702-100 BSD Specialist Exam Guide: Objectives, Preparation, and Scheduling Decisions
LPI 702-100 validates practical BSD administration across FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD. It is intended primarily for system administrators who need to install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot these operating systems, although no prerequisite certification is required. This guide helps you decide whether your current experience is sufficient, which objective areas deserve the most study time, how to build useful hands-on practice, and when to move from preparation to registration and scheduling.
What does 702-100 validate?
702-100 validates the practical knowledge required to administer FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD rather than testing familiarity with one isolated distribution. The official certification profile covers installation, software, hardware, kernel parameters, security, users, filesystems, processes, networking, automation, and command-line administration.
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 comfort with standard BSD and Unix tools at the command line.
The certification is awarded after passing the BSD Specialist exam. LPI lists the current exam version as 1.0 with exam code 702-100. The official objectives page and the LPI Wiki both identify the objective set as version 1.0 or 1.0.0, so use the current LPI objectives as your study baseline rather than relying on an old course outline.
Official references: https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/bsd-overview/ and https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/exam-702-objectives/
Is this exam a good fit for your background?
702-100 is a sensible target if you already administer BSD systems or can work methodically across all three named BSD platforms. LPI requires no prerequisite certification, but strongly recommends more than one year of BSD administration experience, so a Linux-only background should not be treated as equivalent preparation.
Candidates with production BSD experience should still verify platform differences. The objectives warn that commands and files with the same name can behave differently or have different contents on FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD. The exam may specify the operating system involved, and preparation therefore needs comparison rather than memorization of one system’s syntax.
A useful readiness test is whether you can explain not only what a command does, but also where the relevant configuration belongs on each platform. For example, the objectives include FreeBSD package tools such as pkg, NetBSD package tools such as pkg_admin and pkg_add, and OpenBSD tools such as pkg_add and pkg_delete. You should also recognize platform-specific service management commands such as service and rcctl.
Do not schedule merely because you can complete routine work on one BSD release. First identify the platform you know least well, then perform the same administration task on that platform in a controlled lab.
How is the exam delivered?
The official overview states that the exam lasts 90 minutes and contains 60 multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions. LPI lists English as the available language at VUE test centers and through OnVUE online delivery, so confirm the current language and appointment details before booking.
Pearson VUE delivers the exam in person at a testing center or online through OnVUE. LPI also says paper-based exams may be available at many open source conferences and events. Availability is therefore a scheduling consideration: compare local center appointments, online-proctoring requirements, and any event option shown by LPI before purchasing or redeeming a voucher.
Before your first LPI exam, create an LPI account and obtain an LPI ID. Scheduling through Pearson VUE also requires a Pearson account, which is separate from the lpi.org account. LPI’s stated sequence is to purchase a voucher, create the Pearson account, and schedule the exam.
The exam price is country-specific. Use LPI’s exam-pricing page for the applicable country or territory instead of relying on a third-party listing: https://www.lpi.org/exam-pricing/.
Official scheduling information: https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/getting-started/ and https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/bsd-overview/
Which objective areas deserve the most study time?
Start with the objective weights, then adjust for your own weaknesses. LPI explains that a higher weight indicates greater relative importance and that higher-weight objectives are covered by more exam questions. Treat the weights as a prioritization signal, not as a promise about an exact question distribution.
Topic 711, BSD Installation and Software Management, includes 711.1 BSD Operating System Installation (weight: 3), 711.2 BSD Software and Package Management (weight: 4), 711.3 BSD System Startup Configuration (weight: 3), 711.4 Hardware Configuration (weight: 2), and 711.5 BSD Kernel Parameters and System Security Level (weight: 2). The highest listed objective weight is assigned to 711.2 BSD Software and Package Management.
