will have during the exam.
Source: Red Hat — Training Policies. Checked 10 October 2026.
EX280 practice questions
Because EX280 is performance-based, knowledge questions are a supplement to hands-on work, not a replacement. Certsqill’s EX280 practice questions come with an explanation for every option and a readiness score per objective area, so you see which parts of the cluster to practise next.
EX280 questions people ask
Is Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator the same as System Administrator in OpenShift?
Yes. Red Hat renamed it on 11 May 2026; the exam, EX280, and its content stayed the same. Source: Red Hat FAQ, checked 10 October 2026.
What was the Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Administration?
An earlier name for the EX280 credential. Red Hat’s old exam address with that name now opens the current EX280 page. Checked 10 October 2026.
How long is the EX280 exam?
3 hours. Source: Red Hat EX280 exam page, checked 10 October 2026.
Is EX280 multiple choice?
No. It is a hands-on, practical exam on a live system, with product documentation available. Source: Red Hat EX280 exam page, checked 10 October 2026.
How much does the EX280 exam cost?
Red Hat does not state a price on the EX280 page; it is shown when you buy. Fees are non-refundable. Checked 10 October 2026.
What is the EX280 passing score?
Red Hat does not publish one on the EX280 page. Results arrive by email, usually within 3 U.S. business days. Checked 10 October 2026.
Do I need RHCSA before EX280?
No. Red Hat strongly recommends RHCSA but does not require it. Source: Red Hat EX280 exam page, checked 10 October 2026.
What is the salary for a Red Hat Certified System Administrator in OpenShift?
Red Hat publishes no salary figures for this certification on the pages we checked, so we do not quote any. Checked 10 October 2026.
How long is the certification valid?
Three years. Source: Red Hat Training & Certification FAQ, checked 10 October 2026.
