The CompTIA PenTest+ exam is a rigorous assessment of your knowledge and skills in penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and management, and requires thorough preparation to pass. The exam consists of 85 multiple-choice and performance-based questions that must be completed within 165 minutes. To pass the exam, you must score at least 750 out of a possible 900 points.
In this blog, we will provide you with practical advice on how to approach your study plan for the PenTest+ exam. We’ll share tips for identifying the exam objectives, selecting the best study materials, and using practice exams to assess your progress. We will also cover test-taking strategies to help you feel confident and prepared on exam day.
By the end of this blog, you will have a clear understanding of what to expect on the PenTest+ exam, how to develop an effective study plan, and how to maximize your chances of passing the exam on the first attempt. Whether you’re a seasoned cybersecurity professional or just starting in the field, the tips and strategies in this blog will help you achieve your goals and advance your career.
CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) Glossary
- Penetration Testing: The process of identifying vulnerabilities in a system or application by simulating an attack.
- Vulnerability: A weakness or flaw in a system that can be exploited by attackers.
- Exploit: A piece of code or software that takes advantage of a vulnerability to perform a malicious action.
- Payload: A piece of code that is delivered as part of an exploit and is executed once the vulnerability has been exploited.
- Reconnaissance: The process of gathering information about a target system or network.
- Footprinting: The process of gathering information about a target system or network by using public sources.
- Scanning: The process of probing a system or network to identify potential vulnerabilities.
- Enumeration: The process of identifying and gathering information about specific targets within a system or network.
- Password Cracking: The process of attempting to guess or crack passwords to gain unauthorized access.
- Social Engineering: The use of psychological manipulation to trick individuals into divulging sensitive information.
- Phishing: A type of social engineering attack that uses fraudulent emails or websites to trick individuals into providing sensitive information.
- Session Hijacking: The process of taking control of an active session to gain unauthorized access to a system or network.
- Privilege Escalation: The process of gaining higher-level access to a system or network than originally granted.
- Post-Exploitation: The process of maintaining access to a compromised system or network after an initial exploitation has taken place.
- Pivot: The process of using a compromised system to gain access to other systems or networks.
- Mitigation: The process of reducing the likelihood or impact of a security threat.
- Patch Management: The process of keeping systems and applications up-to-date with the latest security patches.
- Red Team: A group of security professionals who simulate attacks on a system or network to identify vulnerabilities.
- Blue Team: A group of security professionals who defend against attacks on a system or network.
- Purple Team: A group of security professionals who work together to identify and address vulnerabilities in a system or network.
Exam preparation resources for CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) exam
CompTIA offers various official exam preparation resources for the CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) exam, including:
- CompTIA PenTest+ Certification Exam Objectives: This document outlines the exam objectives and skills required to pass the PT0-001 exam. It is important to review this document thoroughly before starting your exam preparation. You can access the exam objectives on the CompTIA website: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/pentest
- CompTIA PenTest+ Certification Study Guide: This study guide covers all the exam objectives in detail and includes practice questions, real-world scenarios, and exam tips. You can purchase the study guide from the CompTIA store: https://store.comptia.org/p/comptia-pentest-study-guide-exam-pt0-001
- CompTIA CertMaster Practice: This online tool provides personalized learning and practice for the PT0-001 exam. It includes adaptive learning technology that identifies your knowledge gaps and provides targeted feedback. You can purchase CertMaster Practice from the CompTIA store: https://store.comptia.org/p/comptia-certmaster-practice-for-pentest-pt0-001
- CompTIA PenTest+ Certification Exam Prep: This online course covers all the exam objectives and includes practice quizzes and exercises. You can purchase the course from the CompTIA store: https://store.comptia.org/p/comptia-pentest-exam-prep-pt0-001
- CompTIA PenTest+ Certification Practice Tests: This book includes four full-length practice exams with detailed explanations of the correct answers. You can purchase the book from the CompTIA store: https://store.comptia.org/p/comptia-pentest-practice-tests-exam-pt0-001
- CompTIA PenTest+ Certification Video Training: This video training course covers all the exam objectives and includes hands-on lab exercises. You can purchase the course from the CompTIA store: https://store.comptia.org/p/comptia-pentest-video-training-exam-pt0-001
Expert tips to pass the CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) exam
Here are some expert tips to help you pass the CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) exam:
- Know the exam objectives: The CompTIA PenTest+ exam is designed to test your knowledge and skills related to penetration testing, so it’s important to thoroughly understand the exam objectives. Make sure you’re familiar with all the exam topics and subtopics.
