GXPN
The GXPN is GIAC's expert-tier credential for penetration testers who write their own exploits, defeat modern OS memory protections, and run advanced attacks well beyond off-the-shelf tooling. It is one of the toughest hands-on offensive-security certifications in the industry — a single attempt costs close to a thousand dollars, the CyberLive tasks are performed in a live environment, and the open-book format does not make it easy. For many red teamers it is the proof point that unlocks a senior role or a government clearance requirement, so a failed attempt is expensive in both money and momentum. This page breaks down exactly what GXPN tests, how it's delivered, and how to get it done right the first time.
Pay Only After You Pass
No upfront fee — you settle only after your verified passing result. We advertise guaranteed results — 100% pass guaranteed or money back.
How the GXPN exam is built — at a glance
60
60 items in a single proctored sitting, mixing knowledge-based questions with CyberLive hands-on tasks performed against live systems rather than picked from a list.
3h
A hard 3-hour window covers both the written questions and the live labs, so pacing through exploit-development tasks under the clock is part of the test.
67%
A fixed 67% cut score — no curve, no percentile ranking. You either clear the bar across all objectives or you don't, which is why steady practice-test scores matter.
GXPN is an open-book exam — you may bring printed books and your own indexed notes from the associated SANS SEC660 material. Phones, web searches, and other online resources are not allowed. The questions are deep and time-pressured enough that an index helps you find references fast, not answer for you.
CyberLive items drop you into a real virtual machine where you run the actual tools, write or adapt exploit code, and analyze live output to answer. There is no multiple-choice shortcut — you have to demonstrate the skill, which is what makes GXPN one of the most credible offensive credentials going.
GIAC publishes 14 objectives — grouped here into the four pillars of advanced offensive work
Windows and Linux execution and memory foundations, stack-based overflows, return-oriented programming, and bypassing modern Windows memory protections and Linux exploit mitigations.
Product security testing and fuzzing foundations plus source-code-based fuzzing techniques — finding and weaponizing vulnerabilities in software you do not have an exploit for yet.
Establishing network access, network interception and traffic manipulation, infrastructure manipulation and exploitation, and practical cryptography attacks against weak implementations.
Endpoint control evasions and privilege escalation, plus practical scripting for offensive operations — automating attacks and shellcode work where Linux execution, memory, and shellcode foundations come together.
GIAC lists 14 individual exam objectives for GXPN but does not publish a percentage weight for each one, so no single domain can be safely deprioritized. The exam draws across all of them, and the CyberLive labs can land in any area — which is why broad, hands-on fluency beats narrow memorization here.
Two ways to sit the exam — and what to expect on test day
You sit the exam from a private room at home or office, monitored live through ProctorU. You'll complete an identity check and a webcam environment scan, and you may have your printed open-book references on the desk. Note that GIAC uses ProctorU for remote delivery — not Pearson VUE OnVUE — so the room and material rules follow ProctorU's process.
You can instead book the GXPN at a Pearson VUE testing center, where staff verify your government-issued ID, store your belongings, and watch the room. Your approved printed books and indexed notes are checked in at the desk. The center option suits people who prefer a controlled, distraction-free environment for a 3-hour exam.
A valid, unexpired government photo ID with a name matching your GIAC account exactly. The proctor verifies your identity before the exam unlocks.
Printed books and your own paper notes for this open-book exam. No phones, no second screen, no internet access, and no electronic copies of references.
CyberLive tasks run inside a provided virtual machine. Stay in frame and on-camera, manage your 3-hour clock across labs and written items, and submit before time expires.
GXPN is built for senior offensive-security practitioners
No formal gate — but among the hardest exams GIAC offers
Difficulty: GXPN is widely considered one of GIAC's most demanding exams. The open-book format does not soften it — exploit development, memory-protection bypasses, and live CyberLive labs reward genuine skill, not lookups. With a roughly $999 attempt fee, the cost of a near-miss is exactly the kind of pressure point our help is designed to remove.
The GXPN is a high-stakes, expert-tier exam with a near-$1,000 price tag on every attempt. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted offensive-security specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model — so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.
Tell us your delivery method (ProctorU or Pearson VUE), test date, prior experience, and target. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.
We review your timeline and background and tell you plainly whether clearing the 67% cut is realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.
Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with a GXPN specialist who maps the work around the 14 objectives, the CyberLive labs, and the open-book index — discreetly and confidentially.
You only pay once your passing result is confirmed on your official GIAC report. No verified result, nothing owed.
Tell us about your exam and get an honest, pay-after-you-pass plan for the GXPN.
Straight answers about the GIAC GXPN exam
Get help, or compare GXPN with sibling offensive-security exams
Pair with a vetted offensive-security specialist on a results-first arrangement. No upfront fee — settle only after a verified passing result.
Book your exam GPENGIAC's core pentesting certification and the natural step before GXPN — methodology, exploitation, and password attacks.
View exam GWAPTGIAC's web-focused offensive certification — a strong complement to GXPN for testers who attack web applications.
View exam OSCPOffSec's fully hands-on penetration-testing certification — another expert-level proof of practical offensive skill.
View examGet expert GXPN help with no upfront fee — you settle only after your verified passing result. Honest feasibility answer first, results-first arrangement always.