Guys, any advices about LPIC-1 studies? Any good books, video courses in mind? The point is I had had a book for LPIC-1 prep (from that Brazilian guy) and after a month of studies failed my practice test with aprox. 50% I was doing my studies like 2 hours every day after work and this is the point i came to. Sad. Maybe this is because I am 35 and my memory isn’t good enough or so. I don’t know why but fell like really upset. Looks like LPIC is all about pure theory, and all you need to do is just memorize all this commands and parameters and filenames and dirs. Thus I will never pass it, because my brain doesn’t work this way. Meanwhile i am not a completely beginner in Linux world. I’ve accomplished several project including configuring, testing and putting into production environment a web-server, mail-server and a RAS on Guacamole. I was very comfortable using a completely different types of books in my Linux studies. Those are oriented towards practice and real-life scenarios, and it was funny and interesting to go through. Now i feel desperate. Should i consider LFCSA as the exam is pure practice-based and contain no theory at all? Please help.
I think you should go for Linux+ in place of LPIC-1, assuming that still gives you LPIC-1. Last I checked (which was a while ago) obtaining the Linux+ cert also gives you LPIC-1, so if that’s still true, there’s almost no reason to specifically go after LPIC-1. Either way, the questions are essentially the same in both.
I think you can get LPIC-1. I have intense ADHD which adversely impacts my ability to learn and retain knowledge. It takes me much longer to learn something than a neurotical person would. I took the Linux+ exams (essentially the same as LPIC-1) many years back and passed it, though even with my experience I found it surprisingly difficult.
My suggestion is to use no fewer than three study resources to pass it, at least one of which can be a practice exam. Some practice exams are not so great, and are a bad example. I used Transcender back then, but again, that was a long time ago so I’m not necessarily recommending Transcender (if it even still exists, I haven’t looked). A really good practice exam is always going to be much harder than the real thing. They do that on purpose. If you can pass the practice exam with 90% or more each time, you’re generally ready for the test. Again, assuming it’s a good practice exam. I haven’t looked into them in over a decade.
But as long as you have at least three study resources, some combination of a book, video series, and practice exam (maybe more) and you’ll be in good shape. Don’t get discouraged.
I’m hoping to do a tutorial series on the channel about LPIC-1. Don’t wait for me to do it though, because I don’t have an ETA yet. I’m hoping to do this some time after I finish the tutorial series on Docker, Kubernetes, and Google Cloud. That might put us into Summer. But if for some reason you still haven’t taken it by then, that could be something that could be useful.
Keep studying every day. Don’t get discouraged. You CAN do it. You WILL do it. Don’t rush, take your time, and enjoy the learning along the way!
Thanks a lot Jay for replying! Truly appreciated your opinion. AFAIK CompTIA and and LPI broke up last year so LPIC-1 and Linux+ are no longer the same exam and they don’t come up as a bundle. I was thinking about LPI because you can either upgrade LPIC-1 to the higher level (2,3) or pick LPIC DevOps certification. To me certs are of critical importance because i don’t have a degree in IT (i am a mechanical engineer) and i am in my mid 30s. Now i do a support analyst job for a financial company mostly working with Windows (desktop and server) environment, VoIP and basic networking. After couple months of dealing with Linux in production environment i fell in love with it. I came across some books and video-courses from complete beginning to mid-level difficulty and i thought like it shouldn’t be too hard to get myself prepared to at least 101 exam. Probably i’ve overestimated myself. Now feeling such confused. Seems like in order to pass the exam i have to do a lot of reading and memorizing drill just to remember which parameter in the GRUB config file is responsible for a user-prompt waiting time and where the file is located. Maybe I’m just using wrong sources although the book i have is the most updated one. Or i have no clue how to organize my self-study process. Some people say that the LFCSA exam is more like RHCSA, meaning no theory at all, just practice. If anybody knows please advice. Best regards.
LPI has released its own free study material for LPIC-1.
You can find it at this link: https://learning.lpi.org/en/learning-materials/learning-materials/
I went fast through it a month ago, and it looks like it covers all exam objectives in an adequate manner.
I don’t know if its enough to pass the exam, but it certainly will give you a lot if your make proper study.
I don’t think you’re overestimating yourself, maybe underestimating the test. Being a “101” exam doesn’t imply being easy, but that doesn’t matter. Just keep studying. I would probably recommend 3 months of study per certification, which means that the average person could target 4 certs per year. I think that’s a reasonable time-frame, but that implies a certain amount of study time on a regular basis. With a day-job (and possibly other responsibilities) that may or may not fluctuate.
Don’t worry so much about it, I sense a bit of frustration in what you’ve wrote. The most important thing is to enjoy it and have fun. If you’re too focused on how long it takes to get it done, then either you’re putting the cart before the horse, or you’re not enjoying the process (or both).
Take your time, immerse yourself in the subject matter, and have fun with it. The rest will automatically come. And you’ll naturally reach the point where it’s time to take the test, you can’t hurry it along. Just study every day, avoid thinking about test anxiety, and eventually you’ll reach a point where you finish each practice test with 90% accuracy every time. Give it two more weeks additional study time even after that, then you’re ready. 
Thanks Konstantinos! I think i will be using this guide as a primary source. Thanks a lot again!
Many many thanks! Unfortunately you don’t write cert guides, i 'm pretty sure with your experience and knowledge you could be very successful in it. I think i should step back and start doing my studies from the very beginning with a new set of sources and proper learning process’s organization.
Feel free to share specific things you’re confused about, so when I do create an LPIC series I can try to help others avoid the same confusion.
Hello Eugene,
Check the NDG Linux 1 and Linux 2 courses on Cisco Netacad. There are study sections, labs and practice exams.
LPIC exams cover generic infos with an emphasis on knowing the command options and such things as configuring services that most Linux admins don’t do any longer such as mail services. The reason LPI tests some arcane topics is that its premise is that a Linux professional will be able to be competent on any distro working with any facet of Linux, including topics that are now considered obsolete.
If you study and prepare for an LPIC exam with the notion that you will be asked only questions that 90 % of real-world Linux admins use daily, then you will not be prepared for the exam.
There are also the Wiley Sybex LPIC-1 and Practice exam texts.
Finally, there are LPIC-1 practice exams on Udemy.
Wish you the best.
Thanks a lot! Best of luck in upcoming 2021!