The RHCSA (EX200) is the most recognized Linux certification in enterprise environments. It validates that you can perform core system administration tasks on Red Hat Enterprise Linux without relying on Google. The exam is entirely hands-on, which means your study materials need to be hands-on too.
RHEL 10 shipped in 2025, and the exam objectives have been updated accordingly. This list includes both RHEL 10 and RHEL 9 study guides because many organizations still run RHEL 9 in production, and the exam is available for both versions.
Last reviewed: March 2026. All links and availability verified.
RHCSA Books for RHEL 10
RHCSA Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 (EX200), 4th Edition
Asghar Ghori’s books are legendary in the RHCSA community for a reason: they are packed with labs. The fourth edition covers RHEL 10 with 22 chapters, step-by-step exercises with screenshots, DIY challenge labs, and four full-length practice exams. Ghori does not just explain concepts; he makes you do them repeatedly until they stick. This is the approach that passes exams.
Currently the only published RHEL 10 RHCSA book available.
- Author: Asghar Ghori
- Published: December 2025 (4th Edition)
- Covers: RHEL 10, EX200
- Best for: Hands-on lab practice with the latest RHEL version
- Amazon: Buy on Amazon
Red Hat RHCSA 10 Cert Guide: EX200 (Sander van Vugt)
Sander van Vugt’s Pearson cert guides are the other pillar of RHCSA preparation. The RHEL 10 edition (752 pages) ships June 2026. Van Vugt’s teaching style is methodical: preparation hints, test-taking strategies, and exercises that map directly to exam objectives. If Ghori’s book is too available-now for you to wait, the RHEL 9 edition (below) covers the same fundamentals.
- Author: Sander van Vugt
- Published: June 2026 (pre-order available)
- Pages: 752
- Covers: RHEL 10, EX200
- Best for: Structured exam preparation with Pearson resources
- Amazon: Pre-order on Amazon
RHCSA Books for RHEL 9
Red Hat RHCSA 9 Cert Guide: EX200
The current Sander van Vugt cert guide for RHEL 9 (704 pages). Includes hands-on labs, review questions, practice tests, and access to Pearson’s online test engine. If you are taking the exam on RHEL 9 (still widely offered), this is the definitive preparation guide. Van Vugt’s video courses complement this book well if you learn better by watching.
- Author: Sander van Vugt
- Published: April 2023 (Pearson)
- Pages: 704
- Covers: RHEL 9, EX200
- Rating: ~4.2 stars
- Best for: RHEL 9 exam prep with full Pearson ecosystem
- Amazon: Buy on Amazon
RHCSA Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 (EX200), 3rd Edition
Asghar Ghori’s RHEL 9 edition is the highest-rated RHCSA book ever published: 5.0 stars with 582 ratings on Barnes & Noble. The formula is the same as the RHEL 10 edition: 22 chapters, 99 exercises, 74 challenge labs, 381 review questions, and 4 sample exams. If you cannot get the RHEL 10 edition or prefer RHEL 9 for your exam, this book is exceptional.
- Author: Asghar Ghori
- Published: 2023 (3rd Edition)
- Covers: RHEL 9, EX200
- Rating: 5.0 stars (582 ratings)
- Best for: Maximum lab practice on RHEL 9
- Amazon: Buy on Amazon
Which one should you buy?
| Situation | Book |
|---|---|
| Taking the exam on RHEL 10 | Ghori’s RHEL 10, 4th Ed (available now) |
| Want the Pearson ecosystem for RHEL 10 | Van Vugt’s RHEL 10 (ships June 2026) |
| Taking the exam on RHEL 9 | Ghori’s RHEL 9, 3rd Ed (5.0 stars, proven) |
| Prefer video + book combo for RHEL 9 | Van Vugt’s RHEL 9 Cert Guide |
Both Ghori and van Vugt produce excellent material. The main difference is style: Ghori is lab-heavy with challenge exercises. Van Vugt is more structured with integrated Pearson test prep tools. Many people who pass on the first attempt use one of each.
For practice, spin up a Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux VM and work through every exercise. Our guide on installing KVM on Rocky Linux 10 will get you a local lab environment for exam prep.
Where did you find Michael Jang’s book at?
It is saying that it somehow isn’t even coming out till Feb 2022.
Good list!