702-100
Linux Professional Institute BSD Specialist
702-100 BSD Specialist Exam Guide: Objectives, Preparation, and Scheduling
The LPI 702-100 exam validates practical administration skills across FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD, including installation, software, storage, users, networking, processes, and command-line work. It is aimed at BSD system administrators and candidates building credible BSD administration knowledge. This guide helps you decide whether your experience is ready, which objectives deserve the most study time, how to practise across three BSD systems, and when to move from preparation to scheduling.
What does 702-100 validate?
702-100 is the BSD Specialist exam in LPI’s Open Technology certification program. It tests the practical knowledge needed to administer FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD systems rather than focusing on one vendor’s distribution. The certification profile includes installation, configuration, hardware, kernel parameters, system security, software, users, filesystems, processes, and client networking.
The typical certification holder is a BSD system administrator who understands BSD architecture and can manage user accounts and groups, processes, filesystems, installed software, and client networking configuration. The objectives also expect familiarity with standard BSD and Unix command-line tools.
LPI states that no prerequisite certification is required. However, it strongly recommends more than one year of experience administering BSD systems of various kinds. That recommendation matters when deciding whether to schedule immediately: someone with only Linux experience may understand Unix concepts but still need substantial practice with BSD-specific commands, files, startup files, package tools, and configuration differences.
Who should take this exam?
702-100 is most suitable for an administrator who already works with, or is deliberately moving toward, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD operations. Candidates should be comfortable learning from manuals and testing changes on a disposable system, not merely recalling general Unix terminology.
The exam can also suit an experienced Linux administrator who has built genuine BSD lab experience. Linux knowledge helps with shells, permissions, processes, networking, and filesystems, but it does not remove the need to study BSD implementation differences. Treat the three operating systems as separate administration targets where the objectives identify different commands or files.
A sensible readiness check is operational rather than calendar-based. Can you explain how you would install a BSD system, add and restrict a user, identify a failing network layer, inspect logs, manage packages, change a service at boot, and recover from a permissions or filesystem problem? If several answers depend on guessing which BSD uses which utility, continue lab work before booking.
What are the exam format and delivery options?
LPI describes 702-100 as a 90-minute exam containing 60 multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions. The official certification page lists English for both VUE test-center delivery and OnVUE online delivery, so candidates should confirm the current language and appointment details before purchase.
LPI’s getting-started process says candidates first create an LPI ID, then purchase an exam voucher and create a Pearson account before scheduling. Pearson VUE delivers the exam in person at a testing centre or online through OnVUE. LPI also notes that paper-based exams may be available at some open source conferences and events.
Pricing is country-specific. The LPI pricing page asks candidates to select their country or territory, so use that page rather than relying on an old third-party price. Availability, appointment choices, delivery requirements, and event offerings can change; verify them with LPI and Pearson VUE when you are ready to schedule.
LPI states that the BSD Specialist certification is valid for five years. After the exam, Pearson VUE provides a score report immediately following the exam, while LPI says it receives exam results within 24 hours and issues the certification if all requirements are met.
How are the objectives organized?
The official 702-100 objectives are organized into five domains: BSD Installation and Software Management, Storage Devices and BSD Filesystems, Basic BSD System Administration, Basic BSD Network Administration, and Basic Unix Skills. Each objective has a weight; LPI explains that higher weights indicate greater relative importance and are covered by more questions.
Topic 711, BSD Installation and Software Management, includes BSD operating system installation with weight 3, BSD software and package management with weight 4, system startup configuration with weight 3, hardware configuration with weight 2, and kernel parameters and system security level with weight 2. Package management is the highest-weight individual objective listed.
Topic 712, Storage Devices and BSD Filesystems, includes BSD partitioning and disk labels with weight 2, creating filesystems and maintaining integrity with weight 1, mounting and unmounting filesystems with weight 2, file permissions and ownership with weight 3, hard and symbolic links with weight 1, and finding files and BSD directory layout with weight 2.
Topic 713, Basic BSD System Administration, covers user accounts and groups with weight 3, scheduled administration tasks with weight 2, system time with weight 1, system logging with weight 2, mail transfer agent basics with weight 1, printing and print jobs with weight 1, and user sessions with weight 1.
