GPEN - On Demand

Has anyone here taken GPEN via SANS ON-Demand? and if so how was it?
My job just approved this and debating to either go attend live or purchase the On-Demand package.

Thanks

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IaHawk

I have not taken it, but if I could pick I would do a live event with Ed. Another recommendation would be to attend the SANS Pen Test event...lots of "extras" included and geared towards Pen Testing.

Pen Test Austin
https://www.sans.org/event/pen-test-austin-2018/course/network-penetration-testing-ethical-hacking

Includes 3 nights of Core NetWars and one night of NetWars Cyber City ($3000 value)
https://content.sans.org/sites/default/files/2017-12/Brochure_PT-Austin-2018_WEB.PDF.pdf

You can always add OnDemand access for $700 or so.

TechGuru80

I did GWAPT via ondemand and it was fine..I assume the same would be true for GPEN. If you can get work to let you go to the live conference you get to network though which can be valuable.

UnixGuy

Always go for the class room option if you can

quogue66

itcsps4 wrote: »

Has anyone here taken GPEN via SANS ON-Demand? and if so how was it?
My job just approved this and debating to either go attend live or purchase the On-Demand package.

Thanks

I took GPEN on-demand last year. It was a great class. If I had the choice I would have taken it live.

Randy_Randerson

itcsps4 wrote: »

Has anyone here taken GPEN via SANS ON-Demand? and if so how was it?
My job just approved this and debating to either go attend live or purchase the On-Demand package.

Thanks

I took it OnDemand about 4 months ago. I think it was fine. They do videos now in a studio to go over material and teach you like you're in the class. I'm also one who is not a big advocate for live training either, but that is mainly because of my career role. It is extremely hard to just be gone for 8 days (6 day course + 2 days travel) and not have a fire to put out. That means I have to leave the class for an hour or 2 in order to deal with something that is going on. OnDemand is amazing for me because I can just pause it and do what I need and keep on going. Or I can go home and work on it or just crank out 4-5 hours during the weekend.

TechGromit

It's probably nice to be able to take SANS training in shorter training session than a full 8 to 10 hour class, but you need to be aware that often the material isn't updated as often as live training is. When I was studying for my GREM, some of the page numbers the instructor was referring on the MP3's were not the same page numbers that my books had. Also you can't ask a video questions. As for not being able to get away for 8 days to do training, what exactly do you do when you go on vacation? Do you have to be oncall when your trying to get some time off of work? Unless the building at work is actually on fire, I don't want to be bothered if I'm on vacation or in training. Be it vacation or training, your employer should plan accordingly, that your going to be unavailable.

InCryptable

GPEN on Demand is tough...if you don't have a lot of experience with the tools used (or none). When you do your index, do a separate index of all of the commands used throughout the course/labs.
Also, note...Ed Skoudis (just like John Strand dose the same) during the audio portion seems to get excited as he's getting ready to explain a command and he starts talking super fast. It's the only pet-peeve I have with both of these instructors - It's like Dude (quoting Ed Skoudis here), SLOW Down....you're trying to teach me something and you're going WAY to fast. I literally sit there talking back to my MP3 player, Phone, whatever asking him to just slow down and explain things - I understand he's an expert...sometimes I don't think he realizes that we are not!

Jasiono

I would definitely go to the live classroom.

You have the option of getting questions answered and you get more out of it. More information is spoken in the classroom that might be cut out.

You meet new people too

xployt

Just failed my GPEN today. If anyone has any tips they'd like to share I would appreciate it. Any assistance would be appreciated.

Regards

TechGuru80

What did you score on your practice tests?

UnixGuy

@xployt: Sorry to hear that mate! Did you index your books? Did you find there were a lot of questions outside the books?

echoing TechGuru, how much did you score on your practice tests and on the actual test?

Those answers will help us guide you with better tips

itcsps4

So I ended up taking the class via Virtual Classroom and bundled the On-Demand package with it; I must say I enjoyed the On-Demand better since I was able to actually digest and breakdown the material at my own pace. I found that the V-live class went super fast.. but its only 5 days to cover tons of material so I wasn't surprised.

I plan on taking the GPEN Exam within two weeks - does anyone have extra practice tests they lying around?

mjs1104

I am currently enrolled in 560 OnDemand and it's a great course. Ed Skoudis is probably my favorite SANS instructor. It's one of the few courses that is specifically designed via the SANS OnDemand studio (FOR610 is the other one I've taken so far that utilizes the same format). I take the test in two weeks, wish me luck.