CREST CPSA Review & OSCP-CRT Equivalency Program
I got my OSCP back in February 2024 and found out that CREST offers an equivalency program through which you can get CREST’s CRT. So I decided to go through this route to get the certificate. However, there were some pre-requisites, with the main one being that it is necessary to clear their CPSA exam. You can review the other requirements here.
CPSA Preparation
CREST doesn’t really provide their own structured course for this certificate, it only provides various third-party training materials and refers to partnered training providers.
In preparation for the exam, I read one of the books that they recommend Network Security Assessment (by O’Reilly, 3rd edition). It has lots of theortical as well as practical aspects of Network Security. However, the exam covers on the theoretical aspect of it, so I mainly focused on that. As the primary focus is trying to remember every single port, name of the protocols, and other intricate details about protocols, I used these flash cards to help prepare as well. Lastly, after going through the entire book and the flash cards, I also went through the following practice exams. These practice exams are decent enough to test if you’re ready for the exam or not. All in all, it took me 5 days of preparation of the exam, and gave the exam on the 6th day.
OSCP-CRT Equivalency Process
Provided that you meet all the requirements states by CREST, the equivalency process is as follows:
- Book your CPSA exam at one of the Pearson Vue’s testing centers. If you’re company is a CREST member, you are eligible for a 30% discount.
- After finishing the exam, you’ll receive your results immediately. You can request for OSCP-CRT equivalency by emailing them on the email provided here.
- Then they’ll give you access to a portal to apply for the program where you have to submit all the required details.
- They state that it takes about 5 weeks for your to get the CRT certificate after that, however for me, my application was approved within 5 days.
- After the application is approved, they will generate an invoice, which is the application fee. I paid in USD, which was equivalent to 150$. After paying the amount, they’ll generate your certificate immediately and share it with you over the email.
If you have any questions that you’d like to ask, you can contact me over my LinkedIn.
