If you’re looking to get into penetration testing, you’ve almost certainly come across two certifications: CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) by EC-Council and OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) by Offensive Security. Both are respected. Both are challenging. But they are very different, and choosing the wrong one for your current level can waste time and money.
What is CEH?
The CEH is a vendor-neutral certification that covers a broad range of ethical hacking topics, reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, malware, social engineering, web application attacks, cloud hacking, and more. It is knowledge-based and includes a practical exam component (CEH Practical). The current version is CEH v13, which includes AI-driven attack and defense modules.
Best for: Beginners and intermediate professionals who want a structured, comprehensive introduction to ethical hacking.
What is OSCP?
The OSCP is a 100% hands-on certification. There are no multiple choice questions. You get 24 hours to compromise a set of machines in an isolated lab environment and then 24 hours to write a detailed penetration testing report. It requires real-world exploitation skills — if you can’t hack the boxes, you don’t pass.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced professionals who already understand networking and basic exploitation and want to prove real-world skills.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | CEH v13 | OSCP |
| Difficulty | Intermediate | Advanced |
| Format | MCQ + Practical exam | 100% hands-on |
| Prerequisites | Basic IT knowledge | Networking + Linux + scripting |
| Duration | 40 hours of training | 90-day lab access |
| Recognition in India | Very high | Very high (especially MNCs) |
| Salary impact | ₹6–12 LPA | ₹10–20 LPA |
| Price | ~₹55,000 (via ATC) | ~$1,499 USD |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose CEH if:
- You are new to ethical hacking
- You want a recognised credential to get your first security job
- You prefer a structured curriculum over open-ended labs
- You are targeting Indian enterprise, banking, or government roles
Choose OSCP if:
- You already have CEH or equivalent experience
- You want to work as a professional pentester at a top firm
- You are comfortable with Linux, Python scripting, and basic exploitation
- You want to stand out in a competitive job market
Can You Do Both?
Absolutely, and many professionals do. CEH first gives you the foundation and the job. OSCP later gives you the credibility and the salary jump. At IIS, we offer training for both. Our CEH v13 batch runs every month, and our OSCP prep programme includes 200+ hours of guided lab practice to get you exam-ready.
