It's offical, I passed the OSCP exam!!

Well I finally did it! I passed my OSCP exam! I completed my exam and submitted my report yesterday and this afternoon I got the official email notifying me that I passed the exam. It took me 12 hours this time.

Thanks to everyone for your support and words of encouragement.

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Comments

r0ckm4n

horusthesun wrote: »

Congrats. What did you use to study for the exam? what books?

Thanks! I used the buffer overflow tutorials I listed above. Buffer overflows were my weakness. I did a lot of work in the lab. If you are taking the course, then I would spend a lot of time in the labs and try to root the servers using more than one method. If you haven't started and plan to, then I would work on those tutorials, download some vulnerable VM's practice hacking them and, or practice hacking on some of the capture the flag sites. I didn't use any of the vulnerable VM's or capture the flag sites, but several people that have done well with the OSCP did and had an easier time than I did. I will do a write up soon and I will post it up here.

spicy ahi

r0ckm4n wrote: »

Thanks, spicy ahi! Once you get the chance take it. The course is very reasonably priced and especially for what all you learn. If you do the CEH the right way and not just memorize test simulators, you can take that knowledge and use it on the OSCP course. I took a CEH course back in 2010, but I made the mistake of not taking the exam. I learned how to use a lot of the same tools during the CEH course and with the OSCP, you learn how to penetrate systems with the tools. Use your time wisely in the CEH and it should help you with the OSCP.

Good deal! The only heartburn I'm having now is trying to sift through the v7/v8 transition. I hear that v8 is even more aligned with OSCP, so I'm debating whether to wait for the v8 official materials to come out and use those to take the v8 test instead. Then again, by that time I may already have the funds to pursue the OSCP. Ah, choices, choices...

r0ckm4n

spicy ahi wrote: »

Good deal! The only heartburn I'm having now is trying to sift through the v7/v8 transition. I hear that v8 is even more aligned with OSCP, so I'm debating whether to wait for the v8 official materials to come out and use those to take the v8 test instead. Then again, by that time I may already have the funds to pursue the OSCP. Ah, choices, choices...

If you want to learn to be a pentester, I would go with the OSCP. CEH may be more well known, but once you get past HR and interview with a hiring manager or technical people, the OSCP is going to do you more good. If you want both certs, then I would take the OSCP course and an exam simulator for the CEH.

benjrix

Congratulations Chief !!!

Regards

Ben.

r0ckm4n

benjrix wrote: »

Congratulations Chief !!!

Regards

Ben.

Thanks, Ben!

MrAgent

Congrats! Im hoping to do OSCP this year as well.

chanakyajupudi

What is the validity of the OSCP Certification.

Master Of Puppets

chanakyajupudi wrote: »

What is the validity of the OSCP Certification.

It doesn't expire like Cisco certs, for example, if that is what you are asking.

chanakyajupudi

Oh okay. This Cert seems nice to go for. I shall after my GCIH and CEH which I have already paid up for !

Thanks !

r0ckm4n

MrAgent wrote: »

Congrats! Im hoping to do OSCP this year as well.

Thanks, MrAgent! You should do it. If you want to be an ethical hacker/pentester, this course will help you reach your goals.

r0ckm4n

chanakyajupudi wrote: »

What is the validity of the OSCP Certification.

It's a very hands on course, the labs and exam are awesome. Prior to the OSCP I took Foundstone's Ultimate Hacking course in 2004 (the people that wrote the Hacking Exposed books), and the CEH course in 2010. Unfortunately I didn't take the CEH exam. I really didn't retain most of the info from those courses. They would give you answers to the exercises and you didn't have to try like you do in the OSCP. I know how to hack now due to this course. I learned a lot more from this course than I expected. If you get the chance, take the course. It will be the best money you have invested in IT or infosec course.

the_hutch

chanakyajupudi wrote: »

What is the validity of the OSCP Certification.

I think the biggest thing standing in the way of OSCP becoming the biggest name in ethical hacking is the fact that the exam is not proctored in any way (of course, its not easy to find a testing center that would be willing to administer and proctor a 24 hour exam). Theoretically, somebody could quite literally sit down in front of your computer and take the entire exam for you. But then again...good luck finding anyone who is going to sit a 24 hour exam for you.

Nonetheless, this has been the most educational, self-gratifying and frustrating course that I have EVER taken in my life. Exactly 44 hours until I sit down for my first attempt (and hopefully last) at the OSCP challenge!!! I intend to be asleep for as much of that remaining time as possible, lol.

r0ckm4n

the_hutch wrote: »

I think the biggest thing standing in the way of OSCP becoming the biggest name in ethical hacking is the fact that the exam is not proctored in any way (of course, its not easy to find a testing center that would be willing to administer and proctor a 24 hour exam). Theoretically, somebody could quite literally sit down in front of your computer and take the entire exam for you. But then again...good luck finding anyone who is going to sit a 24 hour exam for you.

Nonetheless, this has been the most educational, self-gratifying and frustrating course that I have EVER taken in my life. Exactly 44 hours until I sit down for my first attempt (and hopefully last) at the OSCP challenge!!! I intend to be asleep for as much of that remaining time as possible, lol.

Good luck, Justin!

r0ckm4n

This month marked my 4 year anniversary of passing the OSCP exam. Looking back, this was a great experience and this certification has helped me a lot in my pentesting career. I was a pentester when I started taking the course, but the certification has helped a lot from a knowledge and credential perspective.

griffondg

Awesome job!

r0ckm4n

griffondg wrote: »

Awesome job!

Thanks!