Topic 712, Storage Devices and BSD Filesystems, includes 712.1 BSD Partitioning and Disk Labels (weight: 2), 712.2 Create File Systems and Maintain their Integrity (weight: 1), 712.3 Control Mounting and Unmounting of File Systems (weight: 2), 712.4 Manage File Permissions and Ownership (weight: 3), 712.5 Create and Change Hard and Symbolic Links (weight: 1), and 712.6 Find Files and BSD Directory Layout (weight: 2).
Topic 713, Basic BSD System Administration, includes 713.1 Manage User Accounts and Groups (weight: 3), 713.2 Automate System Administration Tasks by Scheduling Jobs (weight: 2), 713.3 Maintain System Time (weight: 1), 713.4 System Logging (weight: 2), 713.5 Mail Transfer Agents (MTA) Basics (weight: 1), 713.6 Manage Printing and Print Jobs (weight: 1), and 713.7 Manage User Sessions (weight: 1).
Topic 714, Basic BSD Network Administration, includes 714.1 Fundamentals of Internet Protocols (weight: 2), 714.2 Basic network configuration (weight: 3), 714.3 Basic network troubleshooting (weight: 3), and 714.4 Configure Client Side DNS (weight: 2).
Topic 715, Basic Unix Skills, includes 715.1 Use the Shell and Work on the Command Line (weight: 2), 715.2 Perform basic file management (weight: 3), 715.3 Create, Monitor and Kill Processes (weight: 3), 715.4 Use Simple Regular Expressions (weight: 2), 715.5 Perform basic file editing operations (weight: 2), and 715.6 Customize or write simple scripts (weight: 2).
The practical implication is to give early attention to package management, installation and startup, permissions, accounts, networking, file management, and processes. Do not ignore weight 1 objectives: they remain part of the blueprint and can expose gaps in otherwise broad knowledge.
Official blueprint: https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/exam-702-objectives/
What should you practice in BSD installation and software management?
Build a three-platform comparison sheet for installation, package management, startup services, hardware inspection, and kernel settings. The aim is to choose the appropriate tool or configuration location for FreeBSD, NetBSD, or OpenBSD, not to recite a generic Unix procedure.
For 711.1 BSD Operating System Installation (weight: 3), study the installation approaches and terminology for all three systems. The objective list includes FreeBSD bsdinstall, NetBSD sysinst, and OpenBSD bsd.rd, along with uname for identifying the installed operating system. Practice confirming the operating system and version after installation.
For 711.2 BSD Software and Package Management (weight: 4), work through the complete package lifecycle: locate package information, install software, remove it, inspect installed packages, upgrade software, and identify pending upgrades or security issues. Compare the FreeBSD pkg commands with the NetBSD and OpenBSD package utilities listed in the objectives. Keep a table with columns for action, operating system, command, and expected result.
For 711.3 BSD System Startup Configuration (weight: 3), connect the boot process to service management and boot-time configuration. The objectives mention boot(8), rc, /etc/rc.conf, /etc/rc.d, inetd, shutdown, FreeBSD service, and OpenBSD rcctl. In a lab, enable or disable a harmless service, reboot or restart safely, and verify the resulting state.
For 711.4 Hardware Configuration (weight: 2), practice reading hardware and device information rather than changing production hardware. The objectives identify tools including dmesg, camcontrol, pciconf, kldstat, kldload, kldunload, atactl, pcictl, scsictl, modstat, modload, and modunload across the BSD systems.
For 711.5 BSD Kernel Parameters and System Security Level (weight: 2), learn the relationship between sysctl-style MIBs, persistent configuration, and security-level settings. The listed files and utilities include init, sysctl, /etc/sysctl.conf, OpenBSD config, and /etc/boot.conf. Practice distinguishing a value that changes immediately from a setting intended to persist across a reboot.
A common mistake is to study package names without testing repository behavior, permissions, or update results. Record the command, the configuration file, the platform, and the verification step for every lab task.
How should you prepare for storage and filesystem objectives?
Use disposable virtual disks or snapshots for storage practice and concentrate on reasoning before execution. You need to understand partitioning, labels, filesystem creation, mounting, integrity checks, ownership, permissions, links, and the BSD directory layout without risking a real system.
