About the CPENT
EC-Council is rewriting the standards of penetration testing skill development with the Certified Penetration Testing Professional, the CPENT certification program. What makes this program unique is our approach that allows you to attain two certifications with just one exam. The key philosophy behind the CPENT is simple – a penetration tester is as good as their skills; that’s why we urge you to go beyond Kali Linux and go beyond tools.
Not that we don’t believe in the OS or tools, but candidates with an over-reliance on Kali tools find it incredibly difficult to adapt to the multi-disciplinary approach of the real-world penetration testing engagements. We urge you to go beyond and explore the vast horizons of penetration testing that differentiate the great from the good. Ergo, the knowledge, skills, and abilities you learn from the CPENT program will allow you to challenge network types and not just one or two specialties. What makes the CPENT different is the requirement to display skills across multiple disciplines, forcing the candidate to “think on their feet.” It makes CPENT the first of its kind in the list of Pen testing programs! Our research shows that knowledge-based certifications alone do not necessarily equate to well-rounded skillsets when the candidates are put on a complex cyber range. In fact, many do not even have the skills to create routing tables, which is the first step to pivot invisible networks. Without the use of an automated tool, most pen testers struggled, then when simple stateless filtering was present, the few that had added the correct networking details stalled, and only a few ever got past the first hurdle. In short, no one made it through all of the hurdles, leading to the creation of the CPENT.
The Purpose of the CPENT
Years of research showed us that most pentesting candidates have gaps in their skills when it comes to multiple disciplines. Furthermore, the metrics revealed that when the targets are not located on either the same or a directly connected and reachable segment, a few can perform as well as they do it when on a direct or a flat network.
That’s why, for the first time in the industry, the assessment for the Certified Penetration Tester (CPENT) will be about multiple disciplines and not just one or two specialty types. Everything presented in the course is through an enterprise network environment that must be attacked, exploited, evaded, and defended. EC-Council’s CPENT provides the industry with the capability to assess a Pentester’s skills across a broad spectrum of “network zones.” What makes the CPENT different is the requirement to be provided a variety of different scopes of work so that the candidate can “think on their feet.” The result of this is that different zones represent various types of testing. Anyone attempting the test will have to perform their assessment against these different zones.
Exam features:
- Choose your challenge! Either two 12-hour sessions or a single 24-hour exam!
- Join the league of extraordinary pen testers by scoring more than 90% and becoming an LPT (Master)!
We strongly recommend candidates to attempt the CEH (Practical) and/ or ECSA (Practical) prior to attempting the CPENT Challenge.
Blue PrintPassing Criteria:
In order to maintain the high integrity of our certification exams, EC-Council Exams are provided in multiple forms (i.e., different question banks). Each form is carefully analyzed through beta testing with an appropriate sample group under the purview of a committee of subject matter experts that ensure that each of our exams not only have academic rigor but also have “real world” applicability. We also have a process to determine the difficulty rating of each question. The individual rating then contributes to an overall “Cut Score” for each exam form. To ensure each form has equal assessment standards, cut scores are set on a “per exam form” basis. Depending on which exam form is challenged, cut scores can range from 60% to 85%.
Clause: Age Requirements and Policies Concerning Minors
Minors are not permitted to take the EC-Council exam without a written consent/indemnity letter signed by their parent or legal guardian, along with a supporting letter from their institution of learning. Only candidates from a nationally accredited institution of learning shall be considered.
Minor/Adult legal ages are defined by the country of residence/origin for the candidate. For further clarification or to submit a letter of consent, please contact [email protected]. EC-Council reserves the right to revoke the certification status of candidates in case of non-compliance with this policy.
Disclaimer (Certification vs. Licensure)
- The terms “Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT)” and “LPT (Master)” refer to a professional certification designation awarded by EC-Council upon successful performance in the CPENT examination framework.
- This designation is not a government-issued professional license.
- The certification does not confer statutory authority, or regulatory permissions required to practice in any jurisdiction.
- EC-Council certification reflects successful completion of EC-Council’s credentialing requirements only.
- The certification does not replace or constitute any legal licensure that may be required by local, state, national, or international regulations.
Policy and Enforcement
- EC-Council reserves the right to impose additional restrictions to comply with its policies.
- EC-Council reserves the right to modify certification policies without prior notice.
- EC-Council reserves the right to revoke the certification of any individual found to be in breach of its policies.