Cert vs certCEH vs PenTest+
CEH vs PenTest+: EC-Council and CompTIA side by side
CompTIA does not issue CEH. The Certified Ethical Hacker is EC-Council's certification; CompTIA's penetration-testing exam is PenTest+, currently PT0-003. Here they are side by side, from each issuer's own page as of Oct 11, 2026, with the rows that actually change your decision.
- Exam
- 312-50
- Updated
- Oct 11, 2026
Format, scoring and entry
| Criterion | CEH | PenTest+ |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer (differs) | EC-Council | CompTIA |
| Current exam (differs) | Version 13, code 312-50 | PT0-003, launched December 17, 2024 |
| Questions (differs) | 125 | Maximum of 90 |
| Question types (differs) | Multiple choice | Multiple choice and performance-based |
| Time (differs) | 4 hours | 165 minutes |
| Passing (differs) | Cut score set per exam form, 60% to 85% | 750 on a 100 to 900 scale |
| Entry (differs) | EC-Council training, or two years of information-security work plus an approved application | Recommended: 3 to 4 years as a penetration tester, with Network+ and Security+ or equivalent knowledge |
| Exam price (US$) (differs) | $950 remote voucher; $1,199 at Pearson VUE | Price on the issuer's site |
Tinted rows marked ≠: the two differ.
Sources: EC-Council CEH certification page, EC-Council CEH course page (version), EC-Council store voucher, CompTIA PenTest+ page. Checked Oct 11, 2026.
Terms that do not carry over
- Performance-based question
- PenTest+ mixes them in with multiple choice: a task in a simulated environment instead of a list of options. The CEH knowledge exam has none; EC-Council puts hands-on work in a separate exam, the CEH Practical (6 hours, 20 challenges).
- Cut score and scaled score
- CEH's cut score is a percentage that moves with the exam form, anywhere from 60% to 85%. PenTest+ reports a scaled score where 750 passes. Converting one into the other produces a number neither issuer uses; the CEH passing score page explains the form-based cut.
- Eligibility and recommended experience
- CEH checks eligibility before you can book: EC-Council training, or two years of experience endorsed by an employer plus a $100 application. CompTIA's 3 to 4 years is a recommendation printed on the exam page. The CEH requirements page walks through both CEH routes.
Which one your target role asks for
When a posting, a contract clause or a workforce rule names one of them, that settles it. Ranking the two in the abstract is time you will not get back.
For U.S. Department of Defense roles, EC-Council states that CEH is approved under DoD 8140 for work roles including 511 Cyber Defense Analyst and 541 Vulnerability Assessment Analyst. The CEH and DoD 8140 page carries the sources and the caveats. This page has no verified source for the PenTest+ mapping, so check it against the DoD's own matrix before relying on a reseller's chart.
Without a named requirement, pick by how you want to be tested. PenTest+ puts hands-on tasks inside one 165-minute exam. CEH splits them out: the knowledge exam is pure multiple choice across nine blueprint domains, led by Network and Perimeter Hacking at 24% (blueprint v5.0, checked Oct 11, 2026), and hands-on proof is a separate exam you can add later or skip. For a certification that is hands-on from start to finish, CEH vs OSCP compares the 24-hour OffSec exam.
What to confirm at checkout
- The posting, contract or rule names the exact certification you are about to buy
- CEH self-study: two years of information-security work an employer will endorse, plus the $100 application (EC-Council, Oct 11, 2026)
- CEH: an approved application is valid for three months, so book the exam inside that window
- CEH: prep material written for CEH v13, the version EC-Council lists as current
- PenTest+: prep material that targets PT0-003, the code CompTIA lists as current
PenTest+ and CEH, asked plainly
Is CEH a CompTIA certification?
No. CEH is issued by EC-Council under exam code 312-50. CompTIA's penetration-testing certification is PenTest+ PT0-003 (EC-Council and CompTIA pages, Oct 11, 2026).
Does CompTIA have an ethical hacking certification?
Its penetration-testing certification is PenTest+: a maximum of 90 multiple-choice and performance-based questions in 165 minutes, with 750 on a 100 to 900 scale to pass (comptia.org, Oct 11, 2026).
Does holding PenTest+ make me eligible for CEH?
EC-Council's CEH page lists EC-Council training, or two years of information-security work plus an approved application. Apart from holders of old CEH versions, it does not name another certification as a route (cert.eccouncil.org, Oct 11, 2026).