Passed the CEH today....

McxRisley

So far starters I would like to say that I personally did not want to tkae this test but the DoD requires it, so I went and took it. I read a lot of threads here on techexams and honestly I gota say that a lot of people here are really making this test out to be harder than it actually is. all of the practice exams I did were 10x harder than the real thing. I studied for a week and a half(this is how long it took for me to get my voucher code and schedule the test). I read half of the Sybex book and decided that it was a waste of time to finish it since I already knew pretty much everything in it. I did probably a few hundred questions on Skillset as well. Overall dealing with the EC-Council has been the worst experience of my life. They sent me 4-5 of the same emails everytime and only emailed me back at around 1 am every morning. If you are currently thinking about taking this exam, you DO NOT need to spend 3 months studdying for this exam. You need to understand basic networking/network security, authentication protocols, malware/viruses/trojans, and a handful of attacks.

DatabaseHead

Great job, this certifications is found in a lot of security jobs, as required or preferred.

Out of 8,000 security jobs searched on a unnamed job board, ~10% of them either required or preferred the C|EH. Second only to the CISSP which was ~45%.

p@r0tuXus

Congrats on your pass! I'm hoping to schedule this very soon. How is the OSCP coming along?
Thanks for this quick write-up and the encouragement.

McxRisley

It's going well man, I have 44 hosts down and my exam is scheduled for this sunday.

Moldygr33nb3an

A lot of people who go for the CEH have very little IT background, hence why people make it seem harder than it really is.

Also not everyone wants certifications for the paper. Some people actually want to LEARN the material. You stated you already knew the material so obviously it wouldn't be worth the trouble learning it again.

McxRisley

I didn't get it "for the paper", I got it because the DoD wanted me to have it. Also I wouldn't consider this the best way to learn hacking, I would suggest eJPT or others and then maybe pick up the CEH once you have some actual hands on experience.

636-555-3226

Congratulations on the awesome pass! Now go forth and hack the world with your l33tness

Moldygr33nb3an

McxRisley wrote: »

I didn't get it "for the paper", I got it because the DoD wanted me to have it. Also I wouldn't consider this the best way to learn hacking, I would suggest eJPT or others and then maybe pick up the CEH once you have some actual hands on experience.

When I used the term "paper" I meant it in the same context as someone going for a degree. "I just need the paper so I can get a better job." It's semantics.

If it wasn't for the CEH price, I would recommend it to anyone as their first stop into "hacking;" assuming you have an IT Fundamentals background. I've never done the eJPT, but I would assume it is more advanced than the CEH because there is some practicality to the exam - from what I read.

McxRisley

Lol thanks man, I'm not proud of it. Honestly the test was really a disgrace to those who spend months studying for it. This certification in no shape or form even remotely prepares you for real pen testing.

McxRisley

The eJPT is a better option since it has relevent attacks and gives you a decent foundation for learning more about pen testing.

Dr. Fluxx

I'm paying out of pocket, and after review of the CEH (I mean, the name alone should be a red flag) I decided to spend my $$ elsewhere, so the OSCP it is.

McxRisley

Ya I paid out of packet for it as well, I will say that while you wont really learn anything, I did get 2 emails about setting up interviews just a few hours after updating my resume on various job sites.

TacoRocket

I see you saw my thread! Hopefully I was able to help steer expectations of the exam. Congrats on the pass! Let us know how OSCP goes. I'm looking forward to it when I can get these SANS classes out of the way.

Erik1

What is the difference between GCIH and CEH? Are they close to each other in material? Thanks

9bits

Congrats. I'm taking it next month and wasn't sure what to expect. The price of the test alone ($700+$100) is enough to give a person anxiety.

E Double U

Erik1 wrote: »

What is the difference between GCIH and CEH? Are they close to each other in material? Thanks

There is a quite a bit of overlap in material.

One major difference is more employers ask for C|EH than GCIH

9bits

E Double U wrote: »

There is a quite a bit of overlap in material.

One major difference is more employers ask for C|EH than GCIH

There's quite a price difference, too, isn't there?

IronmanX

9bits wrote: »

There's quite a price difference, too, isn't there?

"When purchasing a SANS training course, the cost for the corresponding exam is$689. You may purchase an exam without formal SANS training; it is called a GIAC Certification attempt- The cost to challenge an exam is $1,249. The fee includes 2 practice exams (a $278 value) and 1 proctored exam."

SANS training is like $5000+ USD but i hear its very good.

TechGuru80

OP, everybody has different backgrounds that make the exam either easy or more difficult...the fact that you knew the information just shows you already were past the intended audience.

The reason why you got emails back at 1am is because most of their support is done out of like Malaysia.

E Double U

McxRisley wrote: »

Overall dealing with the EC-Council has been the worst experience of my life. They sent me 4-5 of the same emails everytime

Easily the worst certification provider I have dealt with in my career.