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Free CEH Practice Test 2026
Master ethical hacking techniques with our Certified Ethical Hacker practice questions. Covering 20 course modules from reconnaissance to cryptography, our adaptive questions prepare you for the 125-question EC-Council exam.
CEH: plan your preparation
Prepare for the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification with hands-on practice questions covering penetration testing methodologies, vulnerability assessment, and security tools.
The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification validates your knowledge of ethical hacking methodologies and penetration testing techniques. This professional-level certification teaches you to think like a malicious hacker to better defend against cyber attacks. CEH professionals are skilled in reconnaissance, scanning, enumeration, vulnerability analysis, system hacking, malware threats, and social engineering. Ethical hackers are in extremely high demand as organizations seek to proactively identify and fix security vulnerabilities. Our practice questions cover the latest hacking tools, techniques, and countermeasures across web applications, networks, wireless systems, and mobile platforms.
Exam version and format
The CEH knowledge exam has 125 questions and lasts 4 hours. Its passing threshold varies by exam form (60–85%). CEH Practical is a separate hands-on assessment. Study course modules are not the same thing as weighted certification exam domains.
Checked September 8, 2026. Read the official CEH exam guidance before booking.
CEH Exam Quick Facts
| Exam Code | 312-50 |
| Full Name | EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker |
| Number of Questions | 125 multiple-choice |
| Exam Duration | 4 hours |
| Passing Score | 60–85% depending on exam form |
| Exam Cost | Check current provider pricing |
| Validity Period | 3 years |
| Renewal Cost | 120 ECE credits per cycle; check current maintenance fees |
| Prerequisites | 2 years experience OR official training |
| Average Salary | Varies by role, location, and experience |
The 5-Phase Ethical Hacking Methodology
The CEH exam heavily tests your understanding of the systematic approach ethical hackers use. Master this methodology to excel on the exam.
🔍 Phase 1: Reconnaissance
Passive: OSINT, WHOIS, social media, Google dorking, Shodan
Active: DNS enumeration, social engineering, website crawling
Goal: Gather information without directly touching target systems
📡 Phase 2: Scanning
Network: Nmap TCP/UDP scans, ping sweeps, port identification
Vulnerability: Nessus, OpenVAS, Qualys vulnerability assessment
Goal: Identify live hosts, open ports, and potential vulnerabilities
🔓 Phase 3: Gaining Access
Techniques: Password attacks, exploitation, social engineering, web attacks
Tools: Metasploit, Hydra, SQLmap, Burp Suite
Goal: Exploit vulnerabilities to gain initial system access
🔒 Phase 4: Maintaining Access
Persistence: Backdoors, rootkits, trojans, scheduled tasks
Techniques: Privilege escalation, lateral movement, credential harvesting
Goal: Establish persistent access and elevate privileges
🧹 Phase 5: Covering Tracks
Techniques: Log clearing, timestomping, hiding files, steganography
Defense: Understanding these techniques helps build better detection
Goal: Understand how attackers evade detection
CEH Study Modules (20)
The CEH exam covers 20 comprehensive modules. Our practice questions address each domain to ensure complete exam coverage.
📚 Modules 1-5: Foundation
- Introduction to Ethical Hacking
- Footprinting and Reconnaissance
- Scanning Networks
- Enumeration Techniques
- Vulnerability Analysis
💻 Modules 6-10: System Attacks
- System Hacking
- Malware Threats
- Sniffing
- Social Engineering
- Denial-of-Service Attacks
🌐 Modules 11-15: Web/App Attacks
- Session Hijacking
- Evading IDS, Firewalls, Honeypots
- Hacking Web Servers
- Hacking Web Applications
- SQL Injection
📱 Modules 16-20: Modern Attacks
- Hacking Wireless Networks
- Hacking Mobile Platforms
- IoT and OT Hacking
- Cloud Computing Security
- Cryptography
Ready to Master Ethical Hacking?
Practice with questions designed by security professionals covering all 20 CEH modules.
Start Practice Test →Essential Tools for CEH Exam
The CEH exam tests your knowledge of common hacking tools. You don't need to be an expert in each, but you should understand their purpose and basic usage.
🔍 Nmap
The network mapper for host discovery, port scanning, service detection, and OS fingerprinting. Know the difference between SYN, TCP connect, UDP, and stealth scans.
