CRTE (Certified Red Team Expert)
CRTE moves to enterprise Windows infrastructure with multiple domains and forests, where candidates assess the environment by abusing functionality and trusts while evading identity and endpoint detection. Altered Security places it one level above CRTP, at intermediate to expert level.
Exam Details
Hands-on exam in an individual, fully patched Active Directory environment. Candidates then submit detailed solutions with practical mitigations.
Includes 30 days of lab access, lifetime course material and one exam attempt. 60 days costs $499 and 90 days $699. Exam retakes cost $99 each.
Requirements and Renewal
Prerequisites
Altered Security lists a basic understanding of red teaming, penetration testing, or blue teaming and security administration of Active Directory environments, and points newcomers to CRTP first.
Renewal
Free renewal exam before expiry (further renewal attempts cost $29), or renew by earning CRTM. From June 2026, expiry is capped at 6 years: once renewals extend a certificate beyond 6 years, it no longer expires.
Exam Domains
14 domains| Domain |
|---|
| Offensive .NET Tradecraft |
| PowerShell Tradecraft and Active Directory Enumeration |
| Local Privilege Escalation |
| Domain Privilege Escalation |
| Lateral Movement |
| Domain Dominance and Persistence |
| Cross Domain Attacks |
| Cross Forest Attacks: Executing Usual Attacks across Forest Trusts |
| Cross Forest Attacks: The Lesser-Known Ones |
| Defenses and Bypass: MDE EDR |
| Defenses and Bypass: MDI |
| Defenses |
| Detection and Detection Bypasses |
| Deception |
Certification Lists
Related Tool Categories
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CRTE stand for?→
CRTE stands for Certified Red Team Expert, Altered Security's certification for its Advanced Red Team Lab.
How long is the CRTE exam?→
Candidates have 48 hours to complete the hands-on exam and must then submit detailed solutions with practical mitigations.
Was the CRTE course updated in 2026?→
Yes. In June 2026 Altered Security announced a revamped course and lab with Windows Server 2025 machines, Credential Guard enabled and no content overlap with CRTP.
How much does CRTE cost?→
The lowest price is $299 for 30 days of lab access with one exam attempt, and retakes cost $99 each.
Sources
Exam details are checked against official Altered Security pages. Fees, exam versions, and renewal rules change; confirm with Altered Security before registering. CRTE is a trademark of its owner. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Altered Security.