CEH v7 $100 eligibility application fee

securityRISK

I sent this inquiry to EC-Council yesterday:

"I am going to use self-study for my attempt at the CEH v7 exam and do not want to lose the $100 eligibility application fee if you do not approve my CEH application. What are the criteria for determining whether to approve an application for the CEH exam?

How can EC-Council grant approval if all you simply want on the eligibility form are employer and personal contact type data?

Am I missing something on the form/process?

Thanks."

SephStorm

hmm. Thats an interesting question. I believe however that their official eligibility policy is posted on the website inst it?

JDMurray

securityRISK wrote: »

How can EC-Council grant approval if all you simply want on the eligibility form are employer and personal contact type data?

Based on the information on the EC-Council's current CEH Eligibility Requirements page, and comparing the old CEH application form with the new CEH application form, it looks like they did away with requiring official endorsement from a present or past employer about your security-related work experience, and a submitting a copy of your government-issued photo ID, to get a CEH Exam Eligibility Code.

There doesn't seem to be any indication of why a $100USD fee is required to "process" the application, or when you actually pay the fee. Maybe that part comes in email once you request an exam code. I assume you need the code to schedule your the exam, and the free must be paid before you can get the code.

JDMurray

Just for grins, I requested an exam code and promptly received the following email:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the Exam Eligibility Code. I am providing the application for your review as well as a Credit Card Authorization form to remit the $100 non-refundable exam application fee.

To expedite your order, please download and fill out the application COMPLETELY and fax ALL requested documentation including application fee to [URL="tel:1-505-341-0050"]1-505-341-0050[/URL] or email kelly.hopkinson@eccouncil.org.

Also, if you don't currently have your exam voucher I can provide it to you. I have provided EC-Council's credit card authorization form; please fill it out completely including your telephone number and email address and fax it to the number on the form. (The fax will safely arrive at in box of my the EC-Council Director of Accounting.)

Voucher Pricing for either Prometric or VUE in US denominations:

• CEH v6 - $250
• CEH v7- -$500
  
• CHFI - $250
• ECSA- $300

To avoid any delays in obtaining your eligibility code, please double check to make sure your application is complete because payment will not automatically release your code.

Download CEH Exam Eligibility Application

Download Credit Card Authorization Form

This email and the links explain much more of the CEH cert's new certification sign-up process. And from the looks of this, the CHFI and ECSA also have a $100 exam application processing fee too.

the_Grinch

Wow this cert gets less and less useful....

SephStorm

not less useful, but more pricey. $600... Anyone know what the price hike on the exam is for? I assume the iLabs and Frankenstein, but realistically they cost nothing, or close to it, maybe a few bucks on a vmware esxi license and then 2 servers.

JDMurray

The $100USD non-refundable fee might be an attempt to give these EC-Council certs a more professional air by scaring away the "riff-raff" that has been diluting the cert's image. There certainly isn't anything in ISO/IEC 17024 about requiring an application fee. But regardless of the reason, the CEH is now a $600USD cert.

UPDATE: I should clarify that the CEHv6 cert exam is still available until 30 September 2011 at the old price plus application fee ($250 + $100). It is the CEHv7 cert at the new price plus app fee ($500 + $100).

SephStorm

lol, i think the rif-raf came from ec-council.I've only met 1 other CEH in my age group (20's), and he knew his stuff. But EC-Council itself has a long way to go.

rogue2shadow

I was thinking about CHFI but I don't know how I feel about a $100 processing fee just to tell me I'm qualified to do something that is already part of my job (and then again there's always the chance something happens and your non-refundable gets eaten).

JDMurray

I've looked through a lot of computer forensics job postings, and noticed a lot of forensics certs behind people's names, and I've neither seen nor heard mention of the CHFI within the CF community. I'd still like to go through the CHFI training material, but I'm not sure if I'd spend the $350USD on getting the cert itself.

rogue2shadow

JDMurray wrote: »

I've looked through a lot of computer forensics job postings, and noticed a lot of forensics certs behind people's names, and I've neither seen nor heard mention of the CHFI within the CF community. I'd still like to go through the CHFI training material, but I'm not sure if I'd spend the $350USD on getting the cert itself.

