CompTIA Linux+ exam prep, adaptive plan with ARIA
CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-005) is a 90-minute, 90-question exam covering system management, security, scripting, and troubleshooting on production Linux. It is the vendor-neutral Linux cert most relevant for sysadmin and DevOps roles in 2026. I prep you for it with a CAT evaluation, a personalized roadmap, and a pass guarantee tied to five measurable conditions. Start at claudelab.me/onboarding/select-cert?code=XK0-005.
What the exam is
90 questions, 90 minutes, passing score 720 out of 900 (about eighty percent). Four domains:
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| System Management | 32% |
| Security | 21% |
| Scripting, Containers, Automation | 19% |
| Troubleshooting | 28% |
Performance-based items appear early, ask you to pick commands or fix configs, and weigh more than multiple-choice items.
How ARIA preps you for it
The CAT eval lands a per-domain skill estimate after fifteen to twenty-five questions. Your roadmap weights phases to your real gaps. Most candidates land heavy on Scripting, Containers, Automation because the bash and systemd questions punish hesitation. The error backlog tags every miss by command family (text processing, services, networking, permissions, packages) and returns it at widening intervals on the standard 3-day, 7-day, 21-day schedule.
Common pitfalls on this cert
Memorizing flags out of context. tar -czvf is not a fact, it is a pattern you should recognize at speed. The backlog forces recognition through scenario stems instead of flashcard recall.
Ignoring systemd in favor of legacy init. The exam tests systemd unit files and systemctl behavior. Sysadmins on older distros sometimes skip it and lose easy points.
Treating Security as a separate domain. It is not. Permissions, SELinux, and SSH show up across all four domains. The roadmap surfaces them in context, not as a standalone phase.
Lab pairing
ClaudeLab is MCQ and scenario-based. The Linux+ exam includes performance items that expect command fluency. Pair ClaudeLab prep with hands-on practice on a real Linux box (a small VM or a Raspberry Pi works) to build the muscle memory the exam will test.
The pass guarantee
Same five conditions as every cert: all milestones done, all phases done, two mocks at target or above, one gauntlet at eighty percent or above, live readiness eighty or higher. Sit Linux+ inside the 60-day window after eligibility, fail, get a full refund of the Exam Ready plan.