CEH study guide: the v13 modules and how to prepare
Every good CEH study guide starts from the same place: EC-Council’s own course structure for the current version, v13. It has 20 modules, from introduction to ethical hacking to cryptography, and the knowledge exam — 125 multiple-choice questions in four hours — draws on all of them. This page sets out that structure and how to work through it.
See the CEH practice questions →
The CEH v13 study guide outline: EC-Council