Cool cool. Cert wise, I was thinking (to start) the CCFE (I've gained tons of respect for IACRB). The free re-cert (technical exam + lab) every four years will keep me on top of the basics.

JDMurray

For the longest time I've wanted to attend the Gatlin Computer Forensics Examiner training and get the ISFCE CCE cert. But how to have someone else pay for it?

the_Grinch

Ethicalhacker.net has a review of the CHFI and that pretty much let me know to avoid it at this point. As you stated JD, haven't see any fulltime forensics jobs asking for it. Local community college is offering a class for the CCE, but at $3100 it isn't going to happen

JDMurray

the_Grinch wrote: »

Local community college is offering a class for the CCE, but at $3100 it isn't going to happen

Yeah, that's the Gatlin Education Services program which sells packaged courses to colleges. The problem is that no academic credit or CEUs are given for taking Gatlin courses, and that makes getting educational funding for their courses very difficult.

colemic

I bet the GI Bill wont pay for the $100 application fee - I believe it only will cover the cost of the test itself.

Thumbs down to EC-Council.

Ryan82

I took the CHFI course a couple years ago and obtained the cert. What a waste of time that was. Everything produced by that company is crap in my opinion.

Their training method seems to be showing you slide after slide of tools that script kiddies in the field are using in both the CEH and CHFI curriculums. They don't teach you the fundamentals of security or forensic analysis.

powerfool

If you are looking to do at least the CEH and CHFI, you could apply to the WGU MS:ISA and just do one semester... exams and some retake are included along with some study materials.

The increase in cost I think is simply some ego thing after getting on the DoD 8570. "Well, (ISC)2 can get away with it... why not us"?

Actually, if you think about it, would you rather pay a $100 app fee and $500 for the exam, or just $600 for the exam? Retakes would only cost you an additional $500.

powerfool

Ryan82 wrote: »

I took the CHFI course a couple years ago and obtained the cert. What a waste of time that was. Everything produced by that company is crap in my opinion.

Their training method seems to be showing you slide after slide of tools that script kiddies in the field are using in both the CEH and CHFI curriculums. They don't teach you the fundamentals of security or forensic analysis.

That is pretty much exactly how I felt after doing a course earlier this year. The official curriculum is horribly expensive and is just all of the presentation slides without any notes (or even room to take notes) and a couple of weak labs.

Chivalry1

powerfool wrote: »

That is pretty much exactly how I felt after doing a course earlier this year. The official curriculum is horribly expensive and is just all of the presentation slides without any notes (or even room to take notes) and a couple of weak labs.

Who was the vendor that offered the training? I sure hope it was not SecureNinja.

elogateumsato

the real reason they've up the price is because of DoD requirement 8570.

Suddenly hundreds, if not thousands of people need this exam to keep their job.

JDMurray

And the need to finance all of the new courseware materials EC-Council is producing.

azjag

I passed the C|HFI shortly after they started charging a fee but I didn't pay it and entered what WGU gave me for the authorization number. I have not heard from EC-Council about the pass, nor am I interested in paying an additional fee to become "officially" certified after I've passed the test. I still pass the class because I have the score report but I don't get the fancy certificate. Why not just raise the prices again if you need the money. What is with all this nickel and diming us and adding extra hoops to jump through. Making the certification more expensive does not make it more prestigious or desirable. I was looking on their site and noticed the Certified Network Defense Architect (C|NDA) certification. For a mere $100 more you can get this certification if you have the C|EH and work for the government but don't want to put the word "Hacker" on your resume. Anybody else notice a trend with the $100 fees going on?

azjag

colemic wrote: »

I bet the GI Bill wont pay for the $100 application fee - I believe it only will cover the cost of the test itself.

Thumbs down to EC-Council.

According to the "Awards" page on EC-Council's website.

"The Department of Veterans Affairs has included EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI), and EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA) under its GI Bill for the reimbursement of test fees for veterans and other eligible persons in accordance with the provisions of PL 106-419."

Maybe you are in luck.

colemic

from Licensing and Certification Tests - U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Registration fees, preparation guides, processing fees, etc. will not be reimbursed.

I am 99% certain they will not reimburse the (ridiculous) application fee.

