Most candidates pay $1,749 for the OSCP, the price of OffSec’s Course + Cert Bundle. It includes the PEN-200 training course, 90 days of hands-on labs, and one exam attempt. A Learn One subscription costs $2,749 a year and adds a second attempt. If you only want the exam, the OSCP+ Standalone Exam costs $1,699.
The OSCP is one of the best-known hands-on penetration testing certifications. This guide breaks down every fee, from retakes to renewal, and compares the OSCP with three other security credentials.
OffSec’s Course + Cert Bundle for the OSCP
PEN-200 course, 90 days of labs, and one exam attempt
What Does Each OSCP Option Cost?
OffSec sells three ways to sit the OSCP exam, plus retakes and renewal coverage. The table below lists each one with what it includes.
Fees
What Each OSCP Option Costs
| Option | Cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Course + Cert Bundle | $1,749 | PEN-200 course, 90 days of labs, one exam attempt |
| Learn One subscription | $2,749 a year | One year of course and lab access, two exam attempts |
| OSCP+ Standalone Exam | $1,699 | Two exam attempts, no course materials |
| Exam retake | $249 | One more attempt after you use your included ones |
| Annual Maintenance Fee | $145 a year | Renewal coverage for OSCP+ only |
| Annual Membership Program | $299 a year | Renewal coverage, practice labs, and CPE content |
Prices published by OffSec in US dollars, checked Oct 6, 2026. Learn One and the Annual Membership Program renew automatically. Full references in the Sources section.
The bundle suits focused learners who can finish the course in 90 days. Learn One gives you a full year, 200+ Proving Grounds Practice labs, and bonus KLCP and OSWP courses.
A few discounts can lower the bill. Full-time college students can get up to 10% off Learn One through OffSec’s Achieve program. Holders of another OffSec certification save 10% to 20% through Aspire. Eligible US learners can also split the cost into 3 to 4 interest-free payments with Klarna.
Every OffSec exam retake comes with a waiting period. For the standalone exam, you wait 4 weeks after a first failed attempt, 8 weeks after a second, and 12 weeks after that. Book your first attempt early enough to leave room for a second one.
What Is OSCP Certification?
The OffSec Certified Professional (OSCP) is a hands-on certification in ethical hacking and penetration testing. It was previously named the Offensive Security Certified Professional. Instead of answering multiple-choice questions, you prove your skills by breaking into live systems.
OffSec is also the company behind Kali Linux, one of its community projects. Since November 1, 2024, passing the exam earns you two credentials: the OSCP and the OSCP+. The OSCP never expires, while the OSCP+ lasts three years.
Modern cybersecurity education is essential in training professionals to stay ahead of malicious actors who are continuously looking for ways to breach systems, whether national-scale attacks such as government espionage, or corporate and personal hacks as we’ve seen with the latest ransomware.
Ning Wang, CEO of OffSec, in a March 2023 press release
How Does the OSCP Exam Work?
The OSCP exam gives you 23 hours and 45 minutes to hack into a private lab network. After that, you have another 24 hours to submit a professional penetration test report. An OffSec proctor supervises the whole exam.
- Stand-alone machines: three targets worth 20 points each, split between initial access and privilege escalation.
- Active Directory set: three connected machines worth 40 points in total.
- Passing score: at least 70 out of 100 points.
- Restricted tools: you may use Metasploit on one target only, and automatic exploitation tools such as SQLmap are banned.
- No AI help: AI chatbots and large language models are not allowed during the exam or the report phase.
The exam is open book, so you can use your notes and online resources. OffSec doesn’t publish pass rates, because it doesn’t want to encourage or discourage learners with numbers. Steady practice in the labs is the best way to prepare.
OSCP Prerequisites and Recommended Skills
The OSCP has no formal prerequisites, so anyone can enroll. Building the right skills first will make your 90 days of lab time go much further.
OffSec strongly recommends that you arrive with these core skills:
- a solid understanding of TCP/IP networking
- reasonable Windows and Linux administration experience
- familiarity with basic Bash or Python scripting
What Do You Get in the PEN-200 Course?
PEN-200, or Penetration Testing with Kali Linux, is OffSec’s official OSCP course. It holds 321 hours of content across more than 20 modules, most with companion videos and hands-on labs. Topics include cross-site scripting, SQL injection, privilege escalation, Active Directory, and AWS exploitation.
Once you finish the modules, you move on to nine challenge labs that mimic real engagements. Three of them closely replicate the OSCP exam environment.
Need more practice after your access ends? Bundle holders can extend their labs in 30-day increments. OffSec’s Annual Membership Program, at $299 a year, adds 200+ Proving Grounds Practice machines and keeps your course materials available.
How Much Does It Cost to Keep OSCP+ Active?
