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EC-Council

CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) Pass Rate 2026

Complete analysis of CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) exam difficulty, pass rates, and strategies to pass on your first attempt.

Pass Rate Overview
~60%

Pass Rate

60% Pass
40% Fail

Difficulty Verdict

Moderately Challenging

Recommended Study Time

4-8 weeks

Typical Attempts

1-2 attempts typical

Why is the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) Pass Rate ~60%?

CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)'s ~60% pass rate means roughly 40 out of 100 candidates fail. For a hard-difficulty EC-Council exam, this is in line with expectations. Success requires covering all exam objectives — not just the ones you're comfortable with. At $950-$1199 per attempt, failing is costly. The certification is valid for 3 years, so investing in solid prep pays off long-term.

Top Reasons Candidates Fail CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker):

30%
Lack of real-world security operations experience
25%
Focusing on tools instead of security concepts and frameworks
20%
Not understanding how to apply knowledge to scenario-based questions
15%
Underestimating the breadth of domains covered
10%
Poor time management on the adaptive exam format
How to Beat the ~60% Pass Rate

Do This for CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)

  • Build a home lab with VMs
  • Practice with Hack The Box, TryHackMe
  • Study reconnaissance and enumeration tools
  • Understand all attack phases

Avoid This

  • Memorizing tool commands without understanding security principles
  • Ignoring risk management and governance domains
  • Using only one study source instead of cross-referencing
  • Skipping the adaptive practice tests that mirror real exam format

Ready to Beat the Odds?

Get our complete CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) study guide with practice questions.

View CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) Guide
Other Exam Pass Rates
CompTIA Security+~70%CISSP~25%CISM (Certified Information Security Manager)~50%OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional)~25%CompTIA CySA+~70%CompTIA PenTest+~65%CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor)~50%CRISC (Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control)~55%CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional)~60%