EC-Council · 2026 Edition
A complete preparation guide, edited by Johnson Ajibi, a network and security engineer with 12+ years' experience. Covers the exam format,all 6 blueprint domains, a week-by-week study plan, and proven tips for passing first time.
2–4 months
Prep time
Intermediate
Difficulty
100
Exam questions
Exam code
212-89
Full name
Certified Incident Handler
Vendor
EC-Council
Duration
180 minutes
Questions
100 items
Domains covered
6 blueprint domains
Recommended experience
Foundational IT knowledge recommended
Typical prep time
2–4 months
Domain percentage weights are not currently available for this exam. The checklist below is still useful for planning your study.
Phase 1
Incident Handling Process
Tip: Start with the official Incident Handling Process objectives, then practise questions on it.
Phase 2
Network Incidents
Tip: Cover the Network Incidents objectives, then answer practice questions to confirm you can apply them.
Phase 3
Malware Incidents
Tip: Cover the Malware Incidents objectives, then answer practice questions to confirm you can apply them.
Phase 4
Web Application Incidents
Tip: Cover the Web Application Incidents objectives, then answer practice questions to confirm you can apply them.
Phase 5
Email Incidents
Tip: Cover the Email Incidents objectives, then answer practice questions to confirm you can apply them.
Phase 6
First Response
Tip: Finish with First Response, then re-test your weakest earlier domain before a mock exam.
Study the official exam blueprint — weight percentages tell you exactly where to invest prep time.
Practise scenario-based questions regularly — every modern cert exam is scenario-heavy.
Use spaced repetition to retain what you've learned (Courseiva does this automatically).
Book your exam date once you're scoring 80%+ consistently on practice tests.
Review explanations for every wrong answer, not just the question — the 'why' is what makes it stick.
Apply everything in this guide with adaptive practice questions, detailed answer explanations, and domain analytics.