202-400 Exam Guide: Objectives, Version Check, and Study Roadmap
The 202-400 exam belongs to an older LPIC-2 objective set and assesses advanced Linux administration across DNS, web services, file sharing, network client management, email, and system security. It is relevant primarily to candidates whose preparation, voucher, or certification path is tied to this legacy code. The first practical decision is whether you should still prepare for 202-400 or move to the current 202-450 objectives. This guide helps you verify that decision, map the older syllabus, build a hands-on study plan, and schedule only after confirming availability with LPI or Pearson VUE.
Should you prepare for 202-400 or 202-450?
202-400 is not the current LPIC-2 exam code listed by LPI. LPI identifies the current LPIC-2 version as 4.5, using exam codes 201-450 and 202-450, while its FAQ refers to 202-400 as an older exam code. Confirm your exact exam code before buying materials, booking an appointment, or continuing a legacy study plan.
The LPI FAQ states that candidates may write any version of the exams and that versions count toward certification equally, but the available version and scheduling options can change. LPI also says that when a new exam version is released, the previous version remains available for 6 months. Those statements do not establish that 202-400 is currently schedulable, so treat availability as a question for the official LPI and Pearson VUE channels.
Use this decision sequence:
A quick version check
Check the exam code on your voucher, booking confirmation, or employer training plan. If it says 202-400, compare the associated objectives with the legacy Exam 202 objectives on the LPI Wiki. If your study material says 202-450, it belongs to the current objective set and should not be assumed to cover 202-400.
If no voucher or appointment exists, start with the current LPIC-2 overview rather than an old preparation page. The overview states that LPIC-2 currently uses 201-450 and 202-450. Use the LPI exam objectives and learning materials for the version you intend to write.
What not to assume
Do not infer that a practice site, search result, or third-party listing proves that 202-400 is available. Do not combine legacy and current objectives into one unofficial syllabus. Their topic structure and technology coverage may differ, so version alignment is part of exam preparation rather than an administrative afterthought.
What does 202-400 validate?
The legacy Exam 202 objectives describe an administrator who can deploy and maintain the network services commonly found in a small or medium-sized mixed Linux and Microsoft environment. The work spans LAN services such as Samba, NFS, DNS, DHCP, and client management, plus internet-facing services including web, proxy, mail, FTP, SSH, firewall, and VPN functions.
This is broader than memorizing configuration-file locations. The objective set expects candidates to understand how services interact, how access is controlled, and how to secure or troubleshoot a working installation. A useful preparation target is a repeatable ability to explain the service, identify its main configuration points, test it, and diagnose a deliberately introduced fault.
The legacy Exam 202 objectives group the exam into five areas: Domain Name Server, Web Services, File Sharing, Network Client Management, E-Mail Services, and System Security. The LPI LPIC-2 overview describes the broader certification as validating advanced administration of small to medium-sized mixed networks.
Who is the exam for?
The syllabus suits Linux administrators who already have command-line and basic networking competence and now need to manage shared infrastructure rather than an isolated workstation. It is also relevant to candidates completing the second LPIC-2 exam after Exam 201, provided their certification requirements and exam version are aligned with LPI’s rules.
LPIC-2 certification requires an active LPIC-1 certification and passing both exams 201 and 202. Passing 202-400 by itself does not complete LPIC-2. If you are using an older exam combination, confirm how LPI will apply it to your certification record before scheduling.
The operational mindset to develop
Study each service as an operational lifecycle: install or enable it, configure the minimum useful function, restrict access, validate the result, inspect logs, and recover from a bad change. For example, a DNS study session should include zone structure and queries as well as configuration syntax; an SSH session should include hardening choices and connection testing rather than only daemon options.
Which legacy domains and weights deserve priority?
The legacy blueprint assigns the greatest single objective weight to Samba Server Configuration, with weight 5, and gives weight 4 to several administration-heavy objectives. Use the weights to allocate revision time, but do not ignore lower-weight objectives: the exam covers all five topic groups and LPI explains that an objective weight corresponds to the number of questions related to that objective.
The legacy Exam 202 objectives have a total weight of 60. LPI’s FAQ says that LPIC exams are standardized to 60 weights and that each objective’s weight indicates its relative question representation. The following map keeps every weight attached to its official objective and domain.
Domain Name Server
Basic DNS server configuration carries weight 3 in the Domain Name Server domain; creating and maintaining DNS zones carries weight 3 in the Domain Name Server domain; securing a DNS server carries weight 2 in the Domain Name Server domain.
