Certified Professional Ethical Hacker (CPEH)
Exam Code: CPEH-001
The Certified Professional Ethical Hacker (CPEH) certification validates your knowledge of ethical hacking, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, network scanning, exploitation techniques, Linux basics, wireless hacking, web hacking, password attacks, social engineering, and defensive security practices.
- Exam Breakdown
- Domain Breakdown
- Access Breakdown
Exam Format
- Exam Code: CPEH-001
- Certification Level: Professional
- Exam Duration: 120 minutes / 2 hours
- Passing Score: 70% / 70 out of 100 correct answers
- Unscored Content: GAQM does not officially state separate unscored questions for this exam. Candidates should treat all exam questions as scored.
Exam Details
- Question Types: Multiple choice
- Number of Questions: 100 questions
- Hands-On Questions: The exam does not officially list hands-on lab questions. It assesses ethical hacking and penetration testing knowledge through multiple-choice questions.
Exam Policies
- Offline Proctoring: This exam is not listed as an offline Pearson VUE or test-center exam. It is conducted in AI-proctored online mode through GAQM.
- Online Proctoring: The exam can be taken anytime, anywhere within the voucher validity period through GAQM’s AI-proctored online exam system.
- Waiting Period: The exam voucher includes two attempts. If a candidate does not pass within two attempts, a new voucher must be purchased.
- Retake Fee: A new exam voucher must be purchased if the candidate fails both included attempts.
Certification Validity and Renewal
- Validity: Valid for life
- Renewal Options: No renewal is required because the certification is valid for life.
Exam Fee
- Base Fee: $190 USD for the Exam Voucher
- Premium Package with E-Book: $210 USD
- Taxes: Country-specific VAT/GST may apply
- Example: In India, 18% tax applies, making the exam voucher total $224.20 USD ($190 + $34.20 tax) and the premium package total $247.80 USD ($210 + $37.80 tax)
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites for taking the CPEH-001 exam. GAQM states that completion of the e-course is not mandatory from the GAQMBok portal, but it is highly recommended because many exam questions are drawn from the e-course It is recommended to have:
- Basic knowledge of networking and information security concepts
- Understanding of operating systems, especially Linux and Windows basics
- Familiarity with vulnerabilities, threats, and security controls
- Interest in ethical hacking, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and defensive security practices
Exam Topics
- Introduction to Hacking: Ethical hacking concepts, hacker methodology, security testing purpose, authorization, vulnerabilities, threats, and responsible penetration testing principles
- Linux Basics: Linux commands, operating system basics, command-line usage, file systems, permissions, and basic administrative concepts used during security testing
- Information Gathering Techniques: Reconnaissance, footprinting, open-source intelligence, network discovery, target profiling, and identifying useful information before security testing
- Target Enumeration and Port Scanning Techniques: Host discovery, service identification, port scanning, enumeration methods, network mapping, and identifying exposed services
- Vulnerability Assessment: Vulnerability identification, weakness analysis, assessment methods, security gaps, risk understanding, and reporting discovered vulnerabilities
- Post Exploitation: Privilege escalation concepts, persistence awareness, evidence handling, system review, and understanding actions after successful compromise
- Hackers Methodology: Attack phases, reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, maintaining access, covering tracks, and defensive countermeasures
- Social Engineering Hacking: Human-based attacks, phishing concepts, manipulation techniques, awareness controls, and prevention methods
- Password Hacking: Password attack concepts, credential risks, password policies, authentication weaknesses, and password protection techniques
- Web Hacking: Web application risks, web server weaknesses, common vulnerabilities, input validation issues, and web security testing concepts
Intended Audience
The CPEH certification is ideal for professionals involved in ethical hacking, cybersecurity, and security testing, including roles such as:
- Security Officer
- Auditor
- Security Professional
- Site Administrator
- Ethical Hacker
Career Impact
Jobs You Can Get:
- Ethical Hacker, Penetration Tester, Security Analyst, Vulnerability Analyst, Network Security Engineer, Cybersecurity Consultant, Security Auditor, and Information Security Specialist.
Average Salary:
- Varies by country — U.S.: $80,000–$125,000 USD,
- India: ₹6,00,000–₹20,00,000 INR,
- United Kingdom: £45,000–£80,000 GBP,
- UAE: 150,000–300,000 AED per year.
Why It’s Valuable:
- Ethical hacking skills help organizations identify vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them, strengthen network defenses, improve incident readiness, and support proactive cybersecurity risk management.
Exam Mode
The exam is proctored and can be taken:
- Online through GAQM’s AI-proctored exam system
- Through the “My Exam(s)” tab in the candidate’s GAQM profile after applying the voucher code
Exam Booking Link
- Book your CPEH Exam via GAQM — Click here (https://gaqm.org/certifications/information_systems_security/cpeh)
Once you pass the exam
- Receive the Certified Professional Ethical Hacker (CPEH) certificate
- Receive an e-certificate and digital badge if you qualify in the exam
- Access certification details through your GAQM profile
- The certificate remains valid for life
Offers
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Top Reasons to Choose
Certified Professional Ethical Hacker (CPEH)
Strong Ethical Hacking Foundation
The CPEH certification builds practical knowledge of ethical hacking, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, scanning, exploitation, social engineering, wireless hacking, web hacking, and security defense concepts.
Useful for Cybersecurity Roles
This certification supports security officers, auditors, site administrators, ethical hackers, penetration testers, network security analysts, and information security professionals responsible for finding vulnerabilities and improving defenses.
Career Growth in Security Testing
Ethical hacking skills remain valuable across cybersecurity, compliance, audit, cloud, network security, and risk roles where organizations need proactive testing against modern attack techniques.
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FAQ
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Who should take the Certified Professional Ethical Hacker (CPEH) exam?
The CPEH exam is suitable for professionals interested in ethical hacking, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and network security. It is useful for security officers, auditors, security professionals, site administrators, ethical hackers, penetration testers, network security analysts, and candidates who want to identify weaknesses and strengthen organizational security defenses.
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How difficult is the CPEH exam?
The CPEH exam is considered intermediate level because it covers hacking methodology, Linux basics, information gathering, port scanning, vulnerability assessment, sniffing, exploitation, wireless hacking, web hacking, password attacks, and social engineering. Candidates must answer 100 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes and score at least 70% to pass.
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Why does GAQM offer the CPEH certification?
GAQM offers CPEH to validate ethical hacking and penetration testing knowledge required to assess and secure networks, systems, wireless environments, and web applications. The certification helps candidates understand attacker techniques, identify vulnerabilities, evaluate security weaknesses, and recommend improvements that protect organizations from unauthorized access and cyber threats.
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What tools and resources can be used to prepare for the CPEH exam?
Candidates can prepare using the official GAQM course outline, e-course, e-book or premium package, sample exam, and structured study of hacking methodology, Linux basics, information gathering, target enumeration, port scanning, vulnerability assessment, sniffing, exploitation, wireless hacking, web hacking, password attacks, social engineering, and defensive controls.
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Is the CPEH certification still valuable in 2026?
Yes, CPEH remains useful in 2026 because organizations continue to face cyberattacks, vulnerability exploitation, phishing, web attacks, wireless risks, and network intrusions. Professionals who understand ethical hacking, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and defensive security remain valuable across cybersecurity, audit, compliance, and risk management roles.
