What the LPI Linux Essentials 010-160 is and who it is for
Linux Essentials is the Linux Professional Institute’s entry level credential for students and professionals who are starting out with Linux. It validates foundational knowledge of the open source world, working on the Linux command line, using the Linux desktop, basic scripting and security fundamentals. The current version is 1.6, and the exam code is 010-160.
It is a single exam with no prerequisites, and it has no expiry date: once you are certified, you hold the credential permanently. LPI positions it as the recommended starting point before LPIC-1 and the rest of the LPIC certification ladder, and LPIC-1, LPIC-2 and LPIC-3 all build on what it covers.
It is for you if you are new to Linux and want a structured first target, if you are a student who needs a recognised credential to show alongside your coursework, or if you plan to work towards LPIC-1 and want to confirm your foundations before you commit to a professional level certification.
LPI Linux Essentials 010-160 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam code | 010-160 |
| Questions | 40 |
| Time allowed | 60 minutes |
| Exam fee | US$120 per attempt |
| Languages | English, French, German, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish |
| Where you sit it | Pearson VUE testing centres and online proctored |
| Certification valid for | No expiry date, held permanently |
What is on the exam
LPI does not publish percentages. It publishes topic weights, and on this exam the weights add up to 40 and map onto the 40 questions. A weight of 9 therefore means roughly 9 questions. There are five topics, and the two command line topics carry the highest weights.
The Linux community and a career in open source (weight 7). How Linux developed and what the major distributions are, the main open source applications, how open source licences differ, and the everyday ICT skills of working on a Linux system, from the desktop to the command line.
Finding your way on a Linux system (weight 9). Command line basics: how the shell reads what you type, quoting, variables, getting help from man pages and info, moving around directories, listing files, and creating, copying, moving and deleting files and directories, including with wildcards.
The power of the command line (weight 9). Archiving and compressing files, searching and extracting data from files with pipes, redirection and pattern matching, and turning a sequence of commands into a simple shell script. Expect questions that show you a command and ask what it produces.
The Linux operating system (weight 8). Choosing an operating system, understanding the hardware inside a computer, where Linux stores its data, programs, configuration and logs, and the basics of your computer on a network, such as addresses, name resolution and the commands that show network settings.
Security and file permissions (weight 7). The different types of user account, including root and system accounts, creating users and groups, reading and changing file permissions and ownership, and special directories and files such as temporary directories and links.
Why people fail it
Linux Essentials is an entry level exam, and that is exactly why people underestimate it. Candidates who have read about Linux but rarely typed commands go in expecting definitions and meet scenario based questions instead: a user needs to do something, which command or option does it? If you rely on theory alone and have never seen how LPI frames its questions, you can know the material and still underperform.
The second problem is detail. Many questions turn on a single option or the exact output of a command, and the difference between two plausible answers is often one flag. Reading about tar, grep or chmod is not the same as having used them enough to recognise the right form at a glance.
The third is pace. At 40 questions in 60 minutes, there is no room for questions that slow you down. If you work out every command from first principles, you will run short of time.
A study plan that fits the exam
Five weeks, following the weights: one week for each of the two biggest topics, one for the operating system topic, one shared by the two topics at weight 7, and a final week of timed practice. Do every week at a real Linux terminal, not just on paper.
- Week 1: finding your way on a Linux system. Shell basics, quoting, variables, help pages, directories and file management. Type every command you read about. At the end of the week, try the free Linux Essentials practice questions to see how LPI asks about this material.
- Week 2: the power of the command line. Archiving and compression, pipes, redirection, searching text and writing short scripts. Build a small script that uses a variable, a loop and redirection, and run it until it works.
- Week 3: the Linux operating system. Hardware, where data and logs live, processes, and basic network commands.
- Week 4: open source and security. Spend the first half on the community topic, licensing in particular, and the second half on users, groups, permissions and ownership. Work these topics in the 010-160 practice question pack and read each explanation, including why the wrong options are wrong.
- Week 5: timed runs. Use the questions only PDF for full sittings of 40 questions against a 60 minute clock, mark your results by topic, and spend the remaining days on whichever topic came out weakest.
On exam day
You sit the 010-160 at a Pearson VUE testing centre or online with a proctor. For online delivery, check the room, desk and webcam requirements in advance and run the system check on the computer you will use. For a centre, bring the identification your booking confirmation asks for and arrive early. Choose the exam language you read most comfortably when you book.
You have 60 minutes for 40 questions. Answer the ones you know straight away, flag the ones that need thought if the interface allows, and come back to them once you have secured the easy marks. Read each option carefully: on this exam, a single wrong flag or path is often what separates the correct answer from a distractor.
Frequently asked questions
Does Linux Essentials expire?
No. The credential has no expiry date, so once you pass, you hold it permanently.
Do I need Linux Essentials before LPIC-1?
It is the recommended starting point, not a formal requirement. If you already administer Linux systems, you may choose to go straight to LPIC-1. If you are newer to Linux, Linux Essentials gives you a smaller, cheaper target that covers the foundations LPIC-1 assumes.
What happens if I fail? Can I retake it?
You can retake it, but each attempt costs the exam fee again, currently US$120. LPI publishes its retake policy, including any waiting period between attempts, on its own website, so check it before you rebook. The practice pack is refunded if you fail, but the exam fee is not, so do your timed practice before the first attempt.
Is the practice question pack enough on its own?
No. It is 80 practice questions mapped to the 010-160 objectives, with an explanation for every answer and every wrong option. It is a practice tool: it shows you the question style, tests what you know and points at your gaps. It is not a course, and it will not replace time spent at a Linux terminal or a proper study guide. Use it alongside your learning, not instead of it.
When you are ready to practise, get the 80 question Linux Essentials pack for US$39, pass or your money back.