Prioritize BIND configuration files, zone-file structure, resource records, forward and reverse zones, utilities such as dig, nslookup, and host, and the security concepts named in the objectives. The security objective includes running BIND as a non-root user, using a chroot jail, forwarders, TSIG, and awareness of DNSSEC tools.
Web Services
Basic Apache configuration carries weight 4 in the Web Services domain; Apache configuration for HTTPS carries weight 3 in the Web Services domain; Squid caching proxy implementation carries weight 2 in the Web Services domain; Nginx as a web server and reverse proxy carries weight 2 in the Web Services domain.
Study the service boundaries. Apache questions are not the same as Nginx reverse-proxy questions, and Squid access-control lists address a different problem from HTTPS certificate configuration. Build a comparison sheet showing the service purpose, main configuration file, access-control mechanism, validation command, and likely log location for each service.
File Sharing
Samba Server Configuration carries weight 5 in the File Sharing domain, the highest single objective weight in the legacy Exam 202 blueprint; NFS Server Configuration carries weight 3 in the File Sharing domain.
For Samba, cover daemons, smb.conf concepts, testparm, smbstatus, smbclient, smbpasswd, name lookup, share-level and user-level security, and the relationship between Windows and Linux identities. For NFS, study /etc/exports, exportfs, showmount, nfsstat, access restrictions, mount options, TCP Wrappers, and the stated awareness of NFSv4.
Network Client Management
DHCP configuration carries weight 2 in the Network Client Management domain; PAM authentication carries weight 3 in the Network Client Management domain; LDAP client usage carries weight 2 in the Network Client Management domain; configuring an OpenLDAP server carries weight 4 in the Network Client Management domain.
This domain is easy to study as disconnected commands, but the practical issue is identity flow. Understand how PAM, nsswitch.conf, LDAP queries, passwords, LDIF data, schemas, access controls, and SSSD awareness fit together. A lab should make you trace what happens when a user authenticates locally versus through directory services.
E-Mail Services
Using e-mail servers carries weight 4 in the E-Mail Services domain; managing local e-mail delivery carries weight 2 in the E-Mail Services domain; managing remote e-mail delivery carries weight 2 in the E-Mail Services domain.
Separate message transfer from delivery and retrieval. Review Postfix configuration, SMTP fundamentals, aliases, quotas, virtual domains, mail-related logs, procmail, mbox and Maildir, and the role of POP and IMAP daemons such as Courier or Dovecot. Include awareness of sendmail and Exim because the objective names them even though Postfix is the primary configuration focus.
System Security
Configuring a router carries weight 3 in the System Security domain; managing FTP servers carries weight 2 in the System Security domain; securing SSH carries weight 4 in the System Security domain; security tasks carries weight 3 in the System Security domain; OpenVPN carries weight 2 in the System Security domain.
The security domain combines network control with host administration. Study NAT and IP masquerading, IP forwarding, filtering by source, destination, protocol, port, and address, FTP modes and server configuration, SSH daemon hardening, security-alert sources, port-scanning tools, IDS awareness, and OpenVPN point-to-point or site-to-site concepts.
How should you build the lab?
Use a disposable virtual lab with separate roles for DNS, web, file sharing, directory services, mail, and gateway functions where practical. The purpose is not to reproduce a production network; it is to make configuration cause and effect visible. Keep snapshots, record every change, and test one service at a time so a failure has a diagnosable boundary.
A small lab can still exercise the syllabus if you design scenarios rather than merely installing packages. Give the services different hostnames and addresses, create test users and groups, and maintain a short change log. Avoid exposing the lab directly to the public internet, particularly while practicing FTP, SSH, firewall, or VPN settings.
Lab sequence for service dependencies
Begin with basic name resolution and network connectivity. Add DNS forward and reverse zones, then test with dig and host. Next configure DHCP in an isolated network, checking leases and logs. Once those foundations work, add Apache, HTTPS, Squid, and Nginx so you can compare direct service access with proxy and reverse-proxy paths.
Add Samba and NFS after the network foundation is stable. Test both Linux-side access and permission behavior, not just whether a share appears. Then build the identity sequence: local PAM, LDAP queries, OpenLDAP data and access controls. Finish with mail services and the security domain, where firewall, SSH, FTP, and OpenVPN changes can affect every earlier service.
What to record after each exercise
For each lab task, write five short entries: the intended result, the configuration files changed, the command used to validate it, the log or status output that confirms it, and the recovery step. This record becomes a revision tool and exposes a common weakness: knowing how to make a service work but not how to prove that it is working correctly.
What should you study first?
Start with the official legacy objectives, then use LPI’s free learning materials only when they correspond to the exam version you are preparing for. LPI says its learning materials follow the current objectives and divide objectives into lessons according to scope and weight. Because 202-400 is an older code, verify the material’s version before treating it as evidence for this exam.
