Certified Ethical Hacker credential artwork

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) (312-50)

Validates knowledge of attacker tools and techniques, including reconnaissance, system, network, web, wireless and cloud attacks, and cryptography.

Summary

CEH is EC-Council's ethical hacking certification, a broad map of how attackers think and work. Its multiple-choice exam tests attacker tools and techniques across nine domains, and a separate hands-on CEH Practical can be added to earn the CEH Master designation.

Good fit if

  • Job postings you are targeting list CEH
  • You want a broad map of attacker tools and techniques
  • You have two years of security experience or will take EC-Council training

Look elsewhere if

  • You want hands-on penetration testing skill: OSCP
  • You want a cheaper first security certification: Security+
  • You want a vendor-neutral pentest exam: PenTest+

Salary & jobs

Prerequisites

Official training or 2 years of security experience

Required

EC-Council must confirm your eligibility before you can buy an exam voucher.

Official EC-Council trainingTraining from EC-Council, an accredited training center or an approved academic institution. The application fee is included.
2 years of information security experienceApply with verifiers and a $100 non-refundable fee. Approval usually takes 5 to 10 working days.

Third-party courses and EC-Council e-courseware alone do not count as official training. An approved application is valid for 90 days; buy your voucher within that time.

Cost

USD · Self-study route, online exam
$100
$950
A Pearson VUE test-centre voucher costs $1,199. EC-Council's on-demand course with the CEH and CEH Practical exams costs $2,199 and needs no application. Retakes use a discounted EC-Council retake voucher.

What holders say

Renewal

CEH is valid for three years and renews through EC-Council's continuing education program.

Validity
3 years
Renewal requirement
120 ECE credits per cycle
Annual fee
$80 USD
$240 over the three-year cycle

Conferences, webinars, training, writing and passing a newer version of the exam all earn credits. Register each year's credits by February 1. If you miss the requirement, the certification is suspended for up to 12 months and then revoked.

EC-Council ECE policy ↗

Alternatives

OffSec Certified Professional credential artwork
OSCP$1,749 required · Advanced

Hands-on penetration testing exam in a live lab.

CompTIA PenTest+ credential artwork
PenTest+$439 required · Intermediate

Penetration testing exam with performance-based questions and no eligibility process.

CompTIA Security+ credential artwork
CompTIA Security+$439 required · Entry

Entry-level security certification with no experience requirement.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional credential artwork
CISSP$884 required · Advanced

Senior security credential for people with five years of experience.

FAQ

Is the CEH exam multiple choice only?

Yes. The CEH exam is 125 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours. Hands-on skill is tested in the separate CEH Practical, 20 challenges in 6 hours.

What is CEH Master?

A designation for people who pass both the CEH exam and the CEH Practical. It is not a separate exam and cannot be bought.

Can I take CEH without official training?

Yes, if you have two years of information security experience. Submit an eligibility application with a $100 fee. Approval usually takes 5 to 10 working days.

How much does CEH cost?

On the self-study route, $1,050: the $100 application and a $950 online exam voucher. A Pearson VUE test-centre voucher costs $1,199. EC-Council's on-demand course with both exams costs $2,199.

What is the CEH passing score?

EC-Council sets a cut score between 60% and 85% for each exam form, based on its difficulty.

Does CEH expire?

Yes. It is valid for three years. Renew it with 120 ECE credits per cycle and an $80 annual fee.

Last updated October 2026