Exam format
Registered Penetration Tester Exam Format
Everything the official exam blueprint specifies: question count, time limit, scoring and the weight each domain carries. The CREST Registered Penetration Tester (CRT) certification is an internationally recognized credential for penetration testers, validating their ability to conduct professional security assessments. The exam emphasizes practical, hands-on skills across network, web application, and infrastructure testing. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in vulnerability discovery, exploitation, post-exploitation, and professional reporting. The syllabus is aligned with real-world penetration testing methodologies and covers both automated and manual techniques. This certification is a gateway for security professionals aiming to work in regulated industries and government sectors, serving as a prerequisite for advanced CREST certifications like CPSA and CCT. The CRT exam ensures that holders can follow industry-standard testing frameworks and deliver actionable security insights.
- 120 questions
- 150 min
- 60% to pass
- 4 domains
certilumExam facts at a glance
The published specifications for this certification.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Questions | 120 |
| Time limit | 150 minutes (75s per question) |
| Passing score | 60% — Candidates must achieve at least 60% in both Infrastructure and Web Application to achieve a pass. Passing one of the sections but failing the other one will result in a failure overall. |
| Domains | 4 |
| Level | Professional |
| Question bank here | 120 questions |
| Published format | "The CRT exam remains a practical assessment consisting of multiple choice, flags and short form answers" (Kali Linux provided in the exam environment). Duration: "The exam duration is 2.5 hours and candidates will be given an additional 15 minutes for reading time prior to the start of the exam." Mark allocation: "The exam breakdown consists of 160 marks split between Infrastructure (100 marks) and Applications (60 marks)" (Infrastructure 100; Web Application 60). Exact item count is Not published by the provider. |
| Source | Official exam specification, published by the vendor |
Official domain weights
The percentage of the exam each domain carries. Weight your revision by these numbers, not by what you find hardest.
| Domain | Weight | Topics | Practice Qs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reporting and Communication | 20% |
| 24 |
| Exploitation and Post-Exploitation | 35% |
| 42 |
| Web Application and API Security Testing | 20% |
| 24 |
| Information Gathering and Vulnerability Identification | 25% |
| 30 |
The heaviest domain is Reporting and Communication at 20%, and that is where lost points cost you the most. Certilum scores you per domain so you can see the difference between a knowledge gap and a formatting problem.
Note from the vendor record: Active; delivered at Pearson VUE centres globally. Prerequisite confirmed: "A valid CREST Practitioner Security Analyst (CPSA) certification is required before you can book and sit the CRT exam" (Practitioner -> Registered chain); retakes allowed 8 weeks after the original exam date. The CRT page does not restate a validity period (CREST Registered status is stated as valid three (3) years on the CRIA page), and the fee is published per level (600 GBP Registered) rather than per exam. Caveat: question counts are not published - the exam is scored out of 160 marks, and the older CREST Notes-for-Candidates PDF for CRT is no longer linked from the current page. Official exam page
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