Canonical, the developer of Ubuntu, just launched Canonical Academy, a new platform that lets both individuals and companies officially validate their open-source and Linux skills qualifications. These tests were designed by the same engineers who created Ubuntu.

The very first set of exams is part of the SysAdmin track, and it’s specifically designed to test your practical knowledge with Linux and Ubuntu. If you pass, you’ll earn digital badges that you can use to prove your ability to potential employers and your peers. This is a bit ironic coming from Canonical, which has some of the most infamous job interview processes in the tech industry.

Some issues with traditional certifications are that they often leave a big gap between what you learn in theory and what you actually do in practice. Canonical says its exams take a different approach, basing their assessments on the challenges IT pros face regularly in the workplace. The courses include everything from defining the critical job skills to designing custom cloud exam environments and having industry experts review every single hands-on item. The SysAdmin track is launching with three exams right now, and a fourth is already in development.

Right now, you can jump in and take the Using Linux Terminal exam, which is open to the public. The other two are Using Ubuntu Desktop and Using Ubuntu Server, which are currently in beta, but they’re open for community testing. To get the full SysAdmin qualification, you’ll need to earn all the badges in the SysAdmin track that you’re in. This means you can truly prove your ability to do things like navigate the Linux terminal, configure Ubuntu desktops, and manage servers in environments that mirror what you’d find in a real job.

Canonical Academy is built to fit right into a busy schedule with its modular and self-driven learning design. This means you can progress at your own pace while you work towards that larger qualification badge. This is similar to how Google does its certifications. You can focus on the specific skills you need most, which is perfect if you’re trying to quickly learn a new skill. This is also very helpful for businesses that want to map out training for specific roles within their company.

All the current exams are aligned with the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS release. The exam badges will indicate the year of the Ubuntu LTS release that the exam is based on, which is great for keeping your skills up-to-date. You can expect updated exams for Ubuntu 26.04 LTS sometime around September 2026.

To help you prepare, each exam comes with a study guide that’s based on the official exam content. This way, you can guide yourself through self-paced learning to be as effective as possible. Since this has the support of Canonical, which publishes Ubuntu, it’s hard to deny how trustworthy these digital badges are.

You can also sign up to be a Subject Matter Expert or a beta tester. The difference is that experts will help define topics, give advice on future content, and guide the direction of future skills assessments. Testers, on the other hand, get to preview and critique exams while they’re still in development, help shape the user experience, and even access full exams at discounted rates.

If you want to get a badge or just sign up to help, go to the Canonical website and fill in everything you need there.

Source: Canonical

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