1.1 CEH Exam Format, Cost & Eligibility

About the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Exam

Quick Answer: The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) v13 knowledge exam (exam code 312-50) is a 125-question, 4-hour multiple-choice test administered by EC-Council (the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants). There is no fixed pass mark — EC-Council applies a per-form cut score between 60% and 85%. The voucher is about $950 via the ECC Exam Center or $1,199 via Pearson VUE, plus a $100 eligibility application fee for self-study candidates.

CEH v13 is marketed by EC-Council as the world's first AI-powered ethical hacking certification: the training weaves artificial intelligence into all five phases of hacking and adds an AI-driven practice range. The credential validates that you understand how attackers find and exploit weaknesses so that you can defend systems lawfully. The exam is conceptual — it tests methodology, tool purpose, attack/countermeasure pairings, and terminology, not your ability to type live exploits at speed.

This chapter first orients you to the test mechanics, then covers the official Information Security and Ethical Hacking Overview domain, which is 6% of the exam but supplies vocabulary used in every other domain.

Exam Format at a Glance

With 125 questions in 240 minutes you have about 1 minute 55 seconds per question. That pace is generous, so a flag-and-review strategy works well: answer confidently, flag anything uncertain, and revisit flagged items before submitting. Because there is no negative marking, you should never leave a blank — a guess has positive expected value.

Why the Pass Mark Is a Range

Many candidates expect a clean "70% to pass." EC-Council instead statistically rates the difficulty of every item and assembles questions into multiple exam forms. Each form is assigned its own cut score so that a harder form requires a lower raw percentage and an easier form requires a higher one. The published band is 60% to 85%. This is not a curve against the other people testing that day — your result depends only on your form's calibrated difficulty. Practically, use full-length practice to identify weak areas; no third-party practice percentage guarantees that you will clear the cut score on a live form.

Cost and Delivery Options

The ECC Exam Center is EC-Council's own remote-proctored platform and is usually the lower-cost path. Pearson VUE delivers the same exam at physical testing centers. Vouchers are typically valid for one year from issuance and are non-transferable.

Eligibility: Two Routes

1. Official training route. Complete an EC-Council CEH course (online iClass, an Authorized Training Center, or an academic partner). Training waives the experience-based eligibility application.
2. Self-study / experience route. Submit the eligibility application demonstrating at least two years of information security work experience, with a verifying manager, and pay the $100 non-refundable application fee. EC-Council reviews applications before you can purchase a voucher.

CEH, CEH Practical, and CEH Master

These are commonly confused on exam day and in interviews:

• CEH (knowledge exam) — the 125-question, 4-hour multiple-choice test this guide prepares you for. Often called CEH ANSI because the credential is ANSI/ISO 17024 accredited.
• CEH Practical — a separate 6-hour exam with 20 real-world challenges performed in a live cyber range. It tests hands-on skill, not multiple-choice recall.
• CEH Master — awarded when you pass both the knowledge exam and CEH Practical.

Recognition: ANSI Accreditation and the DoD 8140 Matrix

CEH's accreditations make it valuable for employment and government work. It is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) under ISO/IEC 17024, the international standard for personnel certification bodies — meaning the exam is independently audited for fairness and validity. DoDM 8140.03 cancelled DoD 8570.01-M in 2023. The DoD 8140 Qualification Matrix (V2.1) lists CEH for 7 work roles. Under DoD 8140, qualification is tied to a specific Defense Cyber Workforce Framework work role and proficiency level. Check the current DoD qualification matrices and the position’s requirements; holding CEH does not by itself satisfy every qualification requirement for every cyber role.

Retake Policy and Maintenance

• No mandatory wait before your second attempt; a 14-day wait applies before attempts 3, 4, and 5.
• Maximum 5 attempts in a 12-month period; a 12-month wait then applies before a sixth attempt.
• CEH is valid for 3 years, maintained through the EC-Council Continuing Education (ECE) program by earning ECE credits and keeping membership current. Plan recertification from day one.

Official Resources

• EC-Council CEH Certification Page — official program and exam overview
• CEH Learning Framework — official 20-module / 5-phase framework
• CEH Eligibility Process — application steps and fee
• EC-Council Exam Retake Policy — attempt limits and wait periods