For 712.1 BSD Partitioning and Disk Labels (weight: 2), learn the concepts of disk slice tables and disk labels and the roles of fdisk, disklabel, and OpenBSD installboot where listed. Before running any destructive command, identify the target disk, record its current layout, and confirm the platform-specific procedure.
For 712.2 Create File Systems and Maintain their Integrity (weight: 1), practice the purpose and safe sequencing of newfs and fsck. The objective list also identifies df and related storage tools. Your notes should distinguish creating a filesystem from checking an existing filesystem and should include when a filesystem must not be checked while mounted.
For 712.3 Control Mounting and Unmounting of File Systems (weight: 2), verify currently mounted filesystems, mount and unmount a test filesystem, and identify what will mount at boot. The listed tools and files include mount, umount, /etc/fstab, df, and platform-specific zfs references.
For 712.4 Manage File Permissions and Ownership (weight: 3), practice chmod, chown, chgrp, umask, and ls against files and directories. Test owner, group, and other permissions separately; then verify the effect of directory permissions on listing, reading, creating, and deleting entries. This objective is practical enough that passive reading is a poor substitute for a lab.
For 712.5 Create and Change Hard and Symbolic Links (weight: 1), create both link types, inspect them with ls, change a symbolic-link target, and observe what happens when an original pathname is removed. Be able to explain why a hard link and a symbolic link behave differently.
For 712.6 Find Files and BSD Directory Layout (weight: 2), combine find with the BSD directory hierarchy and file-location tools such as whatis, whereis, which, locate, locate.updatedb, and hier(7). Practice searches by name, type, ownership, permissions, and time-related criteria, then verify results rather than assuming a matching pathname is the right file.
The pitfall here is memorizing permission notation while overlooking ownership and directory behavior. Make each exercise answer a real administrative question: who owns this file, why cannot this user access it, where is the configuration, or which filesystem is full?
What administration workflows belong in your lab?
Organize Topic 713 around recurring maintenance workflows rather than isolated commands. A useful lab cycle is create an account, grant group access, schedule a task, inspect logs, check time synchronization, review sessions, and then remove or reverse the change cleanly.
For 713.1 Manage User Accounts and Groups (weight: 3), create and modify users and groups, test group membership, set account attributes, and understand restricted or non-login accounts. The objective list includes adduser, passwd, chpass, chfn, chsh, vipw, nologin, id, groups, who, whoami, su(1), /usr/share/skel/, and platform-specific user tools.
For 713.2 Automate System Administration Tasks by Scheduling Jobs (weight: 2), distinguish periodic system scripts from user-created cron jobs. Practice the cron fields, the locations of periodic scripts, and the difference between system crontab and user crontabs. The objective specifically expects understanding of all available fields, so do not reduce preparation to writing one five-field example.
For 713.3 Maintain System Time (weight: 1), understand setting the system time and using NTP. Compare ntpd, date, /etc/rc.conf, and the platform-specific NTP configuration files and ntpq references listed in the objectives. Verify synchronization status and configuration instead of changing time on a shared host.
For 713.4 System Logging (weight: 2), review log files, search them efficiently, and understand rotation. The objective list includes newsyslog, /etc/newsyslog.conf, /etc/syslog.conf, tail, grep, compressed-log tools, and dmesg. Create a small troubleshooting exercise in which you identify an event, locate its log entry, and determine whether rotation affects the file you are reading.
For 713.5 Mail Transfer Agents (MTA) Basics (weight: 1), learn the role of a local MTA, aliases, forwarding, outgoing mail through a relay, and queue inspection. The platform-specific references include /etc/mail/aliases, newaliases, mailq, postalias, postqueue, and smtpctl.
For 713.6 Manage Printing and Print Jobs (weight: 1), know the basic print workflow and how to inspect or manipulate a queue. The listed utilities include lpc, lpq, lprm, and printcap. You can use a simulated or non-printing configuration to learn queue administration without needing a physical printer.