- Get hands-on experience: Penetration testing is a practical skill, and the best way to prepare for the exam is to get hands-on experience. Practice using different tools and techniques to identify vulnerabilities in systems and networks.
- Review the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES): The PTES provides a framework for conducting penetration testing, and it’s important to understand the different phases and activities involved in the process.
- Familiarize yourself with common tools: The CompTIA PenTest+ exam covers a wide range of tools and technologies, so it’s important to be familiar with common tools such as Nmap, Metasploit, and Wireshark.
- Understand the legal and ethical aspects of penetration testing: Penetration testing can be a sensitive and legally complex activity, so it’s important to understand the ethical and legal considerations involved. Make sure you’re familiar with the relevant laws and regulations.
- Join a study group or take a course: Studying with others can be a great way to reinforce your knowledge and gain new insights. Consider joining a study group or taking a course to prepare for the exam.
- Practice time management: The CompTIA PenTest+ exam is timed, so it’s important to practice time management. Make sure you’re familiar with the exam format and allocate your time wisely.
- Take practice exams: Practice exams are a great way to assess your knowledge and identify areas where you need to focus your studies. Consider taking multiple practice exams to get a feel for the types of questions you’re likely to encounter on the real exam.
About the Exam
CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) certification validates foundation-level knowledge and skills required to assess the security of mobile devices, applications, networks, and host systems. The exam covers the following topics –
- Firstly, you will study Planning and Scoping. This domain will focus on the importance of planning and key aspects of compliance-based assessments.
- Secondly, the exam covers Information Gathering and Vulnerability Identification. Here, you will learn about gathering information for exploitation, vulnerability scans, and analyzing the results of these activities.
- Thirdly, the course covers the Attacks and Exploits domain. This topic is about the exploitation of networks, wireless, applications, and RF-based vulnerabilities, summarizing physical security attacks, performing post-exploitation techniques.
- Then comes the Penetration Testing Tools. Here, you learn about Conducting information gathering exercises with various tools and analyze the output and basic scripts (limited to Bash, Python, Ruby, PowerShell).
- Lastly, you learn about Reporting and Communication. This domain is about Utilizing report writing and handling best practices explaining recommended mitigation strategies for discovered vulnerabilities
Thus, CompTIA Pen Test+ (PT0-001) is an ideal certification for professionals and organizations working in a penetration testing capacity in the IT industry. This certification will validate knowledge of major scanning, enumeration, and exploitation tools, as well as important frameworks and methodologies used to deliver these services.
Exam Details
The exam format will help you plan a strategy to prepare and attempt the test in the most effective way.
- Firstly, the maximum allowed time for the CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) is 165 minutes.
- Secondly, the exam consists of a maximum of 85 questions.
- Thirdly, the passing score of the exam is 750, on the scale of 100-900.
- Further, the exam is based on multiple-choice/multiple-select questions. Thus, you will have a few options for each question and you can use the method of elimination to reach the correct option(s).
- Also, there are no negative marks for wrong answers. So, you can try out the guesswork wherever needed.
- Lastly, the charges for the CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) Exam are $370.
Now that we know about the exam, let us see who is the recommended audience for this certification!
Who Should take the exam?
The CompTIA PenTest+ exam (PT0-001) was released in July 2017. It offers a way for system and network administrators to demonstrate their competency in common penetration testing techniques. Anyone who is interested in starting their career in the field of information security, IT management, or IT operations role should go for this certification This will help you in taking your prospects to the next level and make you a more desirable candidate.
