My Experience with the eWPT Certification: A Critical Review
Web application penetration testing is a highly sought-after skill in the cybersecurity industry, and the eWPT certification offered by eLearnSecurity promises to make you a proficient professional in this area. Having recently completed the Web Application Penetration Tester (WAPT) course and attempted the eWPT certification, I have some thoughts to share about my experience.
Material:
The course material is extensive and covers a range of web application testing, split into individual modules. While some modules were more detailed than others, the overall quality of the video and course material was high. However, some modules were notably missing or not covered in as much detail as I would have liked, and the inclusion of some seemingly redundant modules made me question the relevance of the certification in the current landscape.
Labs:
The labs are where the practical value of the certification lies, but unfortunately, they were hit-or-miss. While some labs were challenging and required multiple hours to complete, others felt outdated and unrealistic, requiring extremely specific use cases of a vulnerability that would not be seen in real-world scenarios. In addition, the labs were difficult to configure and did not always run smoothly, which was frustrating.
Exam:
The exam was even more outdated than the labs, and the course content did not align with what was tested. The exam was not as broadly scoped as the course content, and some of the more interesting or difficult vulnerabilities were not required to pass the certification. While a full pen test report was required, it did not feel reflective of real-world engagements.
Overall:
While I enjoyed the course and the exam, I wasn’t super impressed with the eWPT certification. Given the cost of the certification and its general lack of recognition in the industry, I think anyone looking to improve their web application testing skills should consider other options. The labs at PortSwigger Academy are a good alternative, offering practical and relevant challenges for free.
In conclusion, the eWPT certification has room for improvement. The course material could be refined to better reflect real-world engagements, and the labs and exam could be updated to align with current industry standards. While it’s always a good feeling to pass a certification and prove your practical skills, the value of the eWPT certification is questionable. As someone who is always looking to learn and improve, I look forward to exploring other options for improving my web application testing skills.
Stay tuned, For how I passed the eWPT.
