CEH vs OSCP
CEH from EC-Council is a 125-question multiple-choice exam spanning reconnaissance, system hacking, network, web, wireless, mobile, IoT, OT, cloud, and cryptography topics. OSCP from OffSec is a practical exam: candidates compromise machines in a lab network and submit a penetration test report.
Side by Side
| CEH | OSCP | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Certified Ethical Hacker | OffSec Certified Professional |
| Issuer | EC-Council | OffSec |
| Level | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| Exam type | Multiple choice | Hands-on practical |
| Questions | 125 | Not published |
| Duration | 4 hours | 23 hours 45 minutes, plus 24 hours to submit the report |
| Passing score | 60% to 85%, depending on the exam form | 70 out of 100 points for exams taken through 2026-11-30; equated scaled scoring from 2026-12-01 |
| Exam fee | $950 | $1,699 |
| Prerequisites | Either official EC-Council training or at least two years of information security work experience with an approved eligibility application. EC-Council recommends at least two years of IT security experience. | None. OffSec awards the credential to candidates who pass the exam. It recommends TCP/IP networking, Windows and Linux administration experience, and basic Bash or Python scripting. |
| Validity | 3 years | Does not expire |
| Renewal | EC-Council Continuing Education (ECE): 120 credits per certification within each three-year cycle and an annual ECE fee of $80. Members who miss the requirements are suspended and have 12 months to comply before revocation. | OSCP does not expire. The OSCP+ designation expires three years after issue. It is renewed by earning 120 CPE credits in the cycle, passing the recertification exam, or passing a qualifying higher-level OffSec exam (OSWA, OSEP, OSWE, OSED, OSMR, OSEE or OSAI+), together with annual AMP ($299 per year) or AMF ($145 per year) coverage where the program rules require it. |
| Exam domains | Information Security and Ethical Hacking Overview; Reconnaissance Techniques; System Hacking Phases and Attack Techniques; Network and Perimeter Hacking; Web Application Hacking; Wireless Network Hacking; Mobile Platform, IoT, and OT Hacking; Cloud Computing; Cryptography | Standalone machines (three machines, initial access and privilege escalation); Active Directory set (three machines, assumed-breach scenario) |
Main Differences
- +Exam format: CEH (312-50) has 125 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours, and EC-Council offers a separate 6-hour CEH (Practical) exam. OSCP is a proctored lab exam of 23 hours 45 minutes, followed by 24 hours to submit a report.
- +Eligibility: CEH requires official EC-Council training or at least two years of information security experience, verified through an eligibility application with a $100 fee. OSCP has no formal prerequisites.
- +Cost: EC-Council lists the CEH exam voucher at $950 for the online proctored exam and $1,199 at Pearson VUE, sold after official training or eligibility approval. OffSec lists the standalone OSCP+ exam at $1,699.
- +Validity: CEH is valid for three years and renews through 120 ECE credits per cycle plus an $80 annual fee. OSCP does not expire, while the OSCP+ designation earned with it expires after three years.
Certification Details
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CEH or OSCP a hands-on exam?→
OSCP is entirely hands-on. The main CEH exam is multiple choice. EC-Council runs a separate 6-hour CEH (Practical) exam with 20 scenarios on live virtual machines and networks.
Does OSCP expire like CEH?→
OSCP itself does not expire. The OSCP+ designation awarded with it expires after three years, and CEH must be renewed every three years.
Sources
- EC-Council: Certified Ethical Hacker
- EC-Council: Certified Ethical Hacker (Practical)
- EC-Council: Application Process and Eligibility
- EC-Council: ECE Policy
- OffSec: PEN-200 and OSCP
- OffSec: OSCP+ Exam Guide
- EC-Council: Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH AI)
- EC-Council: CEH Exam Blueprint v5.0 (PDF)
- EC-Council: CEH v13 launch announcement
- OffSec blog: OSCP+ scoring update
- OffSec Help Center: AI Usage Policy in OffSec Exams
- OffSec Help Center: CPE Program and Annual Maintenance Handbook
- OffSec Help Center: Recertification Exam FAQ
- OffSec Help Center: Certification Exam FAQ
- OffSec Help Center: Annual Maintenance Fee (AMF) FAQ
Exam details come from official issuer pages and are listed in the sources above. Fees and exam versions change; confirm with the issuer before registering.