💣 Metasploit
The penetration testing framework for exploitation. Understand msfconsole, exploit modules, payloads (especially Meterpreter), and post-exploitation.
🌐 Burp Suite
Web application testing proxy for intercepting requests, modifying parameters, and finding vulnerabilities like XSS, CSRF, and injection flaws.
📡 Wireshark
Packet analyzer for network traffic analysis. Know how to capture packets, apply filters, and identify suspicious traffic patterns.
🔑 John/Hashcat
Password cracking tools. Understand hash types (MD5, SHA, NTLM), wordlist attacks, brute force, and rainbow tables.
📶 Aircrack-ng
Wireless security assessment suite. Know WEP/WPA/WPA2 vulnerabilities, handshake capture, and dictionary attacks against wireless networks.
Sample CEH Practice Question
Question: During a penetration test, you captured the following Nmap output:
PORT STATE SERVICE 22/tcp open ssh 80/tcp open http 443/tcp open https 3306/tcp open mysql
Port 3306 is externally accessible. What is the MOST significant security concern?
A) SSH may allow brute force attacks
B) HTTP traffic is unencrypted
C) MySQL database is exposed to the internet
D) Multiple services increase attack surface
Show Answer
✓ C) MySQL database is exposed to the internet
Having MySQL (port 3306) directly accessible from the internet is a critical security issue. Databases should never be exposed externally. This allows attackers to attempt SQL authentication attacks, exploit MySQL vulnerabilities, or access sensitive data if credentials are weak. While the other options are concerns, an exposed database is the highest-risk finding.
CEH vs Other Ethical Hacking Certifications
| Aspect | CEH | OSCP | PenTest+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor | EC-Council | Offensive Security | CompTIA |
| Exam Type | Multiple-choice | Hands-on practical | MCQ + Performance-based |
| Duration | 4 hours | 24 hours + report | 165 minutes |
| Difficulty | Intermediate | Advanced | Intermediate |
| Cost | Check current provider pricing | Check current provider pricing | Check current provider pricing |
| Best For | Corporate security, HR recognition | Professional pentesters | Cost-effective validation |
| DoD role requirements | Check the current 8140 matrix and employer requirements | Check the current 8140 matrix and employer requirements | Check the current 8140 matrix and employer requirements |
All 20 Modules Covered
Comprehensive questions spanning every CEH domain from reconnaissance to cryptography and cloud security.
Tool-Focused Questions
Practice questions on Nmap, Metasploit, Burp Suite, Wireshark, and other tools commonly tested on the exam.
Attack Methodology
Learn the 5-phase ethical hacker methodology from information gathering to covering tracks.
Adaptive Variety
Fresh questions each session ensure you're learning concepts, not memorizing answers.
Career Opportunities with CEH
Career paths to explore: CEH certification opens doors to numerous cybersecurity roles:
🔐 Security Analyst
Salary: varies by role, location, and experience
Monitor security systems, analyze threats, and respond to security incidents. CEH demonstrates offensive knowledge for better defense.
🎯 Penetration Tester
Salary: varies by role, location, and experience
Conduct authorized attacks to find vulnerabilities. CEH is often a stepping stone, with OSCP for advanced roles.
🛡️ SOC Analyst
Salary: varies by role, location, and experience
Work in Security Operations Centers monitoring alerts. Understanding attacker methods improves threat detection.
📋 Security Consultant
Salary: varies by role, location, and experience
Advise organizations on security posture. CEH provides credibility when recommending security improvements.
Who should study CEH?
- Security professionals who want to understand offensive techniques to better defend their organization's assets
- Penetration testers and red team operators seeking a widely recognized ethical hacking certification
- Security analysts and SOC team members who need to understand attacker methodologies and tools
- IT professionals transitioning into cybersecurity who want a hands-on, offensive security credential
- Compliance professionals in regulated industries where CEH meets specific audit and regulatory requirements
Build your CEH study plan
- Practice reconnaissance using Nmap, Shodan, theHarvester, and Maltego in an authorized environment. Check the current exam blueprint for its weighting.
- Set up a vulnerable lab environment using Metasploitable, DVWA, and HackTheBox to practice exploitation techniques in a safe, legal environment.
- Memorize the ethical hacking phases in order: Reconnaissance → Scanning → Gaining Access → Maintaining Access → Covering Tracks — questions follow this methodology.