Topic 714, Basic BSD Network Administration, covers Internet protocol fundamentals with weight 2, basic network configuration with weight 3, basic network troubleshooting with weight 3, and client-side DNS configuration with weight 2.
Topic 715, Basic Unix Skills, covers shell and command-line work with weight 2, basic file management with weight 3, process management with weight 3, simple regular expressions with weight 2, basic file editing with weight 2, and simple scripting with weight 2.
Use weights to allocate attention, not to ignore low-weight objectives. A weight 1 objective can still expose a knowledge gap, and the exam does not publish a pass guarantee based on studying only the highest weights. Build broad coverage first, then spend extra lab time on the weight 4 and weight 3 objectives.
Which BSD differences require deliberate practice?
The most important preparation decision is to practise the same administration task on FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD wherever the objectives distinguish them. The exam objectives list common tools alongside system-specific alternatives, so memorizing one operating system’s workflow is not enough.
For installation, the objectives identify bsdinstall for FreeBSD, sysinst for NetBSD, and bsd.rd for OpenBSD. For package management, they identify tools such as pkg on FreeBSD, pkg_admin and related commands on NetBSD, and pkg_add and related commands on OpenBSD. Practise identifying the platform first, then selecting the appropriate workflow.
Startup administration also varies. The objectives list service on FreeBSD and NetBSD and rcctl on OpenBSD, alongside common startup files and mechanisms. Networking has similar distinctions: interface configuration files, DHCP details, and hostname or gateway files differ between systems.
Create a comparison sheet with four columns: task, common concept, FreeBSD method, NetBSD method, and OpenBSD method. Record the command or file only after using it in a lab. Add a short note explaining what the command changes and how you would verify the result. This prevents a command list from becoming disconnected memorization.
How should you build a practical lab?
A disposable lab with access to all three BSD systems is the most useful preparation environment. Use virtual machines or another isolated setup where you can install, break, restore, and repeat configurations without risking production data. The official objectives are the authority for scope; the lab is your method for turning that scope into usable skill.
Create one baseline machine for each operating system. Record the release and installation choices used in your lab, but do not treat those local versions as exam requirements unless the current objectives say so. Keep snapshots before storage, permissions, startup, and networking exercises.
Work through tasks that produce evidence. Install a system, identify its version, inspect hardware, set a kernel parameter, enable or disable a service, add a user and group, mount a filesystem, change ownership, locate a file, inspect a log, configure an address, and troubleshoot a failed connection.
After each change, verify both the intended result and the relevant configuration. For example, do not stop after adding a user: confirm identity, group membership, login behavior, home-directory ownership, and any restriction you intended. Do not stop after changing a network address: verify interface state, routes, name resolution, and reachability separately.
Keep a failure log. For every mistake, record the symptom, the first diagnostic command, the underlying cause, the corrective action, and how the three BSD systems differ. This becomes more valuable than rereading notes because it trains the decision process behind scenario-based questions.
What should you study first?
Start with the official objectives and mark every objective as familiar, partly familiar, or untested. Then begin with package management, installation, startup configuration, permissions, users and groups, network configuration, network troubleshooting, file management, and process management because these objectives carry weight 3 or weight 4.
Do not begin by reading a general Unix book from cover to cover. The objectives are more precise: they identify tasks, commands, files, and BSD-specific variants. Use a book or course to explain unfamiliar concepts, but return to the objective list to decide whether the material actually closes a 702-100 gap.
A useful sequence is:
1. Establish shell, file, permissions, and process fundamentals.
2. Install each BSD and learn how its startup and package systems differ.
3. Add storage and filesystem work, including mounting, integrity checks, links, and directory layout.
4. Add accounts, scheduled jobs, time, logging, sessions, mail, and printing.
5. Build networking knowledge from addressing and protocols through configuration, DNS, and troubleshooting.
6. Finish with mixed-system drills in which the operating system is identified before the administration task is selected.
