XK0-005 · ● Retired · Associate · CompTIA
Retirement notice: XK0-005 retired January 13, 2026 (English); April 14, 2026 (Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish). Successor: CompTIA Linux+ XK0-006 (V8) — launched July 15, 2025, now active. This page documents XK0-005 for historical reference and career progression context.
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | USD $369 (retail; vouchers ~30% discount via Pearson VUE) |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Questions | Maximum 90 (multiple-choice + performance-based) |
| Passing | 720 / 900 scaled |
| Format | Multiple choice + performance-based labs |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE (on-site) or OnVUE (remote proctored) |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish |
| Valid | 3 years from passing |
| Renewal | Continuing Education (CE) credits or retake |
| Prerequisites | CompTIA A+ / Network+ / Security+ recommended; 12 months hands-on Linux experience |
| Released | June 2022 (superseding XK0-004 / V6) |
| Retiring | January 13, 2026 (English) |
Vendor source — CompTIA Linux+ V7 Archive ↗ Official exam guide — Exam Objectives (PDF) ↗ Exam objectives — XK0-005 Blueprint ↗
About
CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-005, V7) was a vendor-neutral, entry-to-intermediate Linux system administration certification covering system management, security, scripting, and troubleshooting. Launched June 2022, it replaced XK0-004 and served as the primary CompTIA OS-level credential for career progression from help desk to junior sysadmin roles until retirement in January 2026. As of May 1, 2026, candidates should pursue XK0-006 (V8) instead.
Domain context — Systems / OS
Foundational operating-system administration and configuration. Linux is the dominant platform for cloud infrastructure, containers, and servers globally.
Read full deep dive — Systems / OS Domain →
Topics covered
Domain 1: System Management (32%)
- Installation, initial configuration, kernel management
- Filesystem management (ext4, XFS, Btrfs, LVM, partitioning)
- File permissions, ownership, ACLs, setuid/setgid
- User and group management (useradd, usermod, sudoers)
- Package management (apt/apt-get, dnf/yum, zypper, pacman)
- Process management (systemd, systemctl, cron, at)
- System logging (rsyslog, journalctl, log rotation)
- Performance monitoring (vmstat, iostat, sar, top, ulimit)
Domain 2: Security (21%)
- SELinux and AppArmor (modes, contexts, profiles)
- Firewall implementation (iptables, nftables, firewalld, ufw)
- SSH configuration and key-based authentication
- TCP/IP basics and network tools (ss, netstat, dig, nslookup, traceroute)
- File integrity monitoring, encryption fundamentals
- Access control and privilege escalation (sudo, runlevels)
Domain 3: Scripting, Containers, and Automation (19%)
- Bash scripting (variables, conditionals, loops, functions, error handling)
- Text processing (grep, sed, awk, cut, sort, uniq)
- Regular expressions (POSIX BRE and ERE)
- Basic Git workflows (init, clone, add, commit, push, pull)
- Container basics (Docker concepts, docker pull/run, Dockerfile)
- Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible high-level familiarity)
Domain 4: Troubleshooting (28%)
- System performance analysis, bottleneck identification
- Log analysis and interpretation
- Filesystem troubleshooting (fsck, badblocks, df, du, inode issues)
- Boot process and GRUB2 troubleshooting, recovery
- Network troubleshooting (connectivity, routing, DNS, firewall)
- Service/daemon troubleshooting (systemd journal, unit dependencies)
- Hardware diagnostics, device driver issues
- Application troubleshooting (strace, ltrace, ldd)
Source: Official exam guide (PDF) ↗
Common skills at Systems / OS · Associate
Shared competencies at the Associate level in Systems / OS — not specific to this cert.
- Linux CLI proficiency and shell command literacy
- File system structure, permissions, and ownership (rwx, umask, setuid/setgid, ACLs)
- User and group management across distributions
- Package management concepts (apt, dnf/yum, dependency resolution)
- Systemd service management and unit file configuration
- Bash scripting fundamentals (variables, loops, conditionals, functions)
- Network configuration (static IP, DHCP, DNS, basic routing)
- Log file analysis (journalctl, rsyslog, grep/awk filtering)
- SSH hardening and key-based authentication
- Performance monitoring and basic bottleneck diagnosis
Recommended courses at Systems / OS · Associate
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Udemy (Jason Dion) | CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-005) Complete Course & Exam | $12–$119 | ↗ |
| Udemy (Sander van Vugt) | CompTIA Linux+ XK0-005 Training Course | $12–$99 | ↗ |
| Linux Foundation (edX) | Introduction to Linux (LFS101) | Free | ↗ |
| Pluralsight / A Cloud Guru | CompTIA Linux+ XK0-005 | $49–$299 | ↗ |
| CBT Nuggets | CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-005) | $499/year subscription | ↗ |
| KodeKloud | CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-005) Bootcamp | $49–$199 | ↗ |
| YouTube (Learn Linux TV) | CompTIA Linux+ Complete Course Playlist | Free | ↗ |
| YouTube (NetworkChuck) | Linux & Networking Playlist | Free | ↗ |
Course-selection note: XK0-005 is now retired; prioritize courses labeled for XK0-006 if actively studying. These XK0-005 courses remain useful for foundational Linux skills.
