Certification comparison
CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) and OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) are both offensive security certifications, but they're very different in format. CEH is knowledge-based; OSCP is a 24-hour hands-on practical exam.
| Factor | CEH | OSCP |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing body | EC-Council | Offensive Security |
| Format | MCQ exam (4 hours) | 24-hr practical + report |
| Difficulty | Moderate | Hard |
| Cost | ~$1,199+ (with training) | ~$1,499 (includes lab) |
| Hands-on lab | Optional iLabs | 90-day lab access included |
| Industry respect | Good (HR recognised) | Very high (practitioner respected) |
| Prerequisite | 2 yrs IT security experience | Security+ / networking fundamentals |
Our verdict
Within the penetration testing community, OSCP is far more respected — it proves you can actually compromise systems, not just describe how. CEH is more recognised by HR teams and government contractors. If you can only do one, OSCP carries more career weight for practitioner roles.
Try a sample practice test for each cert. The one that feels more relevant to your work is usually the right call.