For 713.7 Manage User Sessions (weight: 1), practice identifying current users and reviewing login history with w, who, users, last, and platform-specific lastlogin or lastlog locations. The key question is whether you are checking current presence or historical access.
A frequent mistake is treating low-weight administration topics as optional. Short, targeted exercises can cover them efficiently while also strengthening the operational context needed for higher-weight objectives.
How can you make network study diagnostic rather than memorized?
Build a troubleshooting sequence that moves from local configuration to name resolution and then to remote service availability. That sequence helps you answer questions about symptoms, commands, and likely causes across FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD.
For 714.1 Fundamentals of Internet Protocols (weight: 2), review important network protocols, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, and subnetting. Practice identifying network, host, prefix, and interface information from a given address. Do not limit study to IPv4: the objective explicitly includes IPv6 addressing and subnetting.
For 714.2 Basic network configuration (weight: 3), determine the current IP configuration and configure an interface, hostname, route, DHCP client, and relevant persistent settings. The objective list includes ifconfig, route, hostname, /etc/hosts, dhclient, /etc/dhclient.conf, DHCP lease data, /etc/rc.conf, NetBSD interface files, and OpenBSD hostname, gateway, and netstart files.
For 714.3 Basic network troubleshooting (weight: 3), use a layered test plan. Start by checking interface state and addresses, then routes, local reachability, name resolution, and finally the target service. The listed tools include netstat, ping, ping6, traceroute, telnet, nmap, nc, sockstat, and rtsol. The objective is to analyze and resolve simple connectivity problems, so explain what each test proves and what it cannot prove.
For 714.4 Configure Client Side DNS (weight: 2), understand hostname resolution and the roles of /etc/resolv.conf, /etc/nsswitch.conf, host, drill, dig, and nslookup as identified for the platforms. Test both a known hostname and a direct address so that you can separate DNS failure from routing or service failure.
Do not make every lab change permanent. Use snapshots or a documented rollback, and record the initial interface configuration before testing DHCP, routes, DNS, or hostname settings. A strong study note says, “If this test fails, the next check is…” rather than merely listing commands.
Which command-line skills need deliberate repetition?
Topic 715 is best learned through short, repeated command-line tasks with visible output. Focus on safe file handling, process control, text filtering, vi editing, and simple Bourne shell scripting, while noting shell differences among sh, csh, and tcsh.
For 715.1 Use the Shell and Work on the Command Line (weight: 2), practice redirection, pipelines, environment variables, globbing, command history, command lookup, manual pages, and shell customization. The objectives list sh, csh, tcsh, redirection operators, tee, env, file, globbing, man, intro, less, history-related expansions, and xargs.
For 715.2 Perform basic file management (weight: 3), repeatedly use cp, mkdir, mv, ls, rm, rmdir, touch, dd, tar, cpio, pax, and file in a disposable directory. Include hidden files, recursive operations, archives, metadata checks, and recovery from a mistaken pathname. The objective is to handle files on a BSD system, not simply identify command definitions.
For 715.3 Create, Monitor and Kill Processes (weight: 3), identify resource-heavy processes, inspect workload, adjust priority, and terminate processes appropriately. Practice top, ps, pgrep, pstat, systat, nice, renice, kill, pkill, swapctl, uptime, w, and vmstat, along with jobs, bg, fg, control-Z, and the shell kill operation. Include both foreground and background jobs.
For 715.4 Use Simple Regular Expressions (weight: 2), combine grep, egrep, fgrep, and re_format(7) with shell wildcards. Make sure you can distinguish a regular expression from a pathname pattern and can predict whether a pattern matches a line, a word, or a literal character.
For 715.5 Perform basic file editing operations (weight: 2), use vi to open, navigate, insert, replace, search, save, quit, and recover from an unwanted edit. The objectives include commands and settings such as dd, Y, P, X, :set number, and :set list. Practice editing configuration-like text without relying on a graphical editor.
