Cheapest Way to Get OSCP Certified in 2026
OSCP costs $1,749 at minimum from OffSec. The cheapest realistic path runs through eJPT and eCPPT first — building the skills that make the OSCP labs worthwhile and splitting the cost into stages.
11 min read
Cyber VK Certification Desk
Certification and voucher research
The Cyber VK team that tracks exam pricing, voucher terms and certification requirements across vendors.
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Key takeaways
- The cheapest direct path to OSCP is $1,749 for the Learn Essentials bundle — there is no lower official price.
- Buying OSCP before you are ready wastes the lab time and risks a $249 retake fee — preparation time is money.
- The staged path (eJPT → eCPPTv2 → OSCP) totals roughly $2,139 but includes two verifiable intermediate certifications and ensures you pass OSCP efficiently.
- Free prep resources — HackTheBox free tier, TryHackMe free rooms, VulnHub — eliminate the need for expensive pre-OSCP platform subscriptions.
There is no version of "getting OSCP for free" that holds up to scrutiny. Every legitimate route involves paying OffSec at least $1,749. But there is a meaningful difference between the cheapest route and the route most likely to result in a pass on the first attempt — and for most candidates, these are not the same thing. Rushing the purchase to save time often costs more in retakes and wasted lab time than taking the staged approach.
The true cost of OSCP — not just the voucher price
The $1,749 Learn Essentials bundle includes 90 days of lab access and one exam attempt. What it does not include is the preparation time most candidates need before they can use those 90 days productively. Candidates who enter the OSCP labs without sufficient foundational skills typically spend the first 30 days figuring out how to use the tools and reproduce the course examples, leaving 60 days for actual practice on the machines. Those 60 days may not be enough. Rushing to OSCP and failing costs $249 for a retake attempt and potentially another $359 for extended lab access. Total spend can reach $2,357 before you pass.
Free resources to build OSCP skills before you pay
Before spending anything, exhaust the free tier on these platforms. TryHackMe offers free rooms including the entire Pre-Security and Introduction to Cyber Security paths, plus individual rooms like "Blue" and "Kenobi" that practise the exact techniques OSCP tests. HackTheBox Free Tier has a small set of retired machines available without a subscription. VulnHub provides hundreds of downloadable vulnerable VMs — run them on VirtualBox or VMware locally for free. TCM Security's YouTube channel and the NetworkChuck channel cover enough enumeration and exploitation fundamentals to make a significant dent without spending anything.
The staged path: eJPT → eCPPTv2 → OSCP
Buying your first paid certification is the point at which free resources stop being sufficient. The eJPT is the right first purchase. At $195 through authorised resellers, it costs significantly less than a month of platform subscriptions and produces a credential you can show an employer immediately. The exam itself — 35 questions over 48 hours in a live lab environment — tests whether you can actually perform a penetration test, not just describe one.
The eJPT is $195 at CyberVK — the same INE official voucher, delivered by email within minutes. It is the first measurable step on the OSCP track.
Buy eJPT — $195After passing the eJPT, eCPPTv2 (Certified Professional Penetration Tester) is the natural next step. The eCPPT is a 7-day practical exam — not multiple choice. You get a simulated client environment with multiple network segments and must pivot through them, documenting your methodology as you go. The eCPPT covers Active Directory basics, buffer overflow exploitation, advanced pivoting, and more complex web application testing. These are the exact skill areas that make the OSCP labs feel familiar rather than overwhelming.
| Step | Cost | Time to prepare | What it proves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free prep (THM, HTB, VulnHub) | $0 | 2–4 months | Foundational tooling and concepts |
| eJPT via authorised reseller | $195 | 1–2 months study | Practical entry-level pentest skills |
| eCPPTv2 via authorised reseller | $195 | 2–4 months study | Advanced practical pentest + AD basics |
| OSCP Learn Essentials (OffSec) | $1,749 | 3–6 months in labs | Professional offensive security standard |
| Total | $2,139 | 8–16 months | 3 certifications, fully verified skills |
Can you skip eJPT and eCPPT and go straight to OSCP?
Yes, and many people do. If you already have significant hands-on experience — CTF participation, a home lab, real IT or developer work that crosses into system administration — you may be ready to enter the OSCP labs directly. The staged approach is for candidates who are starting from a position of limited practical experience. If you can enumerate a Linux or Windows machine from scratch, identify and exploit a common vulnerability, and pivot to a second host without guidance, you are probably ready to start with OSCP directly. If any of those steps sounds unfamiliar, start with eJPT.
Employer sponsorship — the actual cheapest route
The cheapest path to OSCP is having your employer pay for it. Security roles in US federal contracting, financial services, and enterprise IT often budget for certification costs as part of professional development. The realistic strategy: get hired into a junior security role — security analyst, SOC analyst, junior pentester — with eJPT or Security+ to get through the initial screening. Once employed, request employer sponsorship for OSCP as part of a performance and development plan. Many employers with DoD or government clients actively want employees to pursue OSCP and will pay. This route takes longer but costs you $195 rather than $2,139.
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