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Compare certifications

Pick up to 3 certifications and compare them side-by-side on cost, exam format, recertification, salary signal, quality, and domain coverage.

GIAC · professional
GRTP
GIAC Red Team Professional

GIAC Red Team Professional

Official page
OffSec · professional
OSEP
Offensive Security Experienced Penetration Tester

The OffSec Experienced Penetration Tester (OSEP) is based on the PEN-300 course and addresses advanced techniques around antivirus evasion, Active Directory attacks, and living-off-the-land methods. The fully practical 48-hour exam (47:45 hrs exam + 24 hrs report) in a simulated enterprise environment is the key difference from knowledge-based certifications—it tests real attack capabilities. OSEP is considered credible proof of high-level offensive competence in red team circles, but requires solid OSCP knowledge. Together with OSED and OSWE, OSEP forms the OSCE³ trio.

Official page

Cost

Exam fee
GRTP$979
OSEP$1,649
Annual maintenance fee
GRTP
OSEP
3-year cost of ownership
GRTP$979
OSEP$1,649

Exam mechanics

Pass mark
GRTP67% (scaled per attempt)
OSEPLab points-based (typically 100/100 across multiple targets in 48hr exam)
Retake policy
GRTP$999 fee · 30d wait
OSEP$249 fee · 0d wait
Study time
GRTP
OSEP300–600 hrs
Validity
GRTP4 yrs
OSEP3 yrs
CPE / yr
GRTP9 CPEs
OSEP
Delivery
GRTPmixed
OSEPonline proctored

Salary signal (US base)

Range
GRTP$130K – $200K
OSEP$140K – $215K
Median
GRTP$160,000
OSEP$170,000
Premium %
GRTP
OSEP
Role context
GRTPRed team operator / adversary emulator, US, 5+ years.
OSEPRed team operator / advanced pentester, US, 5+ years.

Quality (4-axis rubric · 0–10)

Schema quality
GRTP7.5
OSEP8.5
Practice evidence
GRTP8.0
OSEP9.0
Maintenance
GRTP8.5
OSEP7.0
Market recognition
GRTP5.5
OSEP7.5
Average
GRTP7.4
OSEP8.0

Recognition & lifecycle

Recognition
GRTPGlobal
OSEPGlobal
ISO 17024 accredited
GRTP
OSEP
DoD 8140 baseline
GRTP
OSEP
Holders worldwide
GRTP
OSEP2,500
Current version
GRTPLaunched 2024 (2024-06)
OSEPPEN-300 (2024) (2024-06)

Domain coverage

A2Network Security
GRTP·
OSEP● core
A6Identity & Access Management
GRTP·
OSEP● core
A9Penetration Testing & Red Teaming
GRTP● core
OSEP● core

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