Following are the recommended vocations where this certification will quite suitable –
- Security Analysts
- Penetration Tester
- Vulnerability Tester
- Network Security Professional
- System Administrator
- Network Administrator
Till now, we have discussed several aspects of the exam and we hope that it has given you more clarity as to what the CompTIA PenTest+ is all about. Now let us move to the preparatory methods!
Preparatory Guide for CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) exam
In today’s world, the exam is an unavoidable hurdle. Work-life balance, extracurricular activities, and tight schedules are not new phenomena to talk about. The rise of education standards has added complexity to the term life. It takes difficult work to procure them. It takes efforts and strategies to clear the exam. A good preparation strategy is a definitive factor that prompts achievement. To assist you with comprehending the way towards gathering the resources and utilizing them productively, we give you a preparatory guide. We have broken the cycle into less difficult strides for better arrangement and execution.
Visit the Official Site
What might appear to be an obvious step, is mostly missed out by many aspirants. The official site is the most trustworthy source of information for any exam. Thus, we advise you to visit the official site once in a while. This will help you in staying updated about the exam. The site gives you a solid foundation for your learning experience, then leaves it up to you to determine how much time and effort to invest based on your learning style. It is the most comprehensive source of material that you need to study. The CompTIA Pentest + official site provides you with an overview of what exam covers, the latest blogs and news, a glossary of terms, resources for in-depth information on various topics, and sample questions to help you refine your knowledge.
CompTIA+ Instructor-Led Training
CompTIA+ Instructor-led training is a popular learning methodology where an instructor would conduct a training program for learners. Such type of training is conducted face to face, virtual classroom, or online depending on the convenience of learners and instructors. In this type of training, the instructor is the real person who shares his knowledge with the learner. The benefit of such kinds of programs is that the learner gets interaction with an instructor by asking their doubts and queries directly without hesitation which will help them in easy understanding of concepts.
Official Comp TIA Content – PT0-001 Study Guide
If you’re like most CompTIA+ PenTest students, you prefer practical training methods that will increase your chances of passing the test on your first attempt. One way to achieve this goal is to rely on the official CompTIA content (OCC). Official CompTIA Content is a worthy investment because it’s the same vendor-neutral content that the CompTIA’s training class use for educational content. It’s written by industry experts, who make sure OCC always reflects the current exam standards and objectives. It has been designed from the ground up to help you learn and master the material in your certification exam.
Prepare with CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) Tutorial
Online Course by Testpreptraining
Online courses have proved to be an excellent way of learning new skills, concepts and acquiring qualifications. They are gaining popularity and being accepted as one of the best ways to educate people around the world. TestPreptraining provides top-notch technical training with the latest tools and trends in the IT industry through online courses. Through the online course, trainers will shape you as per your requirement and will make you an expert in your project as well as the competitive environment.
What you get in the course –
- 7+ hours of video lectures
- More than 60 videos covering all the domains of the certification in a comprehensive manner.
- Lifelong access
Join the Online Community
The experience of interacting with people with similar interests and common concerns is absolutely incomparable. By being a part of such communities, you get to learn a lot of things that you were unaware of before. The best part of joining online groups is that they provide a platform for you to divulge your thoughts, concerns, and queries related to the topic under the guidance of experts. From specialist tips to solutions to your doubts, these platforms cover everything under one site. All you need is to be involved in such communities. Hence, we advise you to actively participate in such online platforms.
Evaluate yourself with Practice Tests
Test preparation plays an important role in one’s life. If you appear for any competitive examination, it includes the element of competition and preparation also. Taking practice tests is a great way to identify where you are in your studies and provide you a sense of what you still need to study. Therefore, when you begin preparing for your online assessment tests, it is prudent to choose the most appropriate practice tests online. Try the sample practice test which will help you to assess your actual performance in the real exam conditions.
Experts Corner
Getting any certification from a globally recognized IT company is a matter of great pride. When you become a certified professional, it is an achievement of a high standard. The CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-001) exam is one of the most popular exams among all IT professionals. Passing it will be a big achievement in your career. If you are looking forward to taking the CompTIA Cert PenTest (PT0-001) and are trying to get preparation material for this exam, then we advise you to follow all the resources mentioned in this blog. With correct resources and dedicated efforts, you will certainly find your way to success.
