Entry-level exam for Linux trialled at Birmingham City University

Birmingham City University is trialling a new entry-level exam qualification in Linux in a bid to prepare students with the Linux skills they will increasingly need in the workplace.

The qualification was created in partnership with organisations from several countries, but led by the Linux Professional Institute (LPI) and supported by Birmingham City University's School of Computing, Telecommunications and Networks (CTN).

The university is now engaging in the pre-release testing phase of the Linux Essentials exam programme, which has been sat by students this summer.

LPI's Linux Essentials programme is an entry-level, international exam, intended to be a stepping stone to more advanced computer skills. The LPI certification programme certifies the competency of IT professionals to a minimum standard in Linux.

Students at the university sat a trial version of the Linux Essentials exam as part of the development process, ahead of the programme rollout to the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa this summer.

"Last year, as part of a visit to Birmingham City University, LPI announced that the exam was in the development stage and invited us to take part in that process. Since then we have submitted exam questions and taken part in several aspects of exam development and evaluation, including the world's first trial sitting of the exam with Birmingham City University students," said CTN lecturer and LPI Academy lead Stephen Murphy.