Overview
The Zabbix 7.0 Certified Specialist (ZCS) is the foundational certification for Zabbix monitoring platform professionals. This certification validates your ability to install, configure, and maintain Zabbix monitoring infrastructure, create effective monitoring templates, and troubleshoot common issues in production environments.
Zabbix is one of the world's most popular open-source monitoring solutions, used by thousands of organizations to monitor networks, servers, cloud infrastructure, and applications. The ZCS certification demonstrates your competence in implementing core Zabbix functionality including data collection, trigger configuration, visualization, and alerting mechanisms.
This certification is ideal for system administrators, DevOps engineers, NOC technicians, and IT operations professionals who work with infrastructure monitoring and want to validate their Zabbix expertise at the foundational level.
Key Topics Covered
The ZCS exam tests your knowledge and skills in the following areas:
- Zabbix Architecture: Understanding Zabbix components (server, frontend, agent, proxy), deployment models, and communication protocols
- Installation & Configuration: Installing Zabbix server, database setup, web interface configuration, and initial system setup
- Host Monitoring: Adding and configuring hosts, managing host groups, applying templates, and configuring host interfaces
- Items & Data Collection: Creating items for data collection, understanding item types (agent, SNMP, IPMI, JMX), item keys, and update intervals
- Triggers: Defining trigger expressions, setting severity levels, implementing trigger dependencies, and managing trigger hysteresis
- Templates: Creating and managing templates, linking templates to hosts, template inheritance, and best practices for template design
- Visualization: Building dashboards, creating graphs and screens, configuring maps, and customizing the frontend interface
- Alerting & Actions: Configuring media types, setting up user notifications, defining actions, and managing escalations
- Basic Troubleshooting: Using Zabbix logs, debugging data collection issues, and resolving common configuration problems
- User Management: Creating users and user groups, assigning permissions, and implementing role-based access control
Prerequisites
Required Knowledge: Basic understanding of Linux/Unix systems, networking fundamentals, and database basics
Recommended Experience: 3-6 months of hands-on experience with Zabbix monitoring
Recommended Training: Zabbix Certified Specialist training course or equivalent self-study
Exam Information
Exam Code
Duration
Exam Cost
Validity
Exam Format
Type: Online proctored exam with multiple-choice and scenario-based questions
Questions: Approximately 40-50 questions covering all exam objectives
Passing Score: 70% or higher
Language: Available in English, with other languages depending on region
Delivery: Remote online exam via Zabbix certification portal
Study Resources
Recommended resources for preparing for the Zabbix Certified Specialist exam:
- Zabbix Official Documentation: Comprehensive documentation covering all Zabbix features and configurations
- Zabbix Certified Specialist Training: Official training course provided by Zabbix or authorized partners
- Hands-On Lab Environment: Set up your own Zabbix test environment with multiple hosts and scenarios
- Zabbix Community Forums: Active community for asking questions and learning from experienced users
- Zabbix GitHub Repository: Explore templates, scripts, and community contributions
- Practice Scenarios: Work through real-world monitoring scenarios covering different technologies
Career Benefits:
- Industry Demand: Zabbix skills are in high demand for infrastructure monitoring roles
- Foundation Certification: Starting point for Zabbix Professional and Expert certifications
- Open Source Expertise: Demonstrates competence in enterprise open-source monitoring solutions
- Practical Skills: Validates hands-on ability to implement production monitoring systems
- Career Growth: Opens opportunities in DevOps, SRE, and infrastructure operations teams
Next Steps
Ready to become a Zabbix Certified Specialist?
Follow this recommended preparation path:
- Build Foundation: Ensure you understand Linux basics, networking, and monitoring concepts
- Study Documentation: Read through the official Zabbix 7.0 documentation thoroughly
- Get Hands-On: Install Zabbix and practice with various monitoring scenarios for at least 3 months
- Take Training: Enroll in Zabbix Certified Specialist training course (optional but recommended)
- Practice Exams: Use practice tests to identify knowledge gaps and areas needing improvement
- Schedule Exam: Register for the ZCS 7.0 exam when you feel confident
- مواصلة التعلم: After passing, consider pursuing Zabbix Certified Professional (ZCP)
Visit the Zabbix Certification Portal for official exam objectives, registration, and training information. Join the Zabbix community to connect with other certification candidates and professionals.