- Study web application security, including SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, and their countermeasures. Use the current OWASP guidance and CEH blueprint as your checklist.
- Understand both the attack AND the countermeasure for each technique — CEH tests defensive knowledge as well as offensive methodology.
Skills to review
- Information Security and Ethical Hacking
- Understand information security fundamentals, ethical hacking concepts, cyber kill chain, and MITRE ATT&CK framework.
- Reconnaissance Techniques
- Perform footprinting, scanning, enumeration, and vulnerability analysis using passive and active reconnaissance methods.
- System Hacking Phases and Attacks
- Understand system hacking methodology including password cracking, privilege escalation, and maintaining access.
- Network and Perimeter Hacking
- Sniffing, session hijacking, evading IDS/firewalls/honeypots, and hacking web servers and applications.
- Web Application Hacking
- Identify web app vulnerabilities including SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, and OWASP Top 10 attack vectors.
- Wireless and Mobile Hacking
- Hack wireless networks, exploit Bluetooth vulnerabilities, and attack mobile platforms and IoT devices.
- Cloud Computing and Cryptography
- Understand cloud computing threats, container security, and cryptographic attacks and countermeasures.
Try these CEH knowledge questions
Choose your answer, then review the explanation. These are independent learning examples, not official exam questions or a replacement for hands-on labs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CEH exam format?
The CEH knowledge exam has 125 questions and lasts 4 hours. Its passing threshold varies by exam form (60–85%). CEH Practical is a separate hands-on assessment. Study course modules are not the same thing as weighted certification exam domains.
What are the prerequisites for CEH?
To take CEH, you either need to attend official EC-Council training (iClass, iLearn, or authorized training center) OR have 2 years of verified information security work experience. Self-study candidates must pay a $100 application fee and have their experience approved before receiving an eligibility code.
What topics does CEH cover?
CEH covers 20 modules including: Ethical Hacking Introduction, Footprinting, Scanning, Enumeration, Vulnerability Analysis, System Hacking, Malware Threats, Sniffing, Social Engineering, DoS Attacks, Session Hijacking, Evading Defenses, Web Server/Application Hacking, SQL Injection, Wireless Hacking, Mobile Hacking, IoT/OT Hacking, Cloud Computing, and Cryptography.
How does CEH compare to OSCP?
CEH is theory-based with multiple-choice questions, making it more accessible. OSCP is hands-on, requiring you to exploit systems in a 24-hour practical exam. OSCP is more respected for penetration testing roles and demonstrates practical skills, while CEH is better for HR recognition, compliance requirements, and corporate security positions.
How much does CEH cost?
Check the official CEH page for current exam pricing in your region. Budget separately for training, lab access, taxes, and any retake. Package prices vary.
How long is CEH certification valid?
CEH certification is valid for 3 years. To maintain it, you must earn 120 EC-Council Continuing Education (ECE) credits through activities like training, conferences, or teaching. An annual maintenance fee also applies; check EC-Council’s current policy for the amount.
Is CEH worth it in 2026?
CEH is valuable for career changers entering cybersecurity, assessing the requirements for specific DoD 8140 work roles, and corporate security roles where HR departments recognize the certification. It's less valued for pure penetration testing roles where OSCP or practical skills matter more, but it provides a solid foundation of offensive security knowledge.
What CEH study resources are best?
Top resources include: Official EC-Council courseware (comprehensive but expensive), Matt Walker's "CEH All-in-One Exam Guide" (best book), TryHackMe/HackTheBox for hands-on practice, and our CEH practice tests for exam-style questions. Combine theoretical study with practical labs for best results.
Is CEH good for beginners in cybersecurity?
CEH is better suited for those with some networking and security background. Consider starting with Security+ or GSEC if you're new to cybersecurity, as CEH requires understanding of TCP/IP, operating systems, and basic security concepts.
Do I need an account to use these samples?
You can read these examples without an account. Create an account to save progress in Smart Practice. The Free plan includes 15 questions per day; see Pricing for current plan features.
Can I study CEH on my phone?
This page works on a phone, tablet, or computer. Review the examples between longer study sessions. Use a suitable lab environment for hands-on configuration and troubleshooting.
How do CEH course versions relate to the exam?
A CEH training-course version and the certification exam blueprint are different references. Use EC-Council’s current exam blueprint for assessed topics and its course outline for training modules. Check both before buying study materials.