SephStorm

Ryan82 wrote: »

Their training method seems to be showing you slide after slide of tools that script kiddies in the field are using in both the CEH and CHFI curriculums. They don't teach you the fundamentals of security or forensic analysis.

I think those are supposed to be learned before the CEH is attempted. It is not supposed to be an entry level cert. (Neither is the CISSP, but I have doubts about the verification processes of both...) As far as Script Kiddies, you have to look at what the CEH is supposed to teach/demonstrate. Its not Network Defense for Advanced Persistent Threats; its what are the majority of the attacks facing your networks are and the process behind them. Not saying that they are the best at teaching it, but I think they do do that. In any case, my thoughts on the C|EH (And EC-Council) are well known.

Chivalry1

I really enjoy the fact that EC-Council is now trying to profit because of the DOD requirement. A bunch of hungry level executives. I must say that the material presented in the CEH V7 is really good. However the official course curriculum and the way its presented is a epic FAILURE. EC-Council needs to really consider a re-campaign of there corporate image. I am just now getting my certificate to for CEH which came from Hong Kong.

Another note: Since C|EH V7 requires ECE credits (CPE's) I attempted to register through the EC-Council portal site. Well apparently EC-Council SSL certificate for the portal site is expired and has been for 7 days. https://portal.eccouncil.org/ What a joke!!!

nethacker

Chivalry1 wrote: »

I really enjoy the fact that EC-Council is now trying to profit because of the DOD requirement. A bunch of hungry level executives. I must say that the material presented in the CEH V7 is really good. However the official course curriculum and the way its presented is a epic FAILURE. EC-Council needs to really consider a re-campaign of there corporate image. I am just now getting my certificate to for CEH which came from Hong Kong.

Another note: Since C|EH V7 requires ECE credits (CPE's) I attempted to register through the EC-Council portal site. Well apparently EC-Council SSL certificate for the portal site is expired and has been for 7 days. https://portal.eccouncil.org/ What a joke!!!

that's ironical

powerfool

I have no problem with them attempting to profit from it... they spent money trying to get added to that list. In fact, I applaud them trying to make money off of it... it only makes sense.

However, I have to completely agree with the quality of the exam, their curriculum, and their website. It is a joke. It's like some high school kids got together and created it.

forestgiant

powerfool wrote: »

I have no problem with them attempting to profit from it... they spent money trying to get added to that list. In fact, I applaud them trying to make money off of it... it only makes sense.

However, I have to completely agree with the quality of the exam, their curriculum, and their website. It is a joke. It's like some high school kids got together and created it.

I just finished the CEH AiO and CEH Prep by Sybex, and I have to agree with your assessment. The CEH appears to me like an "Enhanced Security+"

I will take the CEH v7 exam in a few days. For the first time in my life long cert-grabbing mission, I don't feel that much pre-test anxiety.

forestgiant

azjag wrote: »

I passed the C|HFI shortly after they started charging a fee but I didn't pay it and entered what WGU gave me for the authorization number. I have not heard from EC-Council about the pass, nor am I interested in paying an additional fee to become "officially" certified after I've passed the test. I still pass the class because I have the score report but I don't get the fancy certificate. Why not just raise the prices again if you need the money. What is with all this nickel and diming us and adding extra hoops to jump through. Making the certification more expensive does not make it more prestigious or desirable. I was looking on their site and noticed the Certified Network Defense Architect (C|NDA) certification. For a mere $100 more you can get this certification if you have the C|EH and work for the government but don't want to put the word "Hacker" on your resume. Anybody else notice a trend with the $100 fees going on?

AZ Jag, so did you ever get an "official" acknowledgment that you're CHFI and CEH?

Your post makes an interesting point --- does passing WGU vendor exams automatically earn you the vendor's certs? Like you, I used the validation code I got and Pearson Vue allowed me to schedule.

veritas_libertas

JDMurray wrote: »

I've looked through a lot of computer forensics job postings, and noticed a lot of forensics certs behind people's names, and I've neither seen nor heard mention of the CHFI within the CF community. I'd still like to go through the CHFI training material, but I'm not sure if I'd spend the $350USD on getting the cert itself.

I know of one, but I agree, the CH|FI is not respected.