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Fact checkFree CEH?

Can you get CEH certified for free?

No: EC-Council lists no free route to the CEH certification. Every attempt needs an exam voucher, and the first-attempt voucher starts at $950 on EC-Council's store as of Oct 11, 2026; eligible veterans may get the test fee reimbursed under the GI Bill, per EC-Council. Some of the learning can be free.

Exam
312-50
Checked
Oct 11, 2026
Source
EC-Council store, CEH Exam Voucher (RPS)

Cheapest first-attempt CEH voucher

$950

EC-Council lists no free CEH certification. The lowest store price for a first-attempt CEH exam voucher is $950 (remote proctored), and the work-experience route adds a $100 non-refundable application fee.

Source: EC-Council store, CEH Exam Voucher (RPS) · checked

Free study material does not qualify you

EC-Council's CEH page is blunt about it: self-study videos from YouTube and similar sites "will not be accepted as a valid method of study" when you apply for exam eligibility. Free courses can teach you the material. They cannot open the exam door.

Two routes do open it: EC-Council training, or two years of information-security work experience endorsed by your employer plus an approved $100 application. The second skips the training bill, which makes it the low-cost route.

Searches for a free ethical-hacking certification often turn up Cisco Networking Academy's Ethical Hacker course. It comes from a different issuer, and the CEH vs Cisco Ethical Hacker comparison sets the two side by side.

What costs money and what does not

CEH line items by price, EC-Council sources, checked Oct 11, 2026
ItemFree?Price or rule
Exam voucherNo$950 remote, $1,199 Pearson VUE
Eligibility applicationNo$100, non-refundable
EC-Council trainingNoPrice not published
Free videos and coursesYesNot accepted as eligibility study
Retake voucherNo$500 remote
Staying certifiedNo$80 a year continuing-education fee

The lowest-cost route EC-Council allows

  1. Check the experience rule

    Two years of information-security work, endorsed by your employer or a verifier. The CEH requirements page covers what the application asks for.

  2. Apply for eligibility

    $100, non-refundable. EC-Council processes it in five to 10 working days after your verifiers respond, and approval lasts three months.

  3. Buy the remote voucher

    $950, the cheaper of the two delivery modes.

  4. Study with low-cost material

    Free videos for concepts, then practice questions. The CEH prep resources comparison lists books and practice tests with their store prices.

  5. Pass the first time

    A retake voucher costs another $500. Study hours spent avoiding it are the best-value money on this list.

Asked about the cheap route

What is the least you can spend on CEH?

$1,050 on the experience route: the $100 application plus the $950 remote voucher, at EC-Council prices as of Oct 11, 2026. The full CEH exam cost breakdown lists every other fee.

Does the GI Bill cover the CEH exam fee?

Per EC-Council, the CEH exam qualifies for GI Bill test-fee reimbursement (EC-Council accreditations page, Oct 11, 2026). Confirm your own benefit before you buy.

Can free practice questions replace training?

For learning, yes. For eligibility, no: without EC-Council training you need two years of experience and the $100 application (EC-Council CEH certification page, Oct 11, 2026).

Sources