For 715.6 Customize or write simple scripts (weight: 2), write small Bourne shell scripts with variables, arguments, tests, loops, conditionals, command substitution, and sensible exit behavior. Keep scripts simple enough to inspect line by line, then run them against test data and explain their output.
The common pitfall is recognizing a command but being unable to combine it with pipes, redirection, permissions, or process control. Use timed mini-tasks: find a file, filter its contents, save the result, launch a command in the background, inspect it, and stop it safely.
What is an efficient study roadmap?
Use a staged roadmap that moves from blueprint coverage to platform comparison, hands-on repetition, and timed review. The duration of each stage should reflect your experience, but every stage should end with evidence that you can perform or explain the objective rather than merely having read it.
Stage one is an objective audit. Download or open the current 702-100 objectives, copy every objective into a tracking sheet, and mark each as familiar, partly understood, or untested. Add the operating systems and commands named under each objective. This prevents a strong Linux or FreeBSD background from hiding gaps in NetBSD or OpenBSD.
Stage two is platform orientation. Build or access a controlled environment for FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD where practical. If three separate systems are not immediately available, begin with documentation and command comparisons, but make obtaining hands-on exposure to the missing platforms a concrete next action. The LPI objectives explicitly expect skills across all three systems.
Stage three is high-value administration. Study package management, installation, startup configuration, permissions, accounts, network configuration, network troubleshooting, file management, and process management first. These are the weight 3 or weight 4 objectives identified in the blueprint. For each, use a repeatable pattern: read the objective, perform a task, break or alter a controlled setting, diagnose it, and document the repair.
Stage four is supporting administration. Cover storage, hardware, kernel parameters, scheduling, logs, DNS, shell behavior, regular expressions, vi, and scripts. Include the weight 1 objectives in a final checklist rather than assuming they will be covered incidentally.
Stage five is integrated practice. Create scenarios that cross topics: install software, configure a service to start, create a restricted account, set permissions on its files, schedule a maintenance command, inspect the log, and test network access. Then repeat the scenario on another BSD platform and note where the procedure changes.
Stage six is readiness review. For every objective, explain the purpose, identify the correct platform-specific tool or file, describe a verification command, and state one likely failure. If you cannot do all four, keep studying that objective. Use the official preparation page to choose among self-study, books, online training, or instructor-led training; LPI presents these as candidate choices rather than a single mandatory path.
Official preparation guidance: https://www.lpi.org/how-to-get-certified/preparing-for-my-exam/ and https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/getting-started/
How should you use study resources and notes?
Use the official objectives as the controlling checklist and treat every other resource as supporting material. LPI says candidates may prepare through self-study, books, online or computer-based training, or instructor-led classes, and it directs candidates seeking current preparation resources to published materials aligned with the most recent objectives.
The official objectives are more useful when converted into task cards. A card might ask you to identify the platform, choose the command, locate the configuration file, perform the change, and verify the result. Separate cards for FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD where behavior differs.
Use manual pages and system documentation during lab work, but do not let copying a command replace understanding its effect. For each command, record a safe example, important options, expected output, and a rollback or cleanup step. This is especially important for disk, filesystem, package, service, and process commands.
LPI provides a BSD Specialist objectives page and a separate LPI Wiki version of the objectives. Compare them if a detail appears inconsistent, and give precedence to the current official LPI exam information when making a registration decision. The objectives page states that higher weights represent relative importance and more questions, but it does not provide a passing score or guarantee that a particular command will appear.
The LPI Learning Materials link supplied for Topic 702 describes application containers rather than BSD Specialist preparation, so it should not be treated as the primary 702-100 study source. Use the BSD objectives and the official preparation page for this exam.
Useful sources: https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/exam-702-objectives/, https://wiki.lpi.org/wiki/BSD_Specialist_Objectives_V1.0, and https://www.lpi.org/how-to-get-certified/preparing-for-my-exam/
What mistakes commonly weaken preparation?
