Do not just watch videos. You must do the labs.
1. The path teaches you exactly what you need — but you have to truly understand it.
Just finishing the CPTS course modules isn’t enough. You need to be able to enumerate blindly, adapt when an exploit fails, and manually chain techniques.
2. Enumeration is 80% of the exam.
If you feel stuck, you missed something simple: a share, a user description, an SPN, an ACL misconfiguration. Slow down.
3. Your notes will save or sink you.
I used Obsidian with tags for every technique (e.g., #win-privesc, #kerberoast, #pivot-ssh). When I hit a dead end, I searched my notes instead of the internet. That speed matters. cpts exam
4. The report is no joke.
HTB gives you a reporting template. Use it early. Take screenshots during the exam with timestamps. Write findings as you go. Waiting until the end is painful.
Strategy: Take the CPTS to learn the skills. Then take the OSCP for the ticket. You will likely pass the OSCP easily after CPTS.
The CPTS exam is not a standard 24-hour sprint. It utilizes a flexible 10-day window. Do not just watch videos
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 – but only if you enjoy pain and coffee at 3 AM)
Reviewer: A shell-shocked junior pentester who now sees Active Directory trees in their sleep.
The TL;DR: Forget your multiple-choice brain dumps. The CPTS exam isn’t a test; it’s a simulated hostile takeover. It’s the difference between reading a cookbook and being thrown into a Top Chef kitchen where the judges are actual hackers and the clock is the enemy. Strategy: Take the CPTS to learn the skills
The Vibe: You start the exam feeling like Neo in The Matrix. By hour 12, you’re the guy begging for the blue pill.
The Brutal Honesty: This is the hardest 3 days (yes, days) you will ever voluntarily pay for. Hack The Box built this exam to break you, then rebuild you as a real threat actor—ethically, of course.