My OSCP Top 10 Tips

How to get the most from the OSCP course and pass your exam.

Posted by Matt on January 12, 2021 · 2 mins read

For details of how I passed my OSCP, please see the following blog post, for my top 10 tips, continue reading.

  1. The course videos and PDF should not be considered optional, therefore watch the videos, read the PDF and take plenty of notes.

  2. Complete the course exercises and document your answers. Not only will this consolidate your learning, but you can also obtain 5 bonus points by submitting all the completed exercises as part of a lab report.

  3. Write a brief report for every machine you compromise in the labs. Ten of these reports can be used as part of your lab report, while the others will provide a useful reference for machines with similar vulnerabilities.

  4. Use the forums but only when you have exhausted all other options. The forums exist to answer questions, but shouldn’t be used as a crutch. Treating them as a step-by-step guide for each machine will not allow you to develop your own process or build confidence.

  5. Create a ‘cheatsheet’ of your most commonly used commands. I used GitHub and Markdown to document my commands and found it far quicker than trying to format commands in Word or Google Docs.

  6. Practice buffer overflows. The course material includes 3 additional vulnerable applications as part of the extra mile exercises, all 3 should be completed and documented.

  7. Treat each open port as potential foothold until proven otherwise. In time, experience will allow you to identify the most likely port where a foothold might be found.

  8. Try simpler, not harder. The lab and exam machines are a reflection of the course and have been designed to provide a fair challenge within the provided time frame.

  9. Follow the Offensive Security Learning Path, but only use the hints if you absolutely have to.

  10. Compromise at least 40 lab machines.