⚔️LPT (Master)
Licensed Penetration Tester (EC-Council)

🧠 1. Certification Name and Issuing Body

  • Full name: Licensed Penetration Tester (Master) – LPT (Master)

  • Issuing organization: EC-Council

  • Reputation and global recognition: Marketed as EC-Council’s top-tier practical pentesting certification. It builds upon the CEH and ECSA programs and is recognized in enterprise, government, and compliance-driven environments, though it competes with more technical certifications like OSCP/OSCE.

📚 2. Curriculum and Skills Covered

  • Covered domains:

    1. Advanced network scanning and enumeration

    2. Firewall, IDS/IPS evasion

    3. Privilege escalation on Linux and Windows

    4. Exploitation of web applications and databases

    5. Custom exploit development and fuzzing

    6. Active Directory attacks and post-exploitation

    7. Wireless and mobile hacking

    8. Red team methodology and report writing under rules of engagement

  • Depth of content: Simulated engagement with layered defenses; focuses on practical skill execution, report generation, and full-scope testing

  • Technologies and tools included: Kali Linux, Metasploit, Nmap, Burp Suite, PowerShell, Mimikatz, Hydra, Wireshark, custom tools

  • Relevance in the current job market: Moderate to high; recognized more for formal validation of skills than raw technical depth

  • Mapping to frameworks: NIST 800-115, MITRE ATT&CK (via red teaming), NICE (AN/PR roles), ISO/IEC 27001 (testing phase)

🧩 3. Prerequisites and Recommended Level

  • Prior certifications or experience required?: ECSA or equivalent experience required; CEH is a typical precursor

  • Expected skill level: Intermediate to advanced

  • Required knowledge: Broad understanding of pentesting phases, OS command line (Linux/Windows), scripting basics, report writing

💵 4. Cost

  • Total cost: ~$899 USD (standalone exam), ~$1,499–$2,199 USD (training + exam package)

  • Study materials or lab access included?: Yes (with full bundle); exam-only does not include labs

  • Discounts: May be available via EC-Council Academia, military, or bundle deals

⏳ 5. Estimated Preparation Time

  • Recommended study hours: 80–120 hours depending on prior experience

  • Self-paced or instructor-led: Both available

  • Learning modes: iLearn (On-demand), iClass (live instructor-led), and iLabs (virtual labs)

🎯 6. Target Roles and Career Path

  • Job roles: Penetration Tester, Red Team Analyst, Cybersecurity Auditor, Security Consultant

  • Career goals: Ideal for professionals in regulated environments or organizations valuing vendor-neutral certifications

  • Type: Practical and assessment-based, with emphasis on methodology and documentation

🧪 7. Exam Format and Difficulty

  • Is the exam online or in-person?: Online, proctored

  • Theoretical, hands-on, or both?: 100% hands-on with scenario-based pentesting

  • Proctored exam or testing center?: Remote proctored with activity logging and full monitoring

  • Length and number of questions: 3-day practical exam window; must compromise and document multiple systems under real-world constraints

  • Difficulty level or average pass rate: Moderate to high; not as technically deep as OSCE-level certs, but complex due to time and documentation constraints

📜 8. Validity and Renewal

  • Does it expire?: Yes — valid for 3 years

  • Renewal process: Submit CPEs and pay an annual maintenance fee

🧰 9. Study Resources Available

  • Official documentation: LPT (Master) iLabs, EC-Council’s Advanced Pentesting Manual

  • Recommended books:

    • CEH v12 Handbook

    • The Hacker Playbook

    • EC-Council Advanced Hacking Tools

  • Online labs or platforms: EC-Council iLabs, Hack The Box, TryHackMe, Offensive Security Proving Grounds

  • YouTube channels, community guides: INE/EC-Council webinars, LinkedIn Learning, John Hammond (CEH & ECSA review overlap)

  • Online communities: EC-Council LinkedIn groups, Discord communities, Reddit (r/ec-council, r/pentesting)

💼 10. Industry Value and Demand

  • Is it frequently mentioned in job postings?: Less common than OSCP, but often listed in CEH/ECSA progression paths in enterprise and government roles

  • Does it boost your profile with recruiters?: Yes — especially in compliance-driven environments

  • Is it recognized by top companies or certain countries?: Recognized by U.S. DoD (8570 baseline), U.K. MOD frameworks, and GRC-heavy organizations

  • What’s the average salary?: $95,000–130,000 USD/year, depending on experience and role

🧭 11. Related Certifications and Progression

  • Is it part of a larger learning path?: Yes — final step in EC-Council’s pentesting path (after CEH → ECSA → LPT)

  • What can you study after completing it?:

    • OSEP (for real-world evasive attack chains)

    • CRTO (for C2 infrastructure)

    • GXPN or OSWE (for exploit or web specialization)

  • How does it compare or complement other certs?:

    • Less technical than OSCE3 but broader in assessment scope

    • Complements CEH/ECSA well and ideal for formalizing knowledge for audit or consulting firms