Getting the eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester (eJPT) certification was a big achievement for me, as it was my first cybersecurity certification. It helped me improve my skills in penetration testing and gave me hands-on experience. In this post, I’ll share how I prepared and give some tips to help you pass the eJPT.
Why I Chose eJPT
I chose this certification because it is an entry-level certification with a fair price. Whether you’re just starting or looking for a challenge, I recommend it.
The Exam
The exam is 48h exam consisting of 35 questions.
It covers the following skills:
- Assessment Methodologies
- Host and Networking Auditing
- Host and Network Penetration Testing
- Web Application Penetration Testing
The course
The associated course, called PTS (Penetration Testing Student), is a mix of videos, PDFs, and labs. It took me two months to complete because I was also studying for my Master’s in Cybersecurity at the same time, and I didn’t want to skip any materials. Since this was my first certification, I wanted to do everything right.
What I liked
Since this is my first certification, I don’t have much to compare it to, but here are my thoughts:
- Alexis Ahmed, the main instructor, is very good. He explains everything clearly and provides examples.
- There are many labs, so if you don’t want to watch all the videos, you can still practice with the labs and save time.
- The course revisits topics multiple times. At first, I found this a bit repetitive, but in the end, it was helpful. If you forget something, there’s a good chance it will come up again later in the course, often in a different context to explain another aspect.
What I didn’t like
- The second instructor, Josh Mason, just reads the PDFs he’s presenting without adding much extra information.
- The exam is done in a browser-based Kali VM, which can be very frustrating if your internet connection isn’t stable. I had to refresh the page too many times.
My tips
- Note all the commands shown in the course
- Summarize your notes in a cheatsheet, you will save a lot of time during the exam
- Read all the questions multiple times before starting anything! It will give you a good understanding of the overall target structure
Conclusion
Overall, passing the eJPT was a great learning experience for me. It not only gave me hands-on skills in penetration testing but also boosted my confidence to pursue more advanced certifications.
Good luck for it! If you have any questions feel free to contact me :)