The eJPT asks you to attack a small lab network for up to 48 hours and answer questions that only make sense once you've scanned, exploited and pivoted through it. INE Security revised the exam on March 26, 2026, taking it from 35 to 45 questions and adding reconnaissance and web application material. The credential also expires after three years now, and the voucher can't be bought without an INE subscription.
Who should sit the eJPT
It suits career changers, system administrators and help desk staff who want proof they can carry out the basic steps of a network test. INE pitches it at people with "little to no cybersecurity experience" and a basic grasp of networks and systems, and that's honest. Half the weight sits in enumeration and auditing, so careful note-taking counts for as much as exploitation.
Skip it if you already do paid testing. eCPPT or PNPT will tell an employer more. If the postings you're answering name PenTest+, take that instead; CompTIA tests it with multiple-choice and performance-based questions instead of a live lab.
eJPT exam facts
| eJPT (revised March 2026) | |
|---|---|
| Format | Hands-on lab; you answer 45 questions from what you find and exploit |
| Time | 48 hours |
| Passing score | Not stated on INE's public pages |
| Price (US) | $250 voucher for current INE subscribers; $299 eJPT + Prep bundle (voucher plus three months of Fundamentals); $349 Fundamentals Annual, voucher included |
| Voucher terms | Valid 180 days from purchase; one free retake, to be taken within 14 days of a failed attempt and before the voucher expires |
| Delivery | Online in INE's lab; auto-graded, results usually within a few hours |
| Prerequisites | None; an active INE subscription is needed to buy the voucher |
| Validity | Three years; renew with 36 CPE credits plus $99, a higher INE certification plus $99, or by passing the latest exam version at no fee |
Read the bundle's small print before you buy. The $299 eJPT + Prep bundle moves to INE Premium after three months at a one-time $350 for the next nine months, then $799 a year, unless you cancel first.
The four domains, and what changed in 2026
INE's certification page lists these weights:
- Host and Network Penetration Testing: 35%
- Assessment Methodologies: 25%
- Host and Networking Auditing: 25%
- Web Application Penetration Testing: 15%
The largest domain is where the lab gets specific. INE's objectives cover adapting public exploits, using Metasploit, password attacks and hash cracking, and pivoting into a second network segment. Pivoting matters most, because a question about a host you can't reach is a question you can't answer.
Assessment Methodologies covers host discovery, port and service identification, operating system fingerprinting, and gathering email addresses and company details from public sources. Host and Networking Auditing is post-exploitation housekeeping: moving files to and from a target, enumerating users and network settings, and pulling password hashes.
INE's March 2026 announcement adds reconnaissance and web training on Nikto, Gobuster directory enumeration and WordPress testing. Its 12 reconnaissance and 21 web assessment questions accompany the training additions; those counts do not establish the certification exam's domain distribution. Use the published weights when planning exam preparation.
A preparation plan
INE's Penetration Testing Student learning path is the official route, and both bundles include access to it. The same update added a course called Offensive AI: Generative AI for Pentesters. Work through it in order.
Budget roughly half your time on host and network testing, a quarter on enumeration and auditing, and a quarter on web work. Do every lab in the path, and repeat the ones on moving between network segments until they're routine, since INE names pivoting in the objectives. For the web share, use the new labs on scanning, directory enumeration and content management systems that the 2026 update added.
Keep notes of every host, port, credential and hash as you go. The exam lasts two days, and questions often depend on details you noted hours earlier.
Renewal and what to earn next
An eJPT is valid for three years from the date it's awarded. INE's renewal program, launched in December 2024, gives three routes: 36 continuing professional education (CPE) credits, a more advanced INE certification in the same career path, or passing the latest version of the eJPT. The first two cost $99 per certification; the third is free. Renewal opens 18 months before expiry, and a lapsed certification can be renewed for $199 within a 90-day grace period. INE credits one CPE for each 45 minutes of completed course content, so 36 credits means about 27 hours of training.
One wrinkle for older holders: INE's FAQ says certificates issued under the original eLearnSecurity brand don't expire, while INE and co-branded certificates do.
On INE's own career paths, eJPT leads to either of two next certifications, and passing one keeps the eJPT renewable:
- eCPPT, weighted toward Active Directory attacks.
- eWPT, if web applications interest you more than networks.
Outside INE, OSCP is the harder, proctored test of the same skills.
Our view
The eJPT is a fair first practical exam. It's cheap, it's hands-on, and the 2026 revision added the web coverage it was missing. Its weakness is the format: answering questions about a lab is easier than proving compromise or writing a report, and there's no proctor, so we read it as evidence of interest more than ability. At $299 including three months of training it's worth doing as your first lab exam. If you can already pivot through a network without notes, put the money toward eCPPT or PNPT.
Sources
- INE eJPT certification page: domains and weights, objectives, audience, subscription requirement, voucher and retake terms, auto-grading, three-year validity, checked October 2026
- INE: Updated eJPT certification announcement: March 26, 2026 revision, 45 questions, 48-hour format, new content, checked October 2026
- INE checkout: eJPT voucher and bundles: $250 voucher, $299 bundle, $349 Fundamentals Annual, bundle renewal terms, checked October 2026
- INE certification renewal: CPE routes, fees, grace period, career paths, checked October 2026
- CompTIA PenTest+: multiple-choice and performance-based PT0-003 format, checked October 2026
- INE Help Center: expiry of eLearnSecurity versus INE certificates, voucher validity, checked October 2026