Career pathRenewal
How CEH renewal works
CEH stays valid for three years. Renewing it takes 120 continuing-education credits within that cycle plus an annual fee of $80, or $240 per cycle, both handled in EC-Council's Aspen portal (as of Oct 11, 2026). Let the credits lapse and the certification is suspended; leave it suspended for 12 months and it is revoked.
- Exam
- 312-50
- Updated
- Oct 11, 2026
One three-year cycle
Day 1
Certified
The three-year validity period starts, and so does the credit count.Every year
Pay the $80 fee
Paid through Aspen. If it goes unpaid, EC-Council suspends your Aspen services.Years 1 to 3
Earn 120 credits
Log each activity in Aspen as you complete it.End of year 3
Requirements checked
Credits or fees missing: the certification is suspended.12 months later
Remediate or lose it
Close the gap within 12 months, or the certification is revoked and the way back is passing the exam again.
What an activity is worth
| Activity | Credits |
|---|---|
| Passing an EC-Council continuing-education exam | 120 |
| Passing another IT security certification exam | 40 |
| Reading an information security book or review | 5 |
| Giving a presentation | 3 |
The handbook lists more categories; these four show the scale. Source: CEH Candidate Handbook.
The fastest way to 120
Rank the activities by credits per hour and the answer is lopsided. One EC-Council continuing-education exam covers all 120 credits, per the handbook. Another IT security certification exam earns 40, so three of them inside a cycle also get you there, and you finish with three more credentials on your résumé.
Small items barely move the total. At 5 credits per book and 3 per presentation, closing 120 that way means 24 books or 40 talks. Log them when they happen; just do not build the cycle around them.
If you also hold CEH (Practical), EC-Council's continuing-education fees page lists the same $80 annual fee for it. Keeping CEH active matters most where an employer or contract requires it, and the CEH and DoD 8140 page covers the defense case. If you have not certified yet, the CEH eligibility requirements come first.
When a cycle goes wrong
What happens if my CEH expires?
It is suspended first. Per the CEH handbook you then have 12 months to meet the requirements; after that the certification is revoked and you would need to pass the exam again (as of Oct 11, 2026). Booking works the same way as the first time, see CEH exam registration, and the attempt rules are in the CEH retake policy.
Do I have to retake the exam to renew CEH?
No, as long as the cycle stays current: renewal runs on 120 credits plus the annual fee, per EC-Council (as of Oct 11, 2026). The exam only comes back after revocation.
Does another certification count toward CEH credits?
Yes. The handbook's example gives 40 credits for passing another IT security certification exam (as of Oct 11, 2026).
What does CEH renewal cost in total?
The fee is $80 a year, $240 across a three-year cycle, per EC-Council's continuing-education fees page (as of Oct 11, 2026). Activities that earn credits can carry costs of their own; the first-time costs are on the CEH exam cost page.