CompTIA PenTest+

CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-002) is an intermediate-to-advanced level penetration testing certification that validates hands-on skills in planning, scoping, and performing penetration tests across diverse environments including cloud, hybrid, web applications, and embedded systems. Unlike other vendor-neutral certifications, PenTest+ emphasises both offensive and defensive skills, and includes written reporting requirements — making it a comprehensive credential for aspiring ethical hackers and red teamers.

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What is CompTIA PenTest+?

Who Should Take This Course?

Penetration testers and ethical hackers
Security consultants performing vulnerability assessments
SOC analysts seeking offensive security skills
Red team members and security researchers
IT professionals with Security+ looking to specialise in offensive security
Bug bounty hunters seeking formal certification

What You Will Learn in the PT0-002 Course

A comprehensive curriculum covering all exam objectives with hands-on labs and real-world practice.

Planning and Scoping

Plan, scope, and govern penetration testing engagements.

Legal concepts: rules of engagement, scope, and authorisation
Compliance requirements and regulatory considerations
Target profiling and reconnaissance planning
Penetration testing methodologies: PTES, OWASP, NIST

Information Gathering and Vulnerability Scanning

Perform active and passive reconnaissance and vulnerability scanning.

OSINT techniques: Maltego, Shodan, theHarvester, Recon-ng
Active scanning: Nmap, Masscan, Nessus
Enumeration: SMB, LDAP, DNS, SNMP, NFS
Vulnerability identification and analysis

Attacks and Exploits

Execute attacks against networks, applications, and wireless environments.

Network attacks: MitM, ARP spoofing, VLAN hopping
Web application attacks: SQLi, XSS, CSRF, SSRF, XXE
Exploitation frameworks: Metasploit, Cobalt Strike concepts
Wireless attacks: WPA cracking, evil twin, deauthentication

Post-Exploitation and Lateral Movement

Maintain access and move laterally within compromised environments.

Privilege escalation: Windows and Linux techniques
Credential harvesting: Mimikatz, password spraying
Lateral movement: Pass-the-Hash, Pass-the-Ticket
Persistence mechanisms and covering tracks

Reporting and Communication

Produce professional penetration test reports and remediation guidance.

Executive summary and technical findings documentation
CVSS scoring and risk rating of findings
Remediation recommendations and developer guidance
Post-engagement cleanup and attestation

Course Prerequisites

Pre-requisites training is free when you purchase the course from ProSupport

CompTIA Security+ or Network+ recommended
3 years of hands-on IT security or networking experience
Basic understanding of scripting (Python, Bash, or PowerShell)

Exam Information

Everything you need to know about the PT0-002 certification exam.

Exam Component	Details
Exam Name	CompTIA PenTest+
Exam Code	PT0-002
Exam Type	Multiple Choice and Performance-Based Questions (PBQs)
Total Questions	Maximum 85 questions
Passing Score	750 (out of 900)
Exam Duration	165 minutes
Language	English, Japanese
Exam Provider	Pearson VUE (in-person or online proctored)
Exam Focus	Penetration testing planning, reconnaissance, attacks, post-exploitation, and reporting
Exam Registration	CompTIA Store or Pearson VUE
Retake Policy	No waiting period for 1st retake; 14 days for subsequent retakes
Certification Validity	3 years (60 CEUs required for renewal)