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EC-Council · Cybersecurity

CEH

Reconnaissance, scanning, common attack techniques and the controls intended to stop them.

View certification details
Understand the subject

Reconnaissance, scanning, common attack techniques and the controls intended to stop them.

Apply it to the work

Useful when you need to understand an attack path or discuss a vulnerability with testers and defenders. Practise validating findings; recognising a tool name is not enough.

Build practical evidence

Get comfortable with networking, Windows and Linux first. Check whether your goal calls for the knowledge exam, the separate practical assessment or both.

What you will learn to do

Understand the subject

Reconnaissance, scanning, common attack techniques and the controls intended to stop them.

Apply it to the work

Useful when you need to understand an attack path or discuss a vulnerability with testers and defenders. Practise validating findings; recognising a tool name is not enough.

Build practical evidence

Get comfortable with networking, Windows and Linux first. Check whether your goal calls for the knowledge exam, the separate practical assessment or both.

Certification essentials

Requirements, costs and keeping it current.

Check the vendor record and ongoing commitment alongside the career guidance.

Pricing view
Market

Vendor record

Live

EC-Council markets the current programme as CEH AI. The knowledge exam is multiple-choice; do not confuse it with the separate practical exam or the combined CEH Master designation.

Source: EC-Council · Read 19 September 2026

Sourced fields only; this does not mean every exam detail has been verified. Pricing and renewal policies have their own sources and check dates. Confirm the currency, tax and final booking total with the vendor.

Role-fit guidance is TechWaymark editorial interpretation. It is separate from the recorded vendor facts and does not measure hiring outcomes.

Costs and renewal

Exam cost
US$950 remote / US$1,199 test centre
Exam format
Exam format not yet verified — check the vendor's exam page
Keeping it current

Maintain 120 continuing education credits over 3 years and pay the annual CE fee. Paying the fee alone does not fulfil the learning requirement.

Renewal sources & exceptions

Certificate validity is extended in line with fee payments and the CPE cycle. C|CISO has a different fee from CEH, CND and CHFI; check the provider's fee table.

Renewal policy checked 2026-09-28. Check the linked provider policy for current fees and eligibility.

Knowledge exam voucher only. Remote RPS and Pearson VUE are different delivery options. CEH Practical, training, eligibility application and renewal costs are separate. Self-study candidates need eligibility approval before buying. Pearson VUE option: https://store.eccouncil.org/product/ceh-vue-exam-voucher/ Vendor price checked 2026-09-24. Check the vendor record before booking.

Current vendor pricing source ↗
Preparation and practical skills

Recommended prior knowledge

  • Security+ knowledge

Common misconceptions

  • CEH may meet a named requirement; it does not guarantee shortlisting or replace documented work.

What this cert does NOT guarantee

  • Guaranteed interviews, a salary increase or proof of production experience.
Alternatives and related certifications

Where this fits

  • None required
This cert
CEH
  • Top of this lane

Alternative routes

No single right path. These adjacent options reach similar roles.

  • OSCP
    Common follow-on or adjacent credential, see the graph for full lineage.
  • PNPT
    Common follow-on or adjacent credential, see the graph for full lineage.
  • CPTS
    Common follow-on or adjacent credential, see the graph for full lineage.

Adjacent & overlapping

  • OSCP
  • PNPT
  • CPTS
Career outcomes and limitations

Realistic first roles

Ethical-hacking study or a named credential requirement

How people actually get here

    Real-world career variations

    Timeline expectations

    1. Months 0–2Foundation reading, concepts, vocabulary.
    2. Months 2–4Hands-on labs, documented home projects.
    3. Months 4–6Practice exams, weak-area drills, exam.
    4. Post-examUse target vacancies to guide applications and projects. There is no guaranteed time to a first role.

    Study resources

    Study options

    Choose the right mix for your goals and experience. Links below go to official and third-party resources.

    Guided study

    Structured resources from established providers can help build knowledge and skills.

    Compare study options →

    Third-party providers. Commercial terms, pricing and availability apply.

    Practice environments

    Explore suitable environments for practical work. Check the tools, features and access you need.

    Compare practice resources →

    External resources. Check current costs and access requirements.

    Resources are selected for relevance. Compare access, syllabus coverage and total cost; a listing does not imply a commercial partnership.

    Compare the resources for CEH
    CourseProvider source

    EC-Council CEH iLearn (self-paced)

    Video + Labs

    Check the resource provider for current local pricing
    View resource
    LabProvider source

    EC-Council iLabs (CEH cyber range)

    Hands-on

    Check the resource provider for current local pricing
    View resource
    ReferenceProvider source

    Official CEH v13 courseware

    Reading

    Check the resource provider for current local pricing
    View resource

    Check the current syllabus, access terms and total cost before choosing. Resource inclusion does not guarantee exam success.

    Optional home projects

    Build something you can explain.

    Ideas to explore after choosing a certification, using your own tools and keeping evidence of your work.

    Example project evidence
    Project evidence map (example)
    Finding validation worksheetScope and inputs
    Sanitised disposition and remediation noteDecisions and reasoning
    Evidence record (example)
    EvidenceWhat to capture
    Finding validation worksheetShow the inputs, scope and decisions behind this record. The finding severity is justified by observed conditions.
    Sanitised disposition and remediation noteInclude the evidence supporting your conclusion. A product version alone is not presented as proof of exploitability.

    Validate a scanner finding before reporting it

    A training scanner reports a possible weakness on a deliberately vulnerable host. The assessor must decide whether the evidence supports the claim.

    Authorised security lab Your own tools Evidence guidance
    View project guide
    Track this certification

    Editorial route and career guidance. No separate external evidence review is recorded for this assessment.

    Editorial evidence review: pending · UK market. Vendor facts and prices elsewhere on this page have their own sources and check dates.