The CompTIA PenTest+ certification exam is recognized for its challenging nature, assessing both theoretical knowledge and practical skills in penetration testing and vulnerability management.
Exam Structure and Content
The exam comprises up to 85 questions, including multiple-choice and performance-based items, to be completed within 165 minutes. It covers a broad spectrum of topics, such as planning and scoping, information gathering, vulnerability identification, attacks and exploits, and reporting and communication. The inclusion of performance-based questions necessitates hands-on experience, as candidates are required to perform tasks or solve problems in a simulated environment.
Difficulty Level
The difficulty of the PenTest+ exam is subjective and varies based on an individual's background and experience. Some candidates with prior penetration testing experience have found the exam particularly challenging.
This sentiment underscores the exam's rigorous assessment of practical skills.
Additionally, the exam's technical nature requires candidates to interpret code or scripts, which can be demanding for those less familiar with programming languages commonly used in penetration testing. As one candidate observed, This is a very technical exam. Many of the questions require you to be able to read a piece of code or script and know what it is doing.
Preparation Time
Preparation time varies among individuals. A survey of IT professionals indicated that the majority (85%) required less than five months to prepare for the PenTest+ exam. Specifically, 31% needed between six weeks and three months, while 28% managed to prepare in under six weeks.
This variation suggests that prior experience and the quality of study materials significantly influence the preparation duration.
Example
Consider a cybersecurity analyst with two years of experience primarily in defensive roles, such as monitoring network traffic and responding to incidents. Transitioning to a penetration testing role, they decide to pursue the PenTest+ certification. Despite their cybersecurity background, they encounter challenges with the exam's emphasis on offensive techniques, toolsets, and scripting languages. To bridge this gap, they allocate additional study time to hands-on labs and practice with penetration testing tools, ultimately enhancing their practical skills to meet the exam's demands.
