u/Stunning_Meal366

my hands-on experience with offensive security is quite limited. I understand concepts like enumeration, web attacks, privilege escalation, AD attacks, lateral movement, etc., but I haven’t actually done much practical work with them.
I’m considering buying the 90-day PEN-200/OSCP access and dedicating 25–30 hours per week, potentially more if needed.
My question is: Is it realistic for someone in my position to start PEN-200 directly and become exam-ready within those 3 months?
I’m not expecting the exam to be easy, but I’m wondering whether 300+ hours of focused hands-on practice is enough to go from mostly theoretical knowledge to OSCP-level practical skills.
Would you recommend:
Starting PEN-200 directly and using the 90 days intensively, or
Spending 3–4 weeks building practical fundamentals first and then starting the 90-day access?
I’d really appreciate input from people who have actually gone through OSCP/PEN-200, especially those who came from a blue-team/SOC background.

Hi everyone,

I recently moved into a SOC L2 analyst role. On the blue team side, I currently hold certifications such as BTL1 and eCIR, and I have been focusing primarily on defensive security so far.

On the red team side, I only have a moderate level of theoretical knowledge and very limited hands-on experience. Right now, I’m trying to decide what my next major certification should be.

I’m considering preparing for OSDA because I believe the training and exam would help me develop a much stronger detection and investigation mindset as a defender.

At the same time, I’m also considering OSCP, since I feel that improving my offensive security knowledge—both practical and theoretical—would ultimately make me a better security professional overall.

Regardless of which path I choose first, I know that gaining a deeper understanding of the offensive side will be important for my long-term growth. My main question is: if you were in my position, would you prioritize OSDA or OSCP first, and why?

I’d appreciate hearing from people who have taken either (or both) certifications, especially those working in SOC, detection engineering, threat hunting, or incident response roles.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I recently moved into a SOC L2 analyst role. On the blue team side, I currently hold certifications such as BTL1 and eCIR, and I have been focusing primarily on defensive security so far.

On the red team side, I only have a moderate level of theoretical knowledge and very limited hands-on experience. Right now, I’m trying to decide what my next major certification should be.

I’m considering preparing for OSDA because I believe the training and exam would help me develop a much stronger detection and investigation mindset as a defender.

At the same time, I’m also considering OSCP, since I feel that improving my offensive security knowledge—both practical and theoretical—would ultimately make me a better security professional overall.

Regardless of which path I choose first, I know that gaining a deeper understanding of the offensive side will be important for my long-term growth. My main question is: if you were in my position, would you prioritize OSDA or OSCP first, and why?

I’d appreciate hearing from people who have taken either (or both) certifications, especially those working in SOC, detection engineering, threat hunting, or incident response roles.

Thanks!

Can you share discount code?

Are the same questions in the retake of the RHCSA exam? V9

Hi guys, in the Rhcsa exam ( online proctored ), is the version ( v9 or v10 ) optional, or is it necessary to take only the v10?