The most damaging mistakes are studying one BSD implementation, ignoring the objective weights, confusing recognition with administration, and scheduling before you can verify your own work. Correct these by testing platform differences and requiring a practical explanation for every command or configuration file in your notes.
Mistake one is treating BSD as interchangeable with Linux. Shared Unix concepts help, but the objective lists distinguish package tools, service management, network configuration files, hardware utilities, and system paths. Write the platform name beside every procedure and test the procedure on the relevant system.
Mistake two is memorizing command lists without workflows. Knowing that ifconfig exists is not enough if you cannot determine whether an address, route, DNS setting, or remote service is causing a connectivity problem. Pair each command with a question it answers and a result that changes your next step.
Mistake three is using only flashcards for operational objectives. Flashcards can reinforce names, but installation, package updates, permissions, process control, vi, and scripts require execution. Use flashcards after lab work to retain syntax and platform distinctions.
Mistake four is ignoring low-weight objectives. Time, printing, MTA basics, user sessions, filesystem integrity, and links may need less study time, but they still form part of the published blueprint. Cover them with compact exercises and a final recall pass.
Mistake five is relying on unauthorized dumps or supposed leaked questions. They do not establish practical competence, may be inaccurate or outdated, and cannot guarantee a pass. Prepare from the objectives, documentation, and legitimate training resources instead.
Mistake six is failing to check administrative logistics. Confirm the current exam version, language, delivery option, account requirements, voucher process, and country-specific pricing through LPI and Pearson VUE before committing to an appointment.
When should you register and schedule?
Register after your study evidence is consistent, not simply when you finish a book. You should be able to cover every objective, explain the FreeBSD-NetBSD-OpenBSD differences named in the blueprint, and complete representative administrative tasks without unsafe guesswork.
Create the LPI ID before taking your first LPI exam. Then check the current 702-100 overview and objectives, review country-specific pricing, purchase a voucher through the appropriate process, create the separate Pearson account, and choose a testing center or OnVUE appointment.
If you prefer an in-person test, check the Pearson VUE center options available to you. If you choose OnVUE, review the current online testing requirements before booking. A paper-based option may exist at some open source conferences and events, but event availability must be confirmed through LPI rather than assumed.
The BSD Specialist certification has a validity period of five years according to LPI. Review the current renewal or extension information when planning beyond the initial certification period, because those options can change.
After the exam, Pearson VUE provides a score report immediately following the exam according to LPI’s getting-started information. LPI says it receives exam results within 24 hours and issues the certification if all requirements are met. The certificate is available for download as a PDF from the lpi.org account.
Scheduling sources: https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/getting-started/, https://www.lpi.org/our-certifications/bsd-overview/, and https://www.lpi.org/exam-pricing/
What should you do next?
Your next action should be an objective-by-objective gap audit followed by one controlled lab task for each weak area. Once you can perform the high-weight administration work across the three BSD platforms and can explain the remaining objectives, verify the current LPI details and schedule through the official route.
Open the 702-100 objectives and create five work queues: installation and software, storage and filesystems, system administration, networking, and Unix skills. Put package management first because 711.2 BSD Software and Package Management has weight 4, then prioritize the published weight 3 objectives that match your weaknesses.
For each queue, produce a short evidence record: platform tested, task completed, command or file used, result observed, and mistake corrected. This gives you a more reliable readiness signal than counting study hours or completing an unofficial question bank.
Finally, confirm the current exam version, delivery language, appointment method, voucher and pricing details, and LPI ID requirements. If your practical evidence is incomplete, keep studying; if it is consistent across the blueprint, proceed to Pearson VUE scheduling with the official information in front of you.
Conclusion
702-100 preparation is strongest when it combines the published blueprint with repeated administration across FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD. Use objective weights to allocate time, but cover every topic; use command references to support labs, not replace them; and make scheduling the final step after you can diagnose and verify your own work. The official objectives and LPI preparation pages should remain your authority for any requirement or delivery detail that may change.
