GPEN Passed!!!!!

Well I passed my GPEN exam yesterday!!!

81%

So excited I didn't sleep last night!

It was a brutal exam. Finished with 8 seconds left!! Down to the wire and every second counted!!

With that said, here are my tips:

1. Solid Index is key. Make it searchable and easy to use. Best advice for this, alphabetize your index (obvious but helpful) and have a small definition followed by page number. (Keyword,Definition,Pagenumber) Can't stress enough how helpful it was because you won't have time to read it in the book!! If anyone wants to see a small sample of my index, PM me and I can give you a small sample to give you jump start! If you can't find key words within 15 seconds, you made your index wrong! You will need to make modifications to your index multiple times throughout the studying process. This is normal.

2. Practice exams are very similar to actual exam!

3. Had tons of screenshots of tools! Practice with the tools listed in the courseware!

4. Important sections in general are Metasploit, Powershell, SQL injection and Windows commands!

5. Keep calm and carry on!

Now it's time for some R&R for 2 weeks and play some video games. Maybe Overwatch or some old school n64 not sure!

But after this I will be getting into GXPN next and getting revenge on Server+ just because!

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Comments

TheFORCE

Congratulations man! You have been making progress in all fronts recently! Keep up thw goos job. Did your company foot the bill for this? How long have you been preparing for?

E Double U

Congratulations!

How much of an overlap is there between C|EH and GPEN material?

[Deleted User]

Thanks guys!!

I paid for the exam and stuff out of my own pocket!! (Being single has it's benefits)

I bought my exam attempt back in the end of Nov 2016 like Nov 28 or so. About 4 months (length of the exam attempt with no extensions)

In regards to overlap from C|EH, I would say only what is covered with Nmap at the most.

Reason for that is because C|EH mostly covered basic switches like -sS -sP -Pn etc.

Where GPEN covers NSE scripts, other useful switches such as --top-ports and more real world side of using Nmap not just how do you do a SYN Scan type of questions but actually tshooting output from Nmap to understanding output and interpret results.

Also, C|EH just covers things like What is Metasploit where GPEN covers actually configuring, using and applying the framework and useful features of the framework. (in otherwords, GPEN covers more technical info than C|EH)

Also, C|EH just covers more theory of Pen testing and provides a solid methodology imo. But GPEN covers things from more of a Pen test consulting side. Ex: Rules of engagement, Scope Creep etc. is covered in GPEN where C|EH covers nothing of the sort.

I can't say much else without violating NDA (and we know how that turns out on here don't we)

If anyone has more specific questions about GPEN about studying tips, PM me and let me know!

scoobydoes

Congratulations brother!!! I knew you were sweating it, but you did it! And thanks for sharing your tips in approaching the exam.

[Deleted User]

Thanks man! Yeah I was nervous as all get out!

[Deleted User]

So question to anyone who got the GPEN recently or anyone who has a GIAC cert, how long did it take for GIAC to update the directory with your name and to get the digital badge and getting your certificate? I also was wondering if anyone can answer if it is ok to use the GPEN logo as my avatar on the site without breaking any logo terms? I didn't see anything on the site saying I can't!

636-555-3226

You can use the cert & logo as soon as you pass the test since you're pretty much official as of that date. The site usually takes just one or two business days to update in my experience. get rid of that CEH junk and get a GPEN logo on there!

Ertaz

kMastaFlash wrote: »

So question to anyone who got the GPEN recently or anyone who has a GIAC cert, how long did it take for GIAC to update the directory with your name and to get the digital badge and getting your certificate? I also was wondering if anyone can answer if it is ok to use the GPEN logo as my avatar on the site without breaking any logo terms? I didn't see anything on the site saying I can't!

It took around two days. I had my paper cert within a week.

JoJoCal19

Congrats on the pass!!

JasminLandry

Congrats on the pass!

quogue66

kMastaFlash wrote: »

So question to anyone who got the GPEN recently or anyone who has a GIAC cert, how long did it take for GIAC to update the directory with your name and to get the digital badge and getting your certificate? I also was wondering if anyone can answer if it is ok to use the GPEN logo as my avatar on the site without breaking any logo terms? I didn't see anything on the site saying I can't!

