How I passed my OSCP Exam: Candido's Journey
Meet Candido Lopez, a police officer in Chicago, for the past 20 years. Several years ago, he decided he wanted to do something different. Candido returned to school, completed a Bachelor’s in Security Management, and began a Master’s in cybersecurity. About two-thirds through his Master’s classes, one instructor encouraged Candido to go for the OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) exam. Everything looked daunting, and since Candido also worked full-time while going to school, he did not even sit for the first exam. Then the COVID-19 shutdown hit, so Candido decided to try again. When he went to the OffSec (Offensive Security) site, he saw an advertisement for the Evolve Security Academy OSCP Bootcamp and applied.
Evolve’s OSCP Bootcamp lasted 18 weeks at the time (though it now lasts eight weeks). Everything, the office hours, the extensive labs, the camaraderie, and the networking, helped him prepare. Although Candido did not pass the first exam, the TAs (Teacher Assistants) for his group took his circumstances into account when he asked for a second try. They requested it on his behalf, and Evolve gave Candido an opportunity to take a separate exam, which he passed. Soon afterward, Dr. Faisal, Chief Academic Officer of Evolve Academy, offered him an opportunity to be a TA for an OSCP cohort. During that time, Candido reflected and evaluated what he did well and what needed tweaking. What Candido learned from not passing the OSCP he shared with each group he instructed in the bootcamps. While serving as a TA, OSCP changed the exam to include Active Directory, so Candido studied for the open directory part. This time, he passed.
Candido offers input to anyone interested in the OSCP exam on how to bounce back from not passing the exam.
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