How Long to Study for LPIC-1? [3-Month Study Plan]
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Compare LPIC-1 exam 101-500 and 102-500: topic breakdown, difficulty, overlap, and whether you should take them together or separately.
Master LPIC-1 102-500: shell scripting, user management, networking fundamentals, system security, and administrative tasks with detailed command examples.
The LPIC-1 certification requires passing two exams: 101-500 (System Administrator 1) and 102-500 (System Administrator 2). If you're wondering how long this takes and how to structure your study time, you're not alone — it's the most common question aspiring LPIC candidates ask.
Short answer: Most people need 8–12 weeks of consistent study (8–10 hours per week) to pass both exams. With no Linux experience, budget 12–16 weeks.
This guide breaks down exactly what affects your timeline and gives you a week-by-week study plan that works.
| Factor | Time Impact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Existing Linux experience | ±4 weeks | Daily CLI use = faster; GUI-only background = slower |
| Study hours per week | ±3 weeks | 5 hrs/wk → 14 weeks; 15 hrs/wk → 7 weeks |
| Exam spacing | ±2 weeks | Taking both exams same day saves 2 weeks of separate revision |
| Lab environment setup | +1 week if not already comfortable with VMs | VirtualBox + any distro is all you need |
| Practice test frequency | ±2 weeks | Regular testing catches weak areas earlier |
| Background | Total Time | Per Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Daily Linux user (sysadmin, dev, power user) | 6–8 weeks | 3–4 weeks per exam |
| Occasional Linux user (can navigate CLI) | 8–12 weeks | 4–6 weeks per exam |
| No Linux experience (Windows/macOS background) | 12–16 weeks | 6–8 weeks per exam |
| Already have other Linux certs (CompTIA Linux+, RHCSA) | 4–6 weeks | 2–3 weeks per exam |
This plan assumes 10 hours per week (2 hours on weekdays, 5 hours on weekends) and an average Linux background. Adjust the pace up or down based on your experience.
| Week | Focus | Topics | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linux basics & lab setup | Install a distro (Ubuntu or Debian), terminal basics, filesystem hierarchy, man pages | 10 |
| 2 | Package management & hardware | dpkg/apt, RPM/yum, kernel modules, devices, filesystems, partitioning | 10 |
| 3 | Text processing & file management | grep, sed, awk, pipes, redirects, permissions (chmod/chown), ACLs, links | 10 |
| 4 | Review + practice tests | Full topic review, run practice exams for 101-500 (60 questions, 75 min), identify weak areas | 10 |
End of Month 1 goal: Score 80%+ on a timed 101-500 practice exam. If below 70%, spend another week on weak areas before moving on.
| Week | Focus | Topics | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Shells, scripting & data mgmt | Bash scripting fundamentals, variables, loops, SQL basics (sqlite), regex | 10 |
| 6 | Networking fundamentals | Interfaces, routing, DNS resolution (hosts, resolv.conf), network diagnostics (ping, ss, netstat, nmap basics) | 10 |
| 7 | System management & security | User/group administration, PAM, limits, log management (rsyslog, journald), cron, systemd timers | 10 |
| 8 | Review + practice tests | Full topic review, 102-500 practice exams (60 questions, 75 min), review weak areas | 10 |
End of Month 2 goal: Score 80%+ on a timed 102-500 practice exam.
| Week | Focus | Topics | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Cross-exam weak areas | Review practice exam results from both exams, focus on topics scoring below 70% | 10 |
| 10 | Full-length simulation 1 | Timed 101-500 (60 questions, 90 min) + 102-500 (60 questions, 90 min) back-to-back | 10 |
| 11 | Full-length simulation 2 | Same as week 10 — different question set. Goal: 85%+ on both | 10 |
| 12 | Final review & exam week | Quick topic refreshes, rest, schedule and take the real exams | 10 |
Total study hours: ~120 hours
| Resource | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| LPIC-1 Practice Exams | Interactive quizzes | Weak area targeting, exam simulation |
| LPIC-1 101-500 Deep Dive | Study guide | Exam 101-500 topics |
| LPIC-1 102-500 Deep Dive | Study guide | Exam 102-500 topics |
| LPIC-1 Command Cheatsheet | Quick reference | Daily command lookup |
Linux man pages (man <command>) | Reference | Detailed command documentation |
| Official LPI Learning Materials | Official guides | Comprehensive topic coverage |
Want proof you're ready? Try our timed LPIC-1 practice exams with adaptive questions that adjust to your skill level. Get instant feedback, domain-level analytics, and a clear picture of when you're ready to sit the real exam. Start practicing free →
Once you've earned LPIC-1, you have several paths forward:
| Path | Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| LPIC-2 | 3–4 months | Advanced system administration — kernels, networking, storage, security |
| LPIC-3 | 4–6 months per specialty | Mixed environments, security, virtualization/ha — highest level of LPI certification |
| DevOps TLCE | 2–3 months | Modern tooling: containers, CI/CD, IaC, monitoring — complements LPIC-1 |
Related: LPIC vs RHCSA vs CompTIA Linux+ — which cert path is right for your career.
Ready to put this knowledge to the test? The interactive LPI practice platform on courses.graphwiz.ai includes 400+ realistic questions covering LPIC-1, LPIC-2, LPIC-3, and DevOps Tools Engineer certifications — with study mode, timed exams, domain breakdowns, weak-area analysis, and spaced-repetition flashcards.
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