Congrats...I think I received mine within 2-3 days

yoba222

Nice! !

teawreckz

Congrats! I'll be saving these points for once I get to GPEN. I'm finishing up the GSEC bootcamp On-demand. Dr. Cole is awesome at breaking things down.

Would you be able to do a snapshot of the formatting for the index? Or maybe a template?

Mike7

kMastaFlash wrote: »

So question to anyone who got the GPEN recently or anyone who has a GIAC cert, how long did it take for GIAC to update the directory with your name and to get the digital badge and getting your certificate?

Congrats! GIAC sent the "exam passed, congrats!" email within an hour of finishing the exam followed by digital badge email a day later. You can look for your digital badge in the GIAC portal

JasperSK

Hi

I just failed my gpen exam and i decided to retake the exam, can you share some tips for me ?

ben128

I also want to know. My account don't have enough permission to PM kMastaFlash.

khiemkp

Congratulations!

InCryptable

kMastaFlash wrote: »

Well I passed my GPEN exam yesterday!!! 81%

...here are my tips:

1. Solid Index is key. Make it searchable and easy to use. Best advice for this, alphabetize your index (obvious but helpful) and have a small definition followed by page number. (Keyword,Definition,Pagenumber) Can't stress enough how helpful it was because you won't have time to read it in the book!! If anyone wants to see a small sample of my index, PM me and I can give you a small sample to give you jump start!

I too would be interested in seeing a sample of your index. Thanks for the other tips as well.

mad23e_marius

Congratulations! Could you please provide me your index. Thanks !

InCryptable

I don't think we are going to get a sample of his/her GPEN index...I still have not heard anything.

TechGromit

Congratulations. Did you index include the format of commands and what all the switches mean. Every time I took a GIAC exam, they always seemed to ask me about a command parameter switch I didn't know and I’d bet you $100 it wasn’t in the books. I started adding command format and switches into my last index, did you have anything similar? I can’t say I attempted the GPEN yet, but I plan on taking it in the future.

[Deleted User]

Sorry for the delay with this. I decided to make it easier for everyone by inserting an image sample of my GPEN index. I hope this provides a sample layout of how to set yours up.

GPEN Index sample.jpg

StonerJerry

Sorry to be tardy to the party but how did you go about using a file as an index? Everything I just experienced with my GSEC certification led me to believe it had to be written indexes. Congratulations on passing! I just signed up for a OnDemand SEC560 to follow up my GSEC and it seems like an exciting course from everything I've read.

TechGromit

StonerJerry wrote: »

Sorry to be tardy to the party but how did you go about using a file as an index? Everything I just experienced with my GSEC certification led me to believe it had to be written indexes. Congratulations on passing! I just signed up for a OnDemand SEC560 to follow up my GSEC and it seems like an exciting course from everything I've read.

I think your taking the word "written" too literal. You don't have to write everything out by hand, you can create your spreadsheets, notes, etc on a computer and Print them out to bring with you. The only restriction is what you bring with you must be written/typed/scribbled on Paper, Parchment or stone tablets (And of course your course books), no pen/pencil/marker/quill or hammer/chisel (for those stone tablets) allowed. Also I believe you have to be able to carry in what you bring, you can use a box if you want, but no hand truck allowed. (Better leave those stone tablets home).

Adel_Saddah

Congrats.. Can you send me your index? I know I have to do it myself but it will be helpful to see yours as well..

TechGromit

And a copy of your cert too, I know I have to get my own, but a photocopy of yours with the name whited out be oh so helpful.

billows

Congrats! GPEN is also one of my targets to achieve this year or early next year

DonTico

CONGRATS and thanks for the tips

IntrusionNewb

Congrats on the pass.

brusell

Hi kMastaFlash,
I'm currently preparing myself by selfstudy for GPEN exam (from official training books).
Do you mind to share with me few info how exactly exam is organized?

Many thanks.