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| CompTIA CertMaster | CertMaster Learn + Practice | $85–$130 | ↗ |
| Udemy (Jason Dion) | CompTIA Linux+ Practice Exams (XK0-005) | $12–$50 | ↗ |
| MeasureUp | Official CompTIA Partner Practice Exams | $150 | ↗ |
| Whizlabs | CompTIA Linux+ Practice Tests | $40–$80 | ↗ |
| ExamTopics | Free + Premium Community Contributions | Free / $25 | ↗ |
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CompTIA Linux+ Certification Kit: Exam XK0-005 | Blum, Bresnahan, Suehring | Sybex | 2022 | 9781119880608 | ↗ |
| CompTIA Linux+ Study Guide: Exam XK0-005 | Bresnahan, Rothwell | Sybex | 2022 | 9781119880561 | ↗ |
| How Linux Works: What Every Superuser Should Know | Ward, Brian | No Starch Press | 2014 | 9781593275678 | ↗ |
| The Linux Command Line: A Complete Introduction | Shotts, William E. Jr. | No Starch Press | 2019 | 9781593279523 | ↗ |
| Linux Administration Handbook | Nemeth, Snyder, Hein, Whaley | Pearson | 2018 | 9780134277554 | ↗ |
| Bash Pocket Reference | Robbins, Arnold | O'Reilly | 2016 | 9781491941591 | ↗ |
Book rule: XK0-005 study guides (Sybex Blum/Bresnahan) are specific to this retired exam. Ward and Shotts remain essential Linux fundamentals regardless of exam version.
Typical job titles at Systems / OS · Associate
Junior Linux System Administrator · Linux Engineer · Systems Engineer · IT Operations Specialist (Linux Focus) · Junior DevOps Engineer · Junior Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) · Infrastructure Technician
(Job titles drawn from 2026 job-board postings listing CompTIA Linux+ as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $93,000–$136,000 (junior roles; varies by experience, location, second certs) | Glassdoor ↗ · ZipRecruiter ↗ · PayScale ↗ |
| GBP | £28,000–£38,000 (entry); £40,000–£55,000 (mid-career, 3–5 yrs) | Indeed UK ↗ · Stack Overflow UK ↗ |
| ZAR | R280,000–R420,000 (junior); R450,000–R650,000 (mid, 3–5 yrs) | CareerJunction SA ↗ · PayScale ZA ↗ · Pnet ↗ |
| AUD | A$70,000–A$120,000 (mid-career benchmarks) | Indeed AU ↗ |
Salary rule: CompTIA Linux+ salary premium strongest when combined with hands-on experience, second cert (RHCSA, Azure, AWS), scripting skills, and cloud platform exposure. Standalone entry-level roles range $93k–$136k USD; growth accelerates with additional credentials.
Skills validated
Cert-specific skills this exam validated.
- Linux system installation, configuration, and kernel management
- Filesystem management (ext4, XFS, Btrfs, LVM, RAID concepts)
- User/group provisioning and privilege management via sudoers
- Package management across distributions (apt, dnf/yum, zypper, pacman)
- Systemd service and daemon management
- Process monitoring and tuning (CPU, memory, I/O bottlenecks)
- Bash scripting (conditionals, loops, functions, error handling)
- Text processing (grep, sed, awk, cut, sort, uniq)
- SELinux and AppArmor basics
- Firewall configuration (iptables, nftables, firewalld, ufw)
- SSH hardening and key-based authentication
- Network troubleshooting (ss, netstat, traceroute, DNS/DHCP)
- Log analysis and system debugging (journalctl, rsyslog)
- Boot recovery, GRUB2, filesystem troubleshooting
- Container fundamentals (Docker pull/run, Dockerfile concepts)
- Hands-on problem-solving under time pressure
Related certifications
- Predecessor: CompTIA Linux+ XK0-004 (V6, retired Jan 2023)
- Successor: CompTIA Linux+ XK0-006 (V8) ↗ — launched July 15, 2025, current
- Stacks with: CompTIA A+ ↗ · CompTIA Network+ ↗ · CompTIA Security+ ↗
- Prerequisite for: Red Hat RHCSA (EX200) ↗ · Linux Foundation LFCS ↗ · Kubernetes CKA ↗
- Equivalents at this level: LPI LPIC-1 ↗ · Red Hat RHCSA (EX200) ↗
- Vendor overview: CompTIA ↗
Career progression context:
Help Desk / IT Support (CompTIA A+)
↓
CompTIA Linux+ XK0-005 ← retired Jan 2026 (now pursue XK0-006)
↓
Junior Linux System Administrator (1–2 years, hands-on)
↓
Linux System Administrator / Systems Engineer (3–5 years, +second cert)
↓
Senior Systems Engineer / DevOps Engineer / SRE / Team Lead
Sources
- CompTIA official: Linux+ V7 Archive ↗ · Exam objectives PDF ↗ · Continuing Education ↗
- Pearson VUE: Exam delivery & scheduling ↗ · OnVUE remote proctoring ↗
- Retirement announcement: CompTIA XK0-005 Retirement (Jan 13, 2026) ↗
- Training & practice: Jason Dion Udemy ↗ · CertMaster ↗ · Linux Foundation LFS101 (edX) ↗ · TryHackMe ↗
- Books: Blum, Bresnahan, Suehring. CompTIA Linux+ Certification Kit: Exam XK0-005. Sybex, 2022. ISBN 9781119880608. · Ward, Brian. How Linux Works (2nd ed.). No Starch Press, 2014. ISBN 9781593275678.
- Salary & market data: Glassdoor Junior Linux Admin ↗ · ZipRecruiter (2026) ↗ · PayScale ↗ · CareerJunction SA ↗
Last verified: May 1, 2026 Status: Retired (Jan 13, 2026). Candidates should pursue CompTIA Linux+ XK0-006 (V8) ↗ for active certification. Parent domain: Systems / OS Domain → Vendor overview: CompTIA →