Exam format

GPEN

What the GPEN exam looks like

GPEN has 82 questions in 180 minutes, 1 proctored exam. Every figure on this page is read from the official exam page and linked to it.

How many questions, and how long

GIAC states 82 questions for GPEN, with a time limit of 180 minutes. That is about 2.2 minutes a question, including the time it takes to read the stem and the options.

The count is fixed and the cut is a percentage of the marks, so the number you can miss follows from it.

What the questions look like

A CyberLive exam. Some of the questions put you into a live machine with the real tools and score what you do there. GIAC does not publish how many of the 82 are hands-on, so neither do we.

GIAC, GPEN certification details ↗

What passes

The passing score for GPEN is 73 percent.

What that score means, and how it is calculated

If you do not pass

A retake costs another $899.

GIAC, certification pricing ↗

How long it stays valid

GPEN is valid for 4 years from the day you pass. GIAC states that its certifications require renewal every four years and that registration is enabled at the 2-year mark prior to the certification expiration date. GIAC publishes two renewal methods: collect 36 CPE credits over four years, or renew by retaking the exam. GIAC states the certification maintenance fee is a non-refundable $499 payment, due once every four years at the time of registration. GIAC certifications last four years. Renewal is either 36 CPE credits plus a renewal fee, or passing the current exam again.

GIAC, certification pricing ↗

What this means for practice

Our GPEN practice exams are assembled to the published domain weightings and sat against a 180-minute clock, in exam conditions or in study mode. Every answer shows the official page it was checked against.

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Original questions written from the published objectives, with the concept, the reasoning, and a note on every wrong option. No account needed to start.

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