Certified-Openstack-Administrator-Study-Guide

Certified OpenStack Administrator Study Guide

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The Certified OpenStack Administrator certification was launched back in 2016. It was the first professional certification offered by the OpenStack Foundation back then. This certification intends to help the organizations and businesses identify top talents within the industry and help the job seekers showcase their skills and expertise.

The Certified OpenStack Administrator Exam (COA) is a collective output of efforts implemented by Mirantis and the OpenStack Foundation. As the COA exam is back in October 2019, the aspirants are coping with the preparation strategies. Hence, this article will act as a proper Certified OpenStack Administrator Study Guide for the aspirants.

Certified OpenStack Administrator Exam Details

Before you go ahead and get an idea of the Certified OpenStack Administrator Study Guide, it is important for you to know the details associated with it. The certifications of the OpenStack foundation demand the candidate for using combinations of Horizon UI and command line for demonstrating self-competencies across diverse domains. The entire exam will be carried out online and monitored by the proctors through webcam, remote screen viewing, and audio channels.

Therefore, these facilities allow the candidates to take on this Certified OpenStack Administrator Exam at their own comfort and convenience of location and time. Following that, the candidates need to provide photo identification proof before launching the exam. Check the official website to know about the different acceptable ID proofs. In case you fail to provide your ID proof to the proctor before the start of the exam, then the entry will be refused, and the candidate will not be eligible for rescheduling or refund.

The duration of the exam is 3 hours, and the scores are collected and delivered to the candidates within 7 to 10 working days. You cannot retake the exam, and it is offered only in the English language. Once you attain the certification, it will be valid only for 36 months. The cost of the COA exam is $400, and the exam is scheduled on the available dates by the candidates at the time of purchase.

By clearing the exam, the Certified OpenStack Administrators will possess the skills to carry out the OpenStack cloud’s common management and operation aspects. The candidates seeking the COA certification should understand the competent domains and competencies on priority.

This exam is completely based upon performance that will be reflecting the potential of OpenStack administrators who have at least six months of experience in the dedicated field. The topics that are important to cover for clearing the COA certification exam are as follows:

  • Identity Management- It has a weightage of 15% for the exam.
  • Compute- It has a weightage of 35% for the exam.
  • Object Storage- It has a weightage of 5% for the exam.
  • Block Storage- It has a weightage of 10% for the exam.
  • Networking- It has a weightage of 30% for the exam.
  • Image Management- It has a weightage of 5% for the exam.

All of these topics will educate you about the different skill sets that you will earn with your Certified OpenStack Administrator certificate. These skills are important for you to take on career opportunities that will come your way after you attain this certification. Learn more about what all of these topics have to offer you over the official website of OpenStack.

Study Guide for the Certified OpenStack Administrator Certification Exam

If you have made up your mind to pursue the OpenStack Administrator certification, then you need to adopt a proper Certified OpenStack Administrator Study Guide or preparation pattern to ensure that your efforts are channelized in the right direction. Here are the steps and implementations that you need to take for getting the COA certification. The steps include:

  1. Prepare for the Exam Objectives

There is no other first step than studying. If you wish to clear the exam on the first attempt, you need to study hard, even before you go ahead and register for the examination. Your studies and preparation for the examination should not begin only after registration but should commence right after you decide to opt for it. You need to go ahead and apply for the certification only when you feel ready to get it cleared. Believe it or not, but with ideal preparation, your Certified OpenStack Administrator journey will boom. Moreover, you can take a look at the official OpenStack documentation or take up online classes to understand the concepts.  

OpenStack Foundation, in collaboration with Mirantis, is the official training partner for the COA certification exam. It offers OpenStack classes for the aspirants to help them prepare proficiently for the COA examination. Not just that, but Mirantis is also partnering with the foundation for management and development of upgraded COA examination. The latest and updated COA examination is carried out upon OpenStack Rocky, which covers the core compute, imaging, networking, and storage services.

If you need some professional assistance, then you can always turn up to the online course offered by Whizlabs to get a high-end preparation that will improve your chances of clearing it with good grades.

