CWPE vs GPEN
| CWPE Hack The Box | GPEN GIAC (SANS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Offensive · Advanced | Offensive · Intermediate |
| Price | $350 Voucher with 2 attempts. You must first finish 100% of the HTB Academy Wi-Fi Penetration Tester path (10 modules, subscription extra); the Gold Annual plan (USD 1,400/year) includes it along with the CJCA one. | $979 Exam attempt only; the SANS SEC560 course costs over USD 8,000. |
| Study hours | 100–200 h | 80–120 h |
| Real difficulty | ●●●●○ | ●●●○○ |
| Exam | Hands-on Length: 168 h | Multiple choice Length: 3 h |
| Validity | Does not expire | 4 years (credits + fee) |
| Job ads in United States | 0 | 941 |
| Avg. salary | – | $156,033 |
| Index | 28 | 65 |
| Summary | Wireless network auditing: WPA2, WPA3 and WPA-Enterprise, client attacks and rogue access points. A 7-day hands-on exam with a report. | Well respected in large companies and the public sector, usually paid by the employer together with the SANS course. Open-book exam with lab questions. |
Highlighted: the best in that row.