A practical order is DNS and networking foundations, web services, file sharing, identity and client management, email, and security integration. This order follows service dependencies and gives you early diagnostic skills that help with later domains. It is a preparation recommendation, not an LPI requirement.
Phase one: map the objectives
Create a spreadsheet with every legacy objective from 207.1 through 212.5. Add columns for confidence, lab completed, configuration files, commands, troubleshooting notes, and last review. Mark an objective as complete only when you can describe its purpose and perform or interpret a basic administrative task without copying a procedure.
Do not use a third-party topic list as your master syllabus. The LPI Wiki objective page is the controlling reference for the legacy structure supplied here. If a study source omits Samba, OpenLDAP, mail retrieval, or OpenVPN, that omission is a signal to compare the source with the objective list.
Phase two: learn by service pairs
Study related technologies together: BIND with DNS query tools; Apache HTTPS with Nginx reverse proxy; Samba with NFS; DHCP with PAM and LDAP client behavior; Postfix with local and remote delivery; firewalling with SSH and OpenVPN. For each pair, write the distinction that prevents confusion. Examples include authoritative versus caching DNS, file sharing versus directory lookup, and mail transfer versus mailbox retrieval.
Phase three: troubleshoot deliberately
Break one setting at a time. Remove a required DNS record, introduce a malformed zone entry, restrict an NFS export incorrectly, change a Samba permission, alter a PAM rule in a recoverable snapshot, or block an intended firewall path. Then diagnose using status commands, logs, queries, and configuration-test utilities. The objective is disciplined diagnosis, not memorization of a preferred fix.
When you review an error, ask whether it is caused by syntax, service state, name resolution, identity, permissions, network reachability, or policy. That classification is more transferable than memorizing isolated error messages.
Phase four: rehearse concise answers
The exam format includes multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions. Practice identifying the exact noun, option, file, utility, or configuration concept requested. For a fill-in response, pay attention to spelling, punctuation, command names, and whether the question asks for a file, daemon, directive, or utility. Rehearse from the objectives and your own lab notes, not from unauthorized or leaked exam content.
A practical six-stage study roadmap
A staged roadmap is more reliable than reading every topic once and hoping it remains available under pressure. Use the stages below as a sequence, adjusting the time spent according to your existing administration experience and the result of your objective self-assessment. The checkpoints are practical recommendations, not official pass criteria.
At the end of each stage, require evidence from yourself: a working lab result, a troubleshooting explanation, or a closed-book command-and-file recall exercise. If you cannot produce that evidence, keep the topic in rotation rather than moving on because the reading is finished.
Stage one: confirm the target
Verify whether your appointment or preparation target is actually 202-400. Check LPI’s current LPIC-2 overview and the official scheduling route. If the target is 202-450, replace the legacy objective map immediately. If the target remains 202-400 through an existing approved path, retain a copy of the applicable objective version and use it as your study boundary.
Stage two: establish foundations
Refresh network addressing, ports, name resolution, service management, permissions, logs, and basic shell administration. These are not separate legacy Exam 202 domains, but gaps here make DNS, DHCP, Samba, LDAP, mail, and firewall troubleshooting unnecessarily difficult. Build the lab and validate host-to-host communication before adding complex services.
Stage three: complete the core services
Work through DNS, Apache, HTTPS, Squid, Nginx, Samba, and NFS. Give Samba extra revision because Samba Server Configuration carries weight 5 in the File Sharing domain. For every service, produce a one-page operational note with purpose, configuration, validation, access control, and recovery.
Stage four: connect identity and mail
Study DHCP, PAM, LDAP client usage, OpenLDAP server configuration, Postfix, local delivery, and remote delivery. Trace a user or message through the system rather than treating each utility as independent. Recheck the objective list after each lab so that awareness items, alternate products, and file-format details are not lost while you focus on the main daemon.
Stage five: harden and diagnose
Finish with routing and NAT, firewall filtering, FTP, SSH, security-alert sources, IDS awareness, and OpenVPN. Include both configuration and verification. For SSH and OpenVPN, be able to explain what makes a connection secure and how you would determine whether a failure is caused by keys, addresses, routes, ports, filtering, or daemon configuration.
Stage six: conduct a readiness review
Use the objective spreadsheet to select weak areas rather than rereading the entire syllabus. Perform a clean-lab build or a sequence of timed administration exercises without notes, then explain each result. Review mistakes by objective and failure category. Schedule only when the exam version, language, delivery channel, and eligibility requirements have been confirmed through official sources.
Which exam format and delivery details are verified?
