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Cert vs certCEH vs OSCP

CEH vs OSCP: a multiple-choice exam vs a 24-hour practical

CEH and OSCP certify different evidence. CEH is EC-Council's 125-question multiple-choice exam on a 4-hour clock; OSCP+ is OffSec's 24-hour proctored exam in which you work live machines, including an Active Directory set (both issuers' pages, checked Oct 11, 2026). Choose by what you have to prove and to whom, then stop reading forum verdicts.

Exam
312-50
Updated
Oct 11, 2026

The two exams on one sheet

CEH (exam 312-50) and OSCP+ (PEN-200), from EC-Council and OffSec pages checked Oct 11, 2026
CriterionCEHOSCP+
Issuer (differs)EC-CouncilOffSec
What you face (differs)125 multiple-choice questionsThree standalone machines plus an Active Directory set of three machines
Clock (differs)4 hours24 hours
Where (differs)Online through EC-Council's remote proctoring, or a Pearson VUE test centerOnline, proctored by an OffSec employee over a private VPN
Gate before booking (differs)EC-Council training, or two years of information-security work plus a $100 applicationNo formal prerequisite
Exam price (US$) (differs)$950 remote voucher; $1,199 at Pearson VUE$1,699 exam only
With training (differs)Price not published; set by region and partner$1,749 with 90 days of PEN-200 and one attempt; Learn One $2,749 a year with two attempts
Expiry (differs)Three years; renew with 120 CPE credits and $80 a yearOSCP+ expires three years after issue; the OSCP earned with it has no expiration date

Tinted rows marked ≠: the two differ.

Sources: EC-Council's CEH certification page, the remote voucher and Pearson VUE voucher in EC-Council's store, the CEH Candidate Handbook, EC-Council continuing-education fees and OffSec's PEN-200 page. List prices as of Oct 11, 2026; both issuers change them without notice.

What each one actually grades

CEH tests breadth. EC-Council's blueprint v5.0 (checked Oct 11, 2026) splits the knowledge exam into nine domains, and the two heaviest are Network and Perimeter Hacking at 24% and Reconnaissance Techniques at 17%. Preparing for it means learning to name an attack class from a description, place it in one of the five phases of hacking and match it to the control that stops it. The CEH study guide ranks all nine domains by those weights.

OSCP+ grades execution. OffSec's page says each standalone machine is graded on initial access and privilege escalation, and the Active Directory set plays out as a simulated breach across three machines. Your score is what you achieve inside the 24 hours, so lab time is the whole preparation.

That makes the two poor substitutes for each other. Hours spent memorizing CEH definitions buy little on the OSCP+ clock, and lab hours alone leave gaps on a multiple-choice exam that runs from cloud computing to cryptography. If you are still choosing among more than two, the penetration testing certifications map lines up CEH, PenTest+, OSCP+, GPEN and eJPT on the same sourced facts, and CEH vs PenTest+ covers the CompTIA alternative.

EC-Council's own hands-on exam

If the gap you want to close is hands-on proof and you are staying with EC-Council, compare against the CEH Practical: 6 hours, 20 challenges in EC-Council's cyber range, proctored online. Pass it and the knowledge exam and EC-Council awards CEH Master. The two vouchers are sold together for $1,250 with remote proctoring (EC-Council store, Oct 11, 2026).

Pick by the requirement in front of you

Which exam to start with, by situation
Your situationStart withReason
A job post, contract or HR rule names CEHCEHA named requirement is met only by that certification; anything else is a bonus.
You are aiming at a U.S. DoD cyber roleCEH, then confirm the roleEC-Council states CEH is DoD 8140 approved for work roles such as 511 and 541. The CEH and DoD 8140 page lists the sources and the caveats.
A job post names OSCP, or the hiring team runs a practical testOSCP+The evidence asked for is hands-on, and hands-on is what OSCP+ grades.
You have no information-security work history yetThe CEH eligibility rulesWithout two years of experience, CEH requires EC-Council training. OSCP+ has no formal gate; OffSec recommends networking, Windows and Linux administration and scripting.
You want hands-on proof without leaving EC-CouncilCEH Practical6 hours, 20 challenges; together with the knowledge exam it earns CEH Master.

CEH or OSCP: the follow-ups

Is the CEH Practical a substitute for OSCP?

Both are hands-on, and on paper the overlap ends there. The CEH Practical is 6 hours and 20 challenges in EC-Council's cyber range; OSCP+ is 24 hours across three standalone machines and an Active Directory set (EC-Council and OffSec pages, Oct 11, 2026). Whether a hiring team accepts one for the other is their call, so read the posting.

Do I need CEH before attempting OSCP?

No. OffSec lists no formal prerequisite for PEN-200. It recommends a solid grasp of TCP/IP networking, Windows and Linux administration, and basic Bash or Python scripting (offsec.com, Oct 11, 2026).

Which one has to be renewed?

CEH is valid for three years and renews with 120 CPE credits plus an $80 annual fee (EC-Council, Oct 11, 2026). OSCP+ expires three years after it is issued; passing also earns the OSCP, which OffSec says has no expiration date (offsec.com, Oct 11, 2026).

What does one attempt at each cost?

A CEH remote-proctored voucher is $950 and a Pearson VUE voucher $1,199 in EC-Council's store; self-study candidates also pay the $100 eligibility application. The OSCP+ exam alone is $1,699 at OffSec. All as of Oct 11, 2026. The CEH exam cost breakdown lists every CEH fee.

Sources