  1. Register for the Exam

While you are moving onto the next step, the first one shouldn’t be stopped at all. You need to continue your studies until the time you appear and clear the COA certification exam. At the time, when you have gained some sort of confidence in your studies and knowledge about COA examination topics, you can move ahead to purchase your exam.

Click on ‘Get Started’ to go to the sign-in page for your COA exam. Once you are signed up with your basic credentials, you can go ahead and schedule the exam date and time before you proceed to checkout. It is better to schedule your exam with a few months of time in hand. It will give you a realistic goal to chase. Log onto the portal and redirect yourself to the proctor partner website for scheduling the dates. Make your payment at the checkout, and you will be registered for the exam. Now, all you have to do is continue with your preparation until the big exam day arrives.

  1. Gain Access to COA Portal

On successful placement of the order, you will be receiving mail with the access credentials for the COA portal. The portal will be your personal COA handle or website access. In this portal, you can download the exam receipt or track certification progress. This portal will keep track of the exam score and status. It also allows you to download certificates or badges that you can display on your website or business cards.

This portal is your personal management platform for everything that you do in association with the Certified OpenStack Administrator certification exam.

  1. Check the Hardware Compatibility

The COA exam is carried out online, and you will have to use your personal PC or laptop to appear in it. But, there are certain hardware requirements that you need to check on before the exam date. There is a compatibility checking tool over your COA portal that will run some associated tests over your system to help you with a report highlighting whether your laptop or PC meets the minimum COA requirements or not.

A basic requirement is that you need to use Chromium or Chrome browser of updated version and ensure streamlined internet connectivity. Along with that, you must have a good microphone and webcam as basic requirements.


  1. Take the Exam

Keep your identification card ready before the exam date. And, with utmost preparation and dedication, it is now time for you to showcase it all in the examination. There are certain restrictions for you to take this exam, like you should not be around any public place, work desks, game place, or others. Consider opting for a silent room such as an office or private room for taking the examination.

The exam proctor chat window will pop up to help you start with the examination easily. You will have to give permissions to your browser for accessing the microphone, webcam, and OS screen. Utilize your 3 hours and give your best shot for the exam.

Following these steps, you will find it easy to register and clear the Certified OpenStack Administrator certification. But, in case you need some more tips on how to increase your chances of getting it cleared, move onto the next section.

Tips to Improve Chances of Clearing COA Certification

Here are some of the tips for you to follow in order to improve your chances of getting this COA certification cleared in one go:

  1. Typing out the project, volume and username will consume a lot of time. Therefore, use some shortcut commands such as Ctrl+Insert for copying. Shift+Insert for pasting on the Windows OS during the COA exam. 
  2. Attempt all the questions, as it will increase your collective chances of clearing the examination. 
  3. Try to practice and solve the majority of the questions from Horizon UI, as it is faster as compared to solving them over Command-Line. 
  4. Discuss with the exam proctor any issues that you encounter within the exam environment. 

Whizlabs Certified OpenStack Administrator Online Course aims to help you master concepts like Swift, Nova, Glance, Keystone, Neutron, Cinder, Trove, Heat, Ceilometer, and others while ensuring that you clear the certification exam!

Bottom Line

This is a complete study guide for you to master the right mode of preparation to clear the examination. In case you think there is a need for more intense preparation, you can take up professional classes to ensure that the concepts and fundamentals are cleared.

Check out WHIZLABS BEST PERFORMING FREE TESTS today! How many have you tried from the list?

So, buckle up and add a proficient skillset to your name with Certified OpenStack Administrator certification. Sign-up for the exam now. We recommend you to enroll in the OpenStack Administrator practice tests to prepare well for the exam and achieve the credential in the first attempt. 

 

About Pavan Gumaste

Pavan Rao is a programmer / Developer by Profession and Cloud Computing Professional by choice with in-depth knowledge in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform. He helps the organisation figure out what to build, ensure successful delivery, and incorporate user learning to improve the strategy and product further.

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