Skip to content
CBT Nuggets
DemoBook a Demo
CompTIAProfessional

Pentest+

Standardize your team on Pentest+ with a structured CompTIA training path — virtual labs, a blueprint-weighted practice exam, and team admin reporting included on every CBT Nuggets training subscription.

Book a DemoAll CompTIA certs
1
Course
$425
Exam cost
1
Practice exam
7
Core skills
IT operations team at help desk workstations with ticket queues and network diagrams
Difficulty
Difficulty: 3 of 5 (Moderate)
Moderate
Exam cost
$425
Courses on path
1
Official source
Vendor cert page
Exam code
  • PT0-003

Exam datasheet

Exam length
165 minutes
Questions
Maximum of 90
Passing score
750
Prerequisites
None
Recommended experience
3-4 years of experience in a penetration tester job role, with Network+ and Security+ or equivalent experience
Recertification
3 years
Hiring-market salary
70,000 - 100,000 USD
Certified professionals
over 20,000
Testing centerExam blueprint

Public hiring-market data — not a CBT Nuggets guarantee.

Skills your team builds

Penetration testingVulnerability assessmentSecurity controlsNetwork securityApplication securityCloud securityMobile device security

Training path

Your team's training path

One CBT Nuggets course covers the full Pentest+ path. Your team can start today and have admin reporting visible from day one.

  1. Start here · primary course

    PenTest+

    In this PenTest+ course, cybersecurity expert Bob Salmas guides you through simulating real-world cyberattacks, uncovering network vulnerabilities, and sharpening your ethical hacking skills. Once you complete this course, you’ll be prepared to pass the PenTest+ PT0-003 exam with confidence. This PenTest+ training is ideal for junior cybersecurity pros ready to advance or seasoned pentesters looking to validate their skills. You’ll practice modern penetration testing techniques in realistic virtual labs, document your findings in industry-standard reports, and prepare for exam day with unlimited PenTest+ practice tests.

    Bob Salmans
    221 videos21 labsPractice exam32h
    Open course

Every certification includes

Expert-led video training
Virtual labs
Certification practice exams
Per-team completion reporting

CompTIA career ladder

Where Pentest+ sits in your team's CompTIA progression

The cert your team is on now, plus the levels above and below. Use this to map an engineer's next-step credential or to plan headcount coverage across tiers.

  1. Entry level

    2 certs

    A+

    Core 1: 220-1201, Core 2: 220 …

    Security+

    SY0-701

  2. Associate level

    5 certs

    AutoOps+

    AT0-001

    Data+

    DA0-002

    Network+

    N10-009

    Project+

    PK0-005

    Server+

    SK0-005

  3. Professional level

    7 certs

    Cloud+

    CV0-004

    CloudNetX

    CNX-001

    CySA+

    CS0-003

    DataAI

    DY0-001

    Pentest+

    PT0-003

    You are here

    SecurityX

    CAS-005

    Tech+

    FC0-U71

Compliance coverage

Pentest+ on your audit packet

Compliance frameworks Pentest+ training is commonly cited against, plus the control families the cert addresses. Use this as a planning aid for the procurement conversation, your SOC 2 / HIPAA / PCI prep packet, or the CMMC self-assessment crosswalk — paired with your auditor’s formal control crosswalk for attestation-grade mapping.

  • FrameworkPCI DSS 4.0
    Control families
    Req 11.3
  • FrameworkCMMC L2
    Control families
    CA
  • FrameworkNIST 800-53
    Control families
    CARA

Mappings reflect the cert’s stated learning objectives against published framework control families. Not a formal attestation or substitute for vendor audit guidance — pair with your auditor’s control crosswalk for the official mapping your SOC 2 or HIPAA review requires.

Customer outcome

Make PT0-003 a coverage number your auditor can quote

Pentest+ certified engineers are easy to count and easy to prove. CBT Nuggets bundles the prep into a single team playlist so leadership sees who's on the path, who finished, and who's exam-ready — without spreadsheets.

See team pricing
1 path
from foundation to credential — assigned and tracked as one playlist

Coverage proof

Make PT0-003 a number on your team capability sheet, not a single engineer’s certificate.

Standardizing your team on PT0-003 gives leadership and auditors a coverage number they can quote — and gives CompTIA incident response a baseline of capability you can predict instead of hoping for.

Credential: Pentest+

Exam
  • PT0-003

Frequently asked questions about Pentest+ training

Common questions IT directors ask when evaluating Pentest+ training for their team.

How does Pentest+ fit our PCI DSS 4.0 / CMMC L2 / NIST 800-53 compliance program?

Teams in regulated industries commonly cite Pentest+ when documenting training coverage for PCI DSS 4.0, CMMC L2, NIST 800-53. The specific control families Pentest+ maps to depend on your environment and audit scope — see the compliance mapping section above this FAQ for the planning view, and pair it with your auditor's control crosswalk for the formal attestation mapping. Team reporting in CBT Nuggets documents assigned training, completion, and certification coverage for the audit packet your reviewer actually wants to see.

What's the ROI of certifying our team on Pentest+?

IT Directors typically frame Pentest+ ROI in operational terms — faster troubleshooting, defensible role coverage, predictable onboarding velocity, and audit-ready training documentation. The metrics that matter aren't seat-time or completion percentages; they're mean time to resolve, time-to-productivity for new CompTIA hires, and certification coverage by role.

How does CBT Nuggets Pentest+ training compare to Pluralsight, LinkedIn Learning, or Udemy Business?

CBT Nuggets Pentest+ courses are built by named expert trainers (not crowd-sourced contributors), include hands-on virtual labs in many courses, and include certification practice exams mapped to the vendor's published exam objectives. Team admin reporting tracks assignment, completion, and exam-readiness per engineer — the surface managers actually use to manage team training programs. See /compare for the full feature comparison.

How do I assign and track Pentest+ training for my team?

From the admin console, managers create a training playlist (one or more courses on the Pentest+ path), assign it to specific engineers or role groups, and track completion + practice-exam scores per learner. Team-wide reporting rolls up to a single dashboard you can export for monthly leadership reviews or quarterly compliance reporting. No spreadsheet, no per-engineer license fiddling.

How long does it take to certify a team on Pentest+?

Depends on the cert and the team's starting baseline. Entry-level CompTIA certs typically run 4–6 weeks per engineer from a cold start; associate-level certs run 8–12 weeks; professional/expert tracks can run 3–6 months. Most teams budget the full quarter for any associate-level certification so engineers have time to actually apply the lab work before the exam.

What if CompTIA updates the Pentest+ exam objectives?

CBT Nuggets updates CompTIA course content as exam objectives refresh — typically within weeks of the vendor's release. When CompTIA restructures or renames a track (a common pattern), the assigned training paths stay aligned with the same team training plan; managers don't have to rebuild the playlist from scratch. The training stays current without anyone losing their certification status mid-stream.

Ready to Pentest+-certify your team?

Build Pentest+ capability across your team

See how CBT Nuggets helps IT Directors plan and track Pentest+ training across the team — labs, practice exams, and reporting included.

Book a Demo