SecProve
ProfessionalVendor-neutralOffSec· issued from US

OSED

Offensive Security Exploit Developer

Offensive Security Exploit Developer

Official page at OffSec↔ Compare with another cert
Exam fee
$1,649
Ongoing
$0/yr AMF
Study time
300–600 hrs
Delivery
Online proctored
Validity
3 yrs (renewal cycle)

› Quality score

30.5 / 40

Four-axis SecProve rubric, each 0–10. SecProve editorial assessment — each axis carries a written justification so you can push back on any single call without dismissing the whole score.

Blueprint rigor
How well-defined and rigorous the exam blueprint is.
EXP-301 syllabus: x86 reverse engineering, Windows exploit dev, custom shellcode.
8.5/10
Practical evidence
Hands-on labs / written reports vs pure MCQ.
47-hour fully hands-on exam — debugger, disassembler, custom exploit chains.
9.5/10
Currency & upkeep
How aggressively content is kept current with the field.
Refreshed with newer Windows mitigation classes but cadence trails the kernel-defence space.
6.0/10
Market recognition
How often this signal actually moves a hiring decision.
Recognised in exploit-dev, low-level malware research; narrower than OSCP but respected. [Holders: 2k, 2024-12]
6.5/10

› Market signals

public, citable inputs to the recognition score
Holders worldwide
1,500
as of 2024-12 · source

› Built for these roles

IT Governance ManagerCIO / IT DirectorIT Strategy ConsultantEnterprise Risk ManagerChief Information Security Officer (CISO)

› Exam format

Practical: 47 hours 45 min. hands-on exam (exploit development, ROP, shellcoding) + report. Proctored.

Passing score
Lab points-based (typically 60+/100 with report)
Retake policy
Fee: $249 per attempt
Wait: 0d between attempts

Retake voucher $249 separately. No wait period beyond exam scheduling availability.

› Recertification

Valid indefinitely. No renewal required.

› NICE Framework work roles

The NIST NICE work-role IDs this cert maps to. NICCS lookup.

PD-WRL-007
Recognition
Global
Exam languages
en

› Core domains covered

The 2 domains this cert is centrally about. Passing the exam demonstrates working knowledge of each.

A9Penetration Testing & Red Teaming

Methodology (OSSTMM, PTES), web/network/mobile pentesting, social engineering, purple teaming.

A21Malware Analysis & Reverse Engineering

Static/dynamic analysis, sandbox analysis, assembly/disassembly, packer analysis, YARA rules, malware family classification.

› Prerequisites

Experience

No formal prerequisites. EXP-301 course recommended. Advanced programming skills (C, Python, Assembly) required.

› Progression

requiredrecommended

Where this cert fits in the typical learning path. Required edges are vendor-gated; recommended edges reflect de facto industry progression.

Required prereqs (0)

No vendor-gated prereqs.

Recommended priors (1)
OSCPOffSec
OSED
OffSec
Required by (0)

No certs require this one.

Recommended next (2)
OSCE3OffSecOSEEOffSec

› Study materials

Curated starting points. Not exhaustive — vet each against your learning style and the current exam version.

Practice tests
  • OffSec Proving Grounds Practice
Free / community

› Version & lifecycle

Current version
EXP-301 (2024)
Released
2024-04

› Salary signal

Vulnerability researcher / exploit developer, US, 5+ years.

$140K–$215K
median $170K

Robert Half Salary Guide + Glassdoor 'Exploit Developer / Vulnerability Researcher' aggregations · 2024 · US base only · p25–p75 range

› How it compares

vs
GXPN

OSED is deep Windows exploit development; GXPN is broader pentest + exploit-writing methodology.

↔ Compare side-by-side
vs
OSCE3

OSED is one-third of OSCE3 (with OSWE + OSEP).

↔ Compare side-by-side

› Common exam traps to study

Cybersecurity cert exams reuse the same 25 distractor patterns over and over — category confusion, RTO vs RPO, IDS vs IPS, MD5 vs SHA-256, and more. Once you can name the trap, you stop falling for it. Each archetype page covers what it is, the specific pairs candidates confuse, and how to avoid it.

Browse all 25 cert-exam trapsStart with: BEST vs correct

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