For current LPIC-2 exams, LPI states that each exam has 60 multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions and a 90-minute time limit. The current LPIC-2 overview lists English, German, Japanese, and Brazilian Portuguese at VUE test centers, and English and Japanese online through OnVUE. These details describe the current LPIC-2 information, not proof that legacy 202-400 can still be booked in those channels.
LPI’s online-testing page says OnVUE candidates need a quiet, private location, a reliable computer with a camera, and a stable internet connection. It also states that the OnVUE platform is available in English only and that Windows and macOS are supported. Confirm the live system requirements and appointment availability before choosing online delivery.
Scheduling checks before payment
Confirm the exact exam code, the current availability in your country, the delivery channel, and the language offered on that channel. LPI directs candidates to Pearson VUE to see which exams are currently available and schedule an appointment. Do not rely on a price or appointment claim copied from an old guide; LPI states that exam prices vary by region.
Eligibility and certification outcome
LPIC-2 requires an active LPIC-1 certification and passing both Exam 201 and Exam 202. The LPIC-2 certification has a 5-year validity period according to LPI’s overview. These are certification-level requirements; they do not mean that every candidate must take 201 immediately before 202, and the legacy objectives state that exams may be taken in any order provided all requirements are met.
Online testing decision
Choose OnVUE only if your computer, operating system, camera, internet connection, private space, and language needs meet the current requirements. Candidates who study on Linux should pay particular attention to the stated operating-system limitation for online testing. If that makes online delivery unsuitable, check Pearson VUE test-center options instead.
What mistakes waste preparation time?
The most expensive mistakes are version confusion, shallow service coverage, and studying commands without testing outcomes. A candidate can spend weeks learning accurate Linux administration and still prepare for the wrong objective set. Prevent that by keeping the exam code visible in your study plan and by tying each revision task to a named legacy objective.
The following errors are practical warning signs rather than official scoring rules. Correct them before booking or before using a practice assessment as a readiness signal.
Mistaking an old objective page for a current blueprint
The supplied LPI Wiki page identifies its objectives as version 4.0.0 and contains a notice that the page is outdated. It remains useful for understanding the legacy 202-400 syllabus, but it should not be presented as the current LPIC-2 blueprint. Pair it with LPI’s current overview when making a scheduling decision.
Memorizing product names without boundaries
Knowing that BIND, Apache, Samba, Postfix, or OpenVPN appears in the objectives is not enough. Be able to state what problem the service solves, which clients or peers use it, how access is restricted, and how you would verify its state. This prevents confusion between similar tools and improves troubleshooting accuracy.
Ignoring lower-weight objectives
Weight 1 or weight 2 objectives still belong to the exam. Do not spend every study session on the largest items and leave security tasks, DHCP, FTP, or OpenVPN untouched. A short objective-by-objective review near the end is more efficient than discovering omissions after scheduling.
Treating practice questions as a substitute for administration
Question practice can expose terminology gaps, but it cannot replace configuration, validation, and diagnosis. Avoid exam dumps, leaked questions, and memorization-based promises. Use official objectives, LPI learning materials matched to the relevant version, documentation, and controlled lab work instead.
Using an unsupported pass-score prediction
LPI reports scores on a scale from 200 to 800 with a passing score of 500, but it also explains that the required number of correct answers depends on the exact combination and difficulty of questions. Do not convert a practice result into a guaranteed pass percentage or assume that a fixed number of correct responses is sufficient.
What should you do next?
Your next action should be administrative, not another round of unfocused reading: verify whether the intended appointment is 202-400 or the current 202-450. Then download the matching official objectives, build the objective tracker, and choose a lab sequence that starts with DNS and ends with security integration.
If 202-400 is confirmed as your permitted target, use the legacy domain map in this guide to organize study, giving special attention to Samba Server Configuration and the weight 4 objectives. If the current exam is 202-450, discard the legacy map as a complete syllabus and follow the current LPI objectives instead.
Before scheduling, check Pearson VUE availability through LPI’s official guidance, confirm your LPIC-1 status and the other LPIC-2 requirement, verify the delivery language and system conditions, and retain the objective version associated with your appointment. That sequence reduces the risk of preparing thoroughly for an exam you cannot take or an objective set that does not match your booking.
Conclusion
202-400 should be approached as a legacy LPIC-2 Exam 202 target, not assumed to be the current exam. Its preparation value lies in understanding integrated administration: name services, web infrastructure, file sharing, identity, mail, and security controls. Verify the code first, study from the matching official objectives, practise in a controlled lab, and schedule only through the current official availability route. Those decisions make the preparation plan specific, defensible, and aligned with the certification outcome you actually need.
