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Red Hat · DevOps & Automation · Professional

Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator exam guide

Exam EX280 (OpenShift Container Platform 4.22)

The Red Hat Certified OpenShift Administrator (exam EX280) validates managing OpenShift Container Platform clusters: declarative resource management, deploying applications, authentication and authorization, network security, developer self-service, operators and application security. It is the core Red Hat Kubernetes platform credential.

QuestionsSee official page
Time limit180 minutes
Passing scoreSee official page
Exam feeSee official page
Valid for3 years
DeliveryRed Hat remote exam (online) or authorized testing center

Format: Performance-based hands-on tasks on a live cluster; product documentation provided. Fee note: Price varies by country; check Red Hat.

Who it's for

Platform and Kubernetes administrators who run OpenShift clusters.

What the exam covers

Manage OpenShift Container Platform—
Declarative resource management—
Deploy applications—
Manage authentication and authorization—
Configure network security—
Enable developer self-service—
Manage OpenShift operators—
Configure application security—

A dash means the vendor does not publish a weight for that domain.

Eligibility & prerequisites

Required: None formally. Red Hat recommends DO180 and DO280 (or equivalent experience) and strongly recommends RHCSA.

Recommended: Hands-on OpenShift administration and container experience.

Keeping it active

Red Hat certifications are considered current for 3 years. Stay current by passing the same exam again or earning another eligible Red Hat certification (for example a higher-level or Specialist exam) before expiry.

Skills & careers

Skills it validates

  • Using oc and the web console to manage cluster resources
  • Deploying apps from images, templates and Helm/Kustomize
  • Configuring identity providers, RBAC and groups
  • NetworkPolicies, routes and TLS
  • Quotas, limit ranges and project templates
  • Installing and managing Operators
  • Security context constraints and secrets

Job roles

OpenShift AdministratorPlatform EngineerKubernetes AdministratorDevOps EngineerSite Reliability Engineer

Where it fits in your path

Planning a degree too? See how this cert earns college credit in the College Credit Navigator.

Build my study plan

  1. Week 1: Review EX280 objectives; get access to an OpenShift 4.x lab (OpenShift Local or Developer Sandbox)
  2. Week 2: Projects, deployments, routes, declarative manifests with Kustomize
  3. Week 3: Identity providers (HTPasswd), RBAC, groups and service accounts
  4. Week 4: NetworkPolicies, TLS routes, SCCs, secrets
  5. Week 5: Quotas, project templates, Operators; full timed practice

Make it yours: pick your exam date and weekly hours. We'll split your time by domain weight and give you a printable plan.

Exam-day tips

  • Product docs are provided - practice navigating them quickly
  • Use oc explain and --dry-run=client -o yaml to build manifests fast
  • Verify each task (oc get, curl the route) before moving on
  • Know how to configure an HTPasswd identity provider from memory

Key terms for this exam

All 20 terms Study with thinQcards™

Commonly confused on this exam

Frequently asked questions

What OpenShift version is EX280 on?

Red Hat's exam page lists OpenShift Container Platform 4.22.

How long is EX280?

3 hours.

EX280 vs CKA?

CKA covers upstream Kubernetes; EX280 covers OpenShift-specific features like routes, SCCs, Operators and OAuth. Many platform engineers take both.

Is RHCSA required?

Not required, but strongly recommended by Red Hat.

Does it count toward RHCA?

Yes, EX280 is a required exam in the OpenShift track.

Official page: www.redhat.com. Reviewed November 2026. Vendors change fees and objectives, so confirm with the vendor before you book. Spot something out of date? Tell us.