CEH
EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker
Created per CertMap methodology · Updated 12 May 2026 · About the editorial team →
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Overview
What is CEH?
The CEH is one of the best-known certifications in ethical hacking and has been a standard in job postings for decades–especially in government and U.S. environments. The current version CEH v13 covers modern topics such as AI-powered attack techniques and cloud hacking. Critics note that the breadth of content comes at the expense of depth and that the exam can be passed relatively easily with study materials. Those who want to demonstrate practical competence should add the optional CEH Practical (6-hour practical exam). Compared to OSCP, the CEH is more theoretical in orientation.
Quick facts
Key details
Cost, prerequisites, exam & renewal
Cost over 5 years
Prerequisites
2 years IT security experience OR official EC-Council training course.
Exam format
125 multiple-choice questions, 4 hours, proctored via Pearson VUE/EC-Council. Passing score: 60–85% (variable).
Renewal & maintenance
Valid for 3 years. 120 ECE credits over 3 years + annual AMF (80 USD).
Classification
CertMap score and matching roles
Rating
Matching NICE roles
Mapping from NIST NICE Framework SP 800-181, status 2025. NIST source ↗
More certifications
More certifications
From EC-Council
CCISOEC Council Certified Information Security OfficerIn Pentesting / Red Team
GPENGIACMAD Adv. EmulationMITRE EngenuityOSCPOffSecOSEPOffSecPECB LEHPECBPECB LPTPPECBThis page follows CertMap methodology: editorial content is curated by hand. Score, costs and NICE mapping are aggregated from official provider documents. Score methodology → · TCO methodology →
Transparency: CertMap is operated by Daniel Thomas Heessel, who is also managing director of Threat‑Informed, a company specialising in Threat‑Informed Defense. He additionally offers consulting services on CertMap. CertMap currently receives no commissions from certification providers, no affiliate links, no sponsored placements. Podcast and interview guests are not paid for appearances and receive no affiliate commissions.
From the knowledge base
View all articles →About the CertMap editorial team
CertMap is an independent platform for comparing cybersecurity certifications, built on data-journalism standards that combine editorial curation with mechanical aggregation.
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