Examination Preparation

To prepare for the exams we recommend that you study the technical syllabus, which can be found on each examination page, and become fully conversant with the requirement for the exam you wish to sit.  Hands-on practical experience is essential, particularly so in the case of the Certified Tester exams.

Recommended Preparation Material
You will find Recommended Preparation Material listed on the pages of the majority of our examinations.  Previous candidates have recommended this material and media as helpful during exam preparation.  A matrix of this material is available here.

The following material is also recommended from a more general technical information security aspect:

Reading Material:
Red Team Field Manual (RTFM) (by Ben Clark) – recommended as an all-round pocket reference guide
Practical Cryptography (by Niels Ferguson/Bruce Schneier)
Networked Communications and Compliance with the Law (by Stephen Mason) – general information on case law

Websites:
www.legislation.gov.uk

Notes for Candidates
You are strongly advised to study the Notes for Candidates available here and on each examination page:

CREST Practitioner Security Analyst

CREST Registered Penetration Tester

CREST Certified Web Applications Tester and Infrastructure Tester

CREST Simulated Attack and Response Examinations

CREST Certified Threat Intelligence Manager Examination

CREST Wireless Specialist Examination

CREST Intrusion Analysis Examinations

CREST Certified Incident Manager Examination

Useful Information for Candidates
Details of the Logistics and Timings of the examinations
CREST’s Policy for Candidates requiring special arrangements including additional time to accommodate a medical condition (including examinations delivered via Pearson Vue)
Terms and Conditions for CREST Examinations (includes hard disk drive wiping policy)

If you require advice on preparation for CREST examinations, most of the CREST member companies will be willing to offer help and advice.  Member companies’ contact details can be found here.