Cost breakdown
GCIAHow much does GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA) cost?
The GCIA voucher is $999, and a retake is another $899. Every figure on this page links to the vendor page it came from.
This cost page is built from the registry, not written yet.
Everything below comes from GCIA’s published exam data, and every figure links to the vendor page it came from. The researched version, with study plans and the parts nobody publishes, is still being written. This page is not submitted to search engines until it is.
See everything published on GCIACost breakdown
| Item | Cost | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Exam voucher | $999 | The published US list price for one attempt at GCIA. |
| Retake | $899 | A second attempt is $899, $100 less than the first. |
| SANS training course | Varies | Optional and by far the largest cost. The certification attempt can be bought on its own. |
Exam pricing from GIAC, certification pricing ↗.
Ways to bring the cost down
Work Study programme
SANS runs a facilitator programme that heavily reduces the cost of training plus a certification attempt in exchange for helping run an event.
For a good share of candidates somebody else pays this fee. The GI Bill, DoD and employer routes, with the rules each one publishes.
What a retake costs
A retake costs another $899, the same as the first attempt. That single line is larger than every other avoidable cost on this page combined, which is why practising until your mock scores clear the pass line is the cheapest thing you can do.
Check GIAC's current retake policy for the waiting period between attempts before you rebook.
Retake pricing from GIAC, certification pricing ↗.
What renewal costs across the full cycle
GIAC certifications last four years. Renewal is either 36 CPE credits plus a renewal fee, or passing the current exam again.
Cycle length: 4 years. GIAC certifications last four years. GIAC lists two renewal routes: collect 36 CPE credits over the four year cycle and pay the renewal fee, or retake the current exam. Additional renewals within two years of a full price renewal are charged at a reduced rate.
Typical preparation budget
Preparation for GCIA can genuinely cost nothing. The realistic range people spend is $0 to $500, and the top of that range buys convenience rather than a better chance of passing.
We have not written GCIA practice questions yet, so there is nothing on this page to sell you. It exists for the numbers, and every one of them links to the GIAC page it came from.
Keep reading
- GCIA exam overview
The format, the domain weights and the renewal terms, sourced line by line.
- GCIA passing score
The exact cut score, what kind of number it is, and the retake terms.
- How hard is GCIA?
An honest difficulty read from the format, the clock and the weights.