PrepEC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) from EC-Council tests whether you understand how attackers work so you can find weaknesses before they do, across reconnaissance, system, network, web, wireless, mobile, cloud and cryptography topics. The current version is CEH v13 (branded CEH AI), exam 312-50, with 125 multiple-choice questions in four hours.
Who it is for
- Security analysts and SOC staff who want a structured grounding in attacker techniques
- System and network administrators moving into security testing
- People who need a recognised ethical hacking credential for job requirements or government frameworks
- Candidates planning a later hands-on credential and wanting the theory first
The exam at a glance
| 312-50 | |
|---|---|
| Exam | Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v13, AI) |
| Questions | 125 |
| Time | 240 min |
| Format | Multiple choice, not open book |
| Passing | Set per exam form; EC-Council states a cut score between 60% and 85% depending on the question bank |
| Price | US$950 voucher (online proctored) or US$1,199 (Pearson VUE), valid 12 months; US$100 non-refundable application fee for the experience route |
| Prerequisites | Either official EC-Council training, or 2 years of information security experience plus an approved eligibility application (5-10 business days, valid 90 days) |
| Validity | 3 years; 120 ECE credits per 3-year cycle plus a US$80 annual fee |
Checked against the official EC-Council pages on 2026-11-07: www.eccouncil.org, cert.eccouncil.org, cert.eccouncil.org, cert.eccouncil.org. Exam details change; confirm on the issuer's site before you book. Some details could only be confirmed from secondary sources and are marked for re-checking.
Exam domains
312-50
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Information Security and Ethical Hacking Overview | 6% |
| Reconnaissance Techniques | 17% |
| System Hacking Phases and Attack Techniques | 15% |
| Network and Perimeter Hacking | 24% |
| Web Application Hacking | 14% |
| Wireless Network Hacking | 5% |
| Mobile Platform, IoT, and OT Hacking | 10% |
| Cloud Computing | 5% |
| Cryptography | 5% |
How to prepare
- Read the official CEH exam blueprint and note the heavy domains: network and perimeter (24%), reconnaissance (17%) and system hacking (15%)
- Decide your eligibility route early: official training, or the experience route with an application approved before you book
- Build a small, legal lab (virtual machines you own) to see scanning, enumeration and common vulnerabilities in practice
- Learn the defensive side of every technique, since many questions ask how to detect or prevent an attack
- Test yourself with timed practice questions and review every explanation, especially for ports, protocols and tools
- Book the exam once you consistently score well above the likely cut score on full-length practice exams
CEH guides
FAQ
How hard is the CEH exam?
It is broad rather than deep: 125 questions over nine domains in four hours. Most candidates find the volume of terminology, ports and tools the main challenge.
Do I need training to take CEH?
No. You can attend official EC-Council training, or apply with at least two years of information security experience and a US$100 application fee.
What is the passing score?
EC-Council sets the cut score per exam form, between 60% and 85%, depending on the difficulty of the question bank you receive.
How do I keep CEH active?
Earn 120 EC-Council Continuing Education (ECE) credits every three years and pay the annual fee of US$80.