Your OSCP+ expires three years after you earn it, but your OSCP stays valid for life. To keep the “+”, you choose one of three renewal paths:
- pass a recertification exam within six months of the expiration date
- pass another qualifying OffSec exam, such as the OSEP, OSWA, OSED, or OSEE
- complete OffSec’s continuing professional education (CPE) program
The CPE route asks for 120 credits over three years, or about 40 a year. You also need yearly coverage through the $145 Annual Maintenance Fee or the $299 Annual Membership Program. Over a full cycle, the maintenance fee alone comes to $435.
OSCP Salary and Job Outlook
The OSCP can lead to roles such as penetration tester, security consultant, SOC analyst, and threat hunter. Across the wider field, information security analysts earned a median of $129,180 a year in May 2025. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics also projects 21% job growth for these analysts from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average.
How Does OSCP Compare With Other Security Certifications?
Several certifications cover penetration testing and security, and each tests skills in a different way. The right choice depends on your experience and the role you want.
OSCP vs. PenTest+
CompTIA PenTest+ covers penetration testing through a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based questions. The exam has up to 90 questions and lasts 165 minutes. CompTIA recommends three to four years in a penetration testing role, plus Network+ and Security+ knowledge.
OSCP vs. CEH
The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) from EC-Council is widely recognized, but its main exam is multiple-choice. You answer 125 questions in four hours, while the OSCP asks you to exploit real systems.
A CEH voucher costs $950 with remote proctoring, or $1,199 at a Pearson VUE center. Official EC-Council training starts at $1,699 and includes a voucher.
OSCP vs. CISSP
The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from ISC2 is a management-focused credential. It covers broad security domains, such as risk management and asset security, rather than hands-on hacking. That makes it a better fit for security leaders than for penetration testers.
The CISSP exam costs $749 in the US. You also need five years of paid work experience in its security domains to become fully certified.
Sources
- "Individual Pricing," OffSec. Available at: https://www.offsec.com/pricing/individual/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Get Your OSCP+ Certification With PEN-200," OffSec. Available at: https://www.offsec.com/courses/pen-200/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Course + Cert Bundle," OffSec. Available at: https://www.offsec.com/products/90-day-bundle/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Learn One," OffSec. Available at: https://www.offsec.com/products/learn-one/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "OSCP+ Standalone Exam," OffSec. Available at: https://www.offsec.com/products/oscp-plus/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Standalone OffSec Certification Exam FAQ," OffSec Help Center. Available at: https://help.offsec.com/hc/en-us/articles/31628160634004-Standalone-OffSec-Certification-Exam-FAQ. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "OSCP+ Exam Guide," OffSec Help Center. Available at: https://help.offsec.com/hc/en-us/articles/360040165632-OSCP-Exam-Guide. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "OSCP+ Exam FAQ," OffSec Help Center. Available at: https://help.offsec.com/hc/en-us/articles/4412170923924-OSCP-Exam-FAQ. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "OffSec CPE Program and Annual Maintenance Handbook," OffSec Help Center. Available at: https://help.offsec.com/hc/en-us/articles/35366391096596-OffSec-CPE-Program-and-Annual-Maintenance-Handbook. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Annual Membership Program," OffSec. Available at: https://www.offsec.com/products/annual-membership/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "What Is Kali Linux?," Kali Linux by OffSec. Available at: https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/what-is-kali-linux/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "OffSec Releases 2023 Edition of Its Industry-Leading Penetration Testing Course for Rising Cybersecurity Professionals," PR Newswire, 2023. Available at: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/offsec-releases-2023-edition-of-its-industry-leading-penetration-testing-course-for-rising-cybersecurity-professionals-301774381.html. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "PenTest+ Certification V3," CompTIA. Available at: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/pentest/v3/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Exam," EC-Council. Available at: https://cert.eccouncil.org/certified-ethical-hacker.html. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "CEH Exam Voucher (Remote Proctoring)," EC-Council Store. Available at: https://store.eccouncil.org/product/ceh-ecc-exam-center-voucher/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "CEH Exam Voucher (Pearson VUE)," EC-Council Store. Available at: https://store.eccouncil.org/product/ceh-vue-exam-voucher/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "CEH Certification," EC-Council. Available at: https://ethicalhacking.eccouncil.org/certified-ethical-hacker-ceh-v13online-d2c-north-america. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "How Much Do ISC2 Certification Exams Cost?," ISC2. Available at: https://www.isc2.org/register-for-exam/isc2-exam-pricing. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "CISSP Certified Information Systems Security Professional," ISC2. Available at: https://www.isc2.org/certifications/cissp. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
- "Information Security Analysts," Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/information-security-analysts.htm. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.
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