Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Exam Objectives
312-50
The CEH v13 exam (312-50v13) covers 20 modules spanning the full ethical hacking methodology — from information gathering to advanced topics like cloud security, IoT/OT hacking, and AI-powered attacks.
Each domain is weighted differently on the exam. System Hacking and Hacking Web Applications carry the highest weight at 7% each, while foundational modules like Introduction to Ethical Hacking carry 4%. Understanding these weights helps you prioritize your study time effectively.
The exam consists of 125 multiple-choice questions with a 4-hour time limit. Questions are scenario-based and test practical application of ethical hacking tools and techniques, not just theoretical knowledge.
Exam Overview
Exam Domains
All Exam Objectives
20 domains covering 100% of the exam
Introduction to Ethical Hacking
6% of examFundamentals of information security, ethical hacking concepts, cyber kill chain methodology, MITRE ATT&CK framework, and relevant laws and standards.
Key Concepts
~8 questions
Footprinting and Reconnaissance
6% of examTechniques and tools for gathering information about target networks, including OSINT, DNS footprinting, and social engineering reconnaissance.
Key Concepts
~8 questions
Scanning Networks
5% of examNetwork scanning techniques for host, port, service, and OS discovery, including methods to bypass IDS and firewalls.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Enumeration
5% of examEnumerating network resources including NetBIOS, SNMP, LDAP, NFS, DNS, SMTP, and SMB services.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Vulnerability Analysis
5% of examIdentifying security loopholes using vulnerability scoring systems, databases, scanning tools, and AI-powered assessment.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
System Hacking
7% of examSystem hacking methodologies including password cracking, privilege escalation, steganography, and covering tracks.
Key Concepts
~9 questions
Malware Threats
5% of examTypes of malware including trojans, viruses, worms, ransomware, fileless malware, and APTs with static and dynamic analysis.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Sniffing
5% of examPacket-sniffing techniques including MAC flooding, ARP poisoning, MITM attacks, DNS poisoning, and countermeasures.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Social Engineering
5% of examSocial engineering concepts and techniques including phishing, impersonation, identity theft, and AI-powered attacks.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Denial-of-Service
5% of examDoS and DDoS attack techniques, botnet operations, and detection/protection strategies.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Session Hijacking
4% of examSession hijacking techniques at application and network levels including TCP/IP hijacking, session ID compromise, and countermeasures.
Key Concepts
~5 questions
Evading IDS, Firewalls, and Honeypots
5% of examTechniques for evading intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and honeypots, and related countermeasures.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Hacking Web Servers
4% of examWeb server attack methodology including reconnaissance, DNS hijacking, web cache poisoning, and server hardening.
Key Concepts
~5 questions
Hacking Web Applications
6% of examWeb application hacking methodology covering OWASP Top 10, API security, web service attacks, and security testing.
Key Concepts
~8 questions
SQL Injection
5% of examSQL injection attack techniques, evasion methods, and countermeasures for protecting database-driven applications.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Hacking Wireless Networks
4% of examWireless network security including encryption cracking, Bluetooth hacking, and wireless attack countermeasures.
Key Concepts
~5 questions
Hacking Mobile Platforms
4% of examMobile platform attack vectors for Android and iOS, mobile device management, and mobile security guidelines.
Key Concepts
~5 questions
IoT and OT Hacking
4% of examIoT and Operational Technology attack surfaces, vulnerabilities, hacking methodologies, and security countermeasures.
Key Concepts
~5 questions
Cloud Computing
5% of examCloud computing concepts, threats, attacks on cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP), and cloud security best practices.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Cryptography
5% of examEncryption algorithms, PKI, digital signatures, cryptanalysis techniques, and cryptographic attack countermeasures.
Key Concepts
~6 questions
Strategy
Study Strategy by Domain Weight
Prioritize your study time based on exam weightings
System Hacking
Allocate approximately 6 hours of study time
Introduction to Ethical Hacking
Allocate approximately 5 hours of study time
Footprinting and Reconnaissance
Allocate approximately 5 hours of study time
Hacking Web Applications
Allocate approximately 5 hours of study time
Scanning Networks
Allocate approximately 4 hours of study time
Enumeration
Allocate approximately 4 hours of study time
More Resources