Use manual pages as working references, not as a substitute for practice. LPI explicitly says that some candidates prepare through self-study using objectives, man pages, and FAQs, while others choose books, web-based training, computer-based training, or instructor-led classes. Select the format that lets you perform and verify tasks.
How do you study the high-value technical areas?
High-weight objectives deserve repeated hands-on cycles: perform the task, deliberately introduce a fault, diagnose it, restore the system, and explain the platform-specific difference. This approach prepares you for both recognition questions and fill-in-the-blank prompts without relying on memorized answer sets.
For software management, practise finding installed software, installing and removing packages, inspecting package information, upgrading software, and identifying pending upgrades or security issues. Repeat with the package tools named for each BSD. Write down what is common and what is platform-specific.
For permissions and ownership, combine chmod, chown, chgrp, umask, users, groups, directories, and symbolic links in one lab exercise. Test access as the affected user rather than assuming that a displayed mode has the intended effect. Include special cases such as directory traversal and inherited assumptions about ownership.
For networking, separate configuration from diagnosis. First practise interfaces, addresses, routes, DHCP, hostnames, and DNS files. Then create faults such as an incorrect route, an unavailable service, or incorrect name resolution and work through the evidence. The objectives include tools such as ifconfig, netstat, route, ping, ping6, traceroute, host, and BSD-specific utilities.
For processes and shell work, practise foreground and background jobs, jobs, bg, fg, process inspection, prioritization, termination, pipelines, redirection, environment variables, globbing, regular expressions, and simple Bourne shell scripts. Use vi for basic editing because file editing is an explicit objective, not an optional Unix extra.
For storage, practise the distinction between disk layout, filesystem creation, mounting, persistence at boot, integrity checks, disk usage, links, and file discovery. Use noncritical virtual disks and snapshots. A storage exercise should always include a recovery plan, because a command learned in theory can be destructive in a lab.
What does a four-stage study roadmap look like?
A practical roadmap has four stages: scope, foundation, cross-platform administration, and assessment. Move forward when you can demonstrate the current stage without copying a procedure, not merely when you have finished a chapter or watched a course.
Stage one — scope the exam. Download or open the current official objectives, confirm the exam code and version, and create a checklist for all five topics. Note the weight beside each objective, then perform a short self-test by explaining what you would do for each task. Flag every item you have never performed.
Stage two — build foundations. Spend the first lab cycle on shell behavior, file operations, permissions, ownership, links, regular expressions, vi, scripting, and processes. These skills recur throughout administration work. Add short written explanations for commands such as find, grep, ps, top, kill, chmod, and chown, including what evidence confirms success.
Stage three — administer three systems. Install FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD in separate lab instances. Rotate through package management, startup, hardware, kernel parameters, storage, accounts, scheduled tasks, logging, time, sessions, and networking. For each task, identify the operating system before choosing a command or configuration file.
Stage four — assess and repair gaps. Use a timed, closed-notes review built from the official objectives, not leaked questions or unauthorized exam content. Mix command identification, purpose, configuration locations, and troubleshooting decisions. Review every uncertain response, then return to the lab and perform the underlying task. Schedule only after your remaining gaps are specific and manageable.
Which preparation mistakes waste the most time?
The common failure pattern is broad reading without cross-platform execution. Candidates often know what a Unix command generally does but cannot select the correct BSD-specific package tool, service manager, file, or network configuration method. Replace passive review with short tasks that end in verification.
Mistake one is studying only FreeBSD. The certification covers FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD, and the objectives explicitly list differences among them. Give each system a baseline installation and revisit each major domain on all three systems.
Mistake two is treating weights as a syllabus cut-off. Higher weights indicate relative importance and more questions, but lower-weight objectives remain within scope. Study high-weight objectives first, then use a final coverage pass to eliminate untouched items.
Mistake three is confusing command recognition with administration ability. Knowing that a command exists does not prove that you can choose its options, locate the relevant configuration, interpret its output, or undo a mistake. Every command note should include a purpose, an example lab task, expected evidence, and a failure mode.
Mistake four is relying on obsolete or unofficial material without checking the current objectives. LPI recommends preparing against current objectives and says candidates should consult published study resources current with the most recent objectives. Compare any book, course, or note set with the official page before making it the centre of your plan.
Mistake five is using exam dumps or leaked-question claims. They do not provide legitimate skill preparation, and memorizing unauthorized material cannot guarantee a pass. Use official objectives, documented learning resources, manual pages, and your own lab results instead.
How can you decide whether to schedule?
Schedule when your readiness is demonstrated across all three BSD systems and your remaining uncertainty is limited to identifiable details. The decision should follow an objective checklist and repeated lab verification, not a feeling that you have read enough.
Before scheduling, confirm that you can explain or perform the following without a step-by-step prompt: install each BSD named in the objectives; manage packages; configure startup services; inspect hardware; view and set kernel parameters; manage disks and filesystems; apply permissions and ownership; manage accounts and groups; schedule tasks; inspect logs and sessions; configure networking and DNS; troubleshoot connectivity; manage processes; edit files; and write simple shell scripts.
Run a final cross-platform drill. Give yourself a task such as adding a restricted account, installing a package, enabling a service, or restoring connectivity. Randomly select the operating system, identify the relevant commands and files, perform the change, and verify it. Repeat until platform selection is deliberate rather than a guess.
Then review logistics on the official LPI pages: create or confirm your LPI ID, check the country-specific price, select test-centre or OnVUE delivery if available, confirm the listed language, and follow Pearson VUE’s scheduling instructions. Leave enough time to resolve account, equipment, or appointment issues rather than treating them as study-day details.
How should you manage the 90-minute session?
The official format gives you 90 minutes for 60 multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions. Use a two-pass approach: answer clear questions first, mark uncertain items, and return to them with the wording and objective in mind. Do not allow one difficult command distinction to consume the time needed for several straightforward questions.
Read every platform name carefully. A question about a common Unix concept may still depend on whether the system is FreeBSD, NetBSD, or OpenBSD. When a question asks for a command, file, or configuration method, distinguish the general task from the implementation named by the question.
For fill-in-the-blank items, check spelling, punctuation, option syntax, and whether the requested response is a command, filename, utility, or concept. Avoid adding alternatives when the question asks for one response. For multiple-choice items, eliminate answers that belong to another operating system or address a different layer of the problem.
Use the review time to revisit only genuine uncertainties. Change an answer when your reasoning identifies a concrete error, not simply because the first choice feels too obvious. The goal is controlled application of the objectives, not recollection of unauthorized question material.
What happens after passing?
Passing the BSD Specialist exam is the certification requirement stated by LPI. The certification is listed with a five-year validity period, and LPI provides options for extending beyond that period. Keep your LPI account information current so you can access certification records and follow renewal guidance.
LPI’s getting-started information says Pearson VUE provides a score report immediately after the exam, and LPI receives exam results within 24 hours. If the requirements are met, LPI issues the certification. A certificate is available for download as a PDF from the lpi.org account, and LPI also offers digital badges through Credly.
If you do not pass, use the result and your objective checklist to identify technical gaps rather than restarting every subject equally. Rebuild the weakest area in the lab, especially where your error involved confusing BSD implementations, then recheck the current official objectives and scheduling information before planning another attempt.
What should you do next?
Your next action is to turn the official objectives into a dated or otherwise trackable checklist, then test your weakest objective on FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD. After that first lab cycle, choose self-study, published learning materials, or training support based on the gaps you can name—not on the volume of material available.
Open the official 702-100 objectives and mark every item as demonstrated, explained, or untested. Create the three-system comparison sheet, set up disposable lab environments, and begin with package management, installation, startup, permissions, users, networking, files, and processes. Revisit lower-weight objectives before scheduling, and verify delivery, language, pricing, account, and appointment details directly with LPI and Pearson VUE.
Conclusion
702-100 rewards operational understanding across three BSD families. The strongest preparation plan combines the current objective list, weighted prioritization, repeated lab work, platform comparison, and a final logistics check. If you can perform the listed administration tasks, diagnose basic failures, and explain why the procedure changes between FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD, you have a sound basis for deciding when to schedule.