I'm on a mission. RHCSA certification self study. Is it difficult and can I do it without paying for the classes?

Hey All,

Let me start by saying I'm sure these classes are worth it, but I'm too poor to afford them. My linux experiencing involves some basic groundwork at college for two years following a job at a data center working with SolusVM/Veportal VPS administration (Think basic admin details like connectivity/stability/configuration) and troubleshooting.

It's a dream of mine to be recognized as a Red Hat Certified Sysadmin and I'd be on cloud 9 if I could one day be an RHC Engineer. I bought Michael Jang's RHCSA/RHCE cert study guide and after going through both Red Hat's course objectives and perusing the book, I'm pretty confident if I put my mind to it I can eventually conquer RHCSA.

The only thing is taking -just- the RHCSA exam is $400 dollars. I'm happy to pay for the chance, but I'd like to know from some of you out there who've done this what to expect and if I can do this without the classes.

Thanks in advance!