Hi, I’m Navaneeth, a 20-year-old Cyber Forensics student.
In this post, I’ll be sharing my journey to successfully completing the eJPT (eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester) exam. There are many write-ups available online, but this one is different — I am writing this on the same day I completed the exam, so everything is still fresh in my mind.
This post will be long, but if you are preparing for the eJPT or want to know what the exam really feels like, it’s worth reading.
🟦 What is the eJPT Exam?
The eJPT (Junior Penetration Tester) is an entry-level penetration testing certification designed for beginners with a basic understanding of networks and systems.
It focuses on real-world pentesting scenarios, covering:
Assessment Methodologies
Host & Network Auditing
Penetration Testing
Web Application Testing
📌 Exam Information
Questions: 35 (including flags)
Passing Score: 70% (25/35)
Exam Type: Open-book
Delivery: Online, start any time
Duration: 48 hours
Report: Not required — just answer questions and provide flags
🟦 My Story
I purchased the eJPT exam vouchers on August 17, 2025, during an offer, for $125. This included:
3 months of eJPT Fundamentals
2 exam vouchers
With college going on, I managed to set aside just 1.5 hours per day initially. But during my study leave, I pushed myself to complete the entire learning material.
I completed the first 30% of the learning path in 40 days, and the remaining 70% in just 1 week — with some days having 10+ hour sessions.
The course includes:
Video content
MCQs
Labs
A CTF
✔️ The Best Decision I Made
I spent the last 2 days only on labs. That helped more than anything else.
🟦 My Preparation Method
While studying, I created structured lecture notes with important commands. This helped way more than Googling or using cheat sheets.
My advice to you:
🔹 1. Complete the modules at your own pace
No need to rush the videos.
🔹 2. DON’T read lab walkthroughs
Solve labs and the CTF yourself. It will take time, but it is worth it.
🔹 3. Practice labs more than watching videos
Hands-on experience matters the most.
🔹 4. Enumeration is the key
Spend time understanding how to enumerate properly. This will help you not only in this exam but also in real pentesting.
🟦 My Exam Approach
I started the exam at 8 PM.
INE provides a browser-based Kali machine connected to the target environment. It takes about 5 minutes to load.
Here’s how I approached the exam:
✔️ I answered the first 6–8 questions in around 2 hours.
If I didn’t know an answer, I flagged it and moved on.
✔️ I used both Notion and a notebook.
For every host I found, I dedicated one full page to it — writing its IP, hostname, and all steps.
This helped a lot.
🟥 The Biggest Mistake I Made
I focused only on the current question and didn’t read ahead.
This wasted time and made me stuck for hours. The lab gives no hints — but the questions themselves DO.
After taking a break (coffee), I came back and read all the questions properly.
Everything became clearer after that.
🟦 Important Tips for the Exam
✔️ Read ALL the questions first
They contain hidden hints.
✔️ Don’t overthink — it’s a beginner exam
Stick to basics.
✔️ Be patient
You have 48 hours. Rest if needed.
✔️ Use the right wordlists
Common Unix passwords, default password lists, etc.
✔️ Privilege escalation
Know the basics for both Windows and Linux.
✔️ Take breaks
It helps. I did it multiple times.
🟦 The Lab Environment (Spoiler-Free)
Here’s what you can expect, without revealing exam content:
You must find the hosts — no IPs are provided
Enumeration is crucial
There are both Linux and Windows machines
You will need to find vulnerabilities and exploit them
Privilege escalation is required
You may need to crack hashes
The correct wordlists are important
The questions offer hints — pay attention to them
This is the part nobody explained properly in other write-ups, and it’s what will help you pass.
🟦 Final Words
If you’ve read this far, you now know everything you need to pass the eJPT.
There are cheat sheets online with answers — don’t trust them.
Use your own notes.
I completed the exam in 25 hours, including breaks, chatting with friends, and my usual routine.
This blog is written for two reasons:
To document my own journey
To help anyone preparing for the exam
Good luck with your preparation!
#eJPT #CyberSecurity #PenetrationTesting #InfoSec #EthicalHacking #Certification #eJPTexperience