EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is one of the best-known offensive security certifications. It teaches the tools and techniques attackers use, so you can find and fix weaknesses before they do.
I first passed CEH in 2010. On this page you’ll find what the exam covers, how I’d prepare if I were starting today, a free study plan, and ways to work with me if you want help getting across the line.
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How I passed
I first passed CEH in 2010. [LEO TO CONFIRM: your sheet lists CEH v3 to v13. Say which versions you’ve sat or renewed through, and whether you hold CEH Master or CEH Practical.]
What the exam covers
CEH covers the full attack lifecycle across 20 modules, including:
- Footprinting, reconnaissance, scanning and enumeration
- Vulnerability analysis and system hacking
- Malware threats, sniffing and social engineering
- Denial of service and session hijacking
- Evading IDS, firewalls and honeypots
- Hacking web servers, web applications and SQL injection
- Wireless, mobile, IoT and OT hacking
- Cloud computing and cryptography
Exam format
- 125 multiple-choice questions in four hours (exam code 312-50)
- An optional six-hour hands-on CEH Practical exam leads to CEH Master
- Requires official training or two years of security experience to sit the exam
Exam details change. Check the official exam page before you book. Official CEH page.
Who it’s for
Penetration testers, SOC analysts, security engineers and anyone who wants to understand how attacks work so they can defend against them.
How to prepare
- Build a home lab and run the tools yourself. Nmap, Metasploit, Wireshark and Burp should feel familiar.
- Learn what each tool does and which phase of an attack it belongs to.
- Memorize common ports, scan types and their flags.
- Do practice exams until you consistently score well above the passing mark.
- Check the current CEH version’s eligibility rules before you book.
Free CEH study plan
Get my step-by-step CEH study plan by email: what to study each week, the resources worth your time, and a checklist for the week before the exam. It’s free.
[FORM: email signup for the CEH study plan. Tag subscribers with “312-50” so follow-up emails match this exam.]
CEH course
If you’d rather follow a structured path, my CEH course walks you through every exam domain with lessons, labs where they apply, and practice questions. You can also browse practice exams and guides in the store.
Book a session
Stuck on a domain, failed once already, or short on time? In a 1:1 session we go through where you are, what’s left, and a plan to get you to exam day. Book a session, or see 1:1 certification coaching. Training a team? Ask about corporate team training.
Verify
I hold the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification from EC-Council.
What to take next
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