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Pwnversity

eJPT / eCPPT

The INE/eLearnSecurity certifications (eJPT, eCPPT) are highly valued as a practical entry point to pentesting, with good value for money and hands-on exams. The eJPT is an excellent first step; the eCPPT, an intermediate step before the OSCP.

eJPT (eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester)

Section titled “eJPT (eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester)”
Level      ENTRY: ideal as a first practical certification
Exam       practical, with questions based on what you achieve in the lab (no report)
Covers     pentest fundamentals: networks, enumeration, basic web, guided exploitation, pivoting
For whom    those starting out who want to show practical capability without the OSCP leap

eCPPT (eLearnSecurity Certified Professional Penetration Tester)

Section titled “eCPPT (eLearnSecurity Certified Professional Penetration Tester)”
Level      INTERMEDIATE: a step between eJPT and OSCP
Exam       multi-day practical + professional REPORT (good practice for the OSCP)
Covers     deeper pentest: AD, exploitation, advanced pivoting, web, buffer overflow
For whom    consolidating before the OSCP and practicing the report

eJPT vs OSCP

Section titled “eJPT vs OSCP”
eJPT   more accessible, guided, no report -> confidence and fundamentals
OSCP   harder, autonomous, with a report -> the industry standard
# typical path: eJPT -> (optional eCPPT) -> OSCP

How to prepare

Section titled “How to prepare”
- the associated INE course material + labs
- reinforce with TryHackMe/HTB (ctf-plataformas) and fundamentals (networks, OS, scripting)
- for eCPPT: practice the REPORT (template, clarity) ahead of the OSCP

Professional value

Section titled “Professional value”
- eJPT: demonstrates initial practical capability -> helps land a first role/internship
- eCPPT: a solid bridge to the OSCP, with reporting experience
- good value for money and access (INE subscription)

Blue Team / career

Section titled “Blue Team / career”
  • The eJPT is an excellent first step: real practice, less pressure than the OSCP.
  • The eCPPT consolidates and trains the report, key for the OSCP afterward.
  • Combine with labs (THM/HTB) and fundamentals; build a portfolio in parallel.
  • Good value for money to start in offense without the OSCP’s cost/difficulty.

Tips and common mistakes

Section titled “Tips and common mistakes”
  • eJPT: very accessible; prioritize methodical enumeration and don’t skip ports or services.
  • eCPPT: the exam includes a report; practice writing it like a real pentest, not just exploiting.
  • Common mistake: underestimating pivoting/tunneling, where most people struggle in eCPPT.

Testing checklist

Section titled “Testing checklist”
  • Fundamentals (networks, Linux/Windows, scripting)
  • INE course material + labs
  • Reinforce with THM/HTB (Platforms (HTB, THM…))
  • eCPPT: practice the professional report
  • Decide the path (eJPT → eCPPT → OSCP)
  • Build a portfolio (writeups) in parallel
  • Prepare the next step (OSCP)

References

Section titled “References”