Self-study resources
The links on this page lead to documentation and tutorials about topics relevant to Canonical Academy.
Although they do not constitute an exhaustive list of the subjects covered by the exams, they provide a good starting point for your studies. You can use them to familiarise yourself with key concepts or to refresh your existing knowledge.
Exam Tips:
- This is a timed exam of mixed performance-based, scenario-based, and multiple choice questions.
- Performance based questions are hands-on exercises that are a significant portion of your score. Do them first. Every successful step is counted, and partial credit matters.
- Attention to detail is a part of the exam. You will need to read through supplemental information to identify the key points of the exercise, just as you will in real life.
- Short answer questions, like traditional multiple choice questions, are the smallest value. Scenario questions require you to look something up on the system and then answer a multiple choice question, and are worth more than simple multiple choice, but still less than the hands-on questions.
- Review all exam items and identify the ones easiest for you to complete. Prioritize the hands-on exercises.
- Use the “Flag for review” options to go back to difficult questions if you have time. You may change your answers at any time prior to completing the exam.
- You may use man pages and official Ubuntu documentation from within the exam environment. You may not open additional tabs or windows on your client-side computer.
- Use a clean laptop without additional proxies or firewalls, and complete the system check-in before your exam time. Any system problems introduced by not following these directions will be the responsibility of the candidate.
Study Tips:
Prioritize learning the process of completing an action over memorizing commands. The exam allows the use of man pages and the documentation from within the exam environment.
General Resources
There are a number of instructional resources available, both community- and Canonical-made, that contain a wealth of useful information. The following links lead to Canonical’s official educational resources.
Using Linux Terminal Resources
The following resources may assist you with preparing for the Using Linux Terminal exam, but are not intended to be an exhaustive resource. Use the exam content to guide your personal exploration of these topics.
Navigating Files and Filesystems 34%
- Navigate and manipulate directories and files using terminal commands
- Search, compare and modify files in the terminal using regular expressions, pipe operators and redirection
- Linux command line for beginners: Ubuntu Tutorials
- Using the terminal, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Grep, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Finding Files, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Find basics, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Checking Your Partitions via Command Line, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Machine-readable debian/copyright file, Debian.org
- Related man pages: diff
Managing System Resources 33%
- Locate system logs and configure log rotation
- Reconstruct disk partitions and filesystems using tools such as fdisk, fsck and parted
- Identify correct crontab format and location
- Interpret system logs during troubleshooting
- Viewing and monitoring log files, Ubuntu Tutorials
- Installing A New Hard Drive, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Automatically Mount Partitions, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Fstab, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Rename USB Drive, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Cron How to, Ubuntu Community Help Wiki
- Related man pages: logrotate, modprobe, rmmod
Securing Filesystem Access 33%
- Create and manage SSH keys
- Configure system-wide and user-specific security settings
- Configure password complexity and expiry rules
- Interpret sudo configuration policies and their security implications
- Manage user and group accounts, access and membership
- Manage directory and file ownership and access
Using Ubuntu Desktop Resources
The following resources may assist you with preparing for the Using Ubuntu Desktop exam, but are not intended to be an exhaustive resource. Use the exam content to guide your personal exploration of these topics.
Configuring Networking Capabilities 25%
- Configure a network connection
- Characterize and differentiate layer 2 networking principles such as MAC addresses, ARP resolution, and broadcast/multicast behavior
- Configuring networks - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Networking, web & email
- What is a MAC address?
- Glossary - Ubuntu Server documentation
Engaging with the Open Source Community 10%
- Recognize LTS concepts such as release cycle and versioning conventions
- Familiarization with the Ubuntu community and its governance
- Interpret common open-source licenses to determine usage rights, modification permissions, and distribution requirements [NOTE: This item is currently on Using Linux Terminal but is moving to the Using Desktop exam in the 2026 edition.]
Installing Ubuntu Desktop 10%
- Fix boot issues involving components such as GRUB2 and Initramfs
- Upgrade Ubuntu LTS releases
- Create a bootable USB drive for Ubuntu
- Install proprietary drivers for GPU and Wi-Fi devices
- Create and manage LVM volumes, filesystems and snapshots
- How to upgrade your Ubuntu release - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Create a startup disk
- Install Ubuntu Desktop
- Wireless network troubleshooter
- NVIDIA drivers installation - Ubuntu Server documentation
- About Logical Volume Management (LVM) - Ubuntu Server documentation
- How to manage logical volumes - Ubuntu Server documentation
Managing Applications 28%
- List and upgrade installed packages
- Distinguish and transition between deb and snap applications
- Contrast deb packages vs snaps
- Install packages from multiple sources
- Find and interpret package descriptions
- Manage package updates using utilities such as apt-get, unattended upgrades, Synaptic and Aptitude
- Install additional applications
- Managing software - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Managing your software - Ubuntu Server documentation
- About Release Cycles
- A technical comparison between snaps and debs | Snapcraft
- Install and manage packages - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Managing your software - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Snap documentation
Securing Desktop Systems 22%
- Describe and contrast PKI components, their roles and use-cases involving Desktop systems
- Connect to an Active Directory realm
- Assign permissions to directories using ACL attributes
Using Ubuntu Server Resources
The following resources may assist you with preparing for the Using Ubuntu Server exam, but are not intended to be an exhaustive resource. Use the exam content to guide your personal exploration of these topics.
Configuring Servers and Services 23%
- Control server services via systemd
- Configure automated remote backups and restore using systemd timers or cron
- Setup a fileserver using NFS or Samba protocols
- Setup a basic web application using Apache or Nginx with a database such as MySQL, PostgreSQL or MongoDB.
- Changing package files - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Archive rotation shell script - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Samba - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Network File System (NFS) - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Web services - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Install and configure a MySQL server - Ubuntu Server documentation
- Related man pages: systemd
Deploying Ubuntu Server 27%
- Install Ubuntu Server using various deployment technologies such as PXE boot, autoinstall and cloud-init
- Validate that a system is capable of meeting use case needs based on a list of deployment requirements.
- Boot into single user mode
Securing Server Access 24%
- Configure remote SSH access
- Contrast employment of regular and system users
- Install and configure a firewall using iptables or ufw
Managing Processes 26%
- Identify and manage system processes and services
- Identify and list running, disabled, and inactive systemd units
- Related man pages: systemd.timer (5)
Additional Documentation
The Server documentation covers a wide array of relevant topics. They are worth reading in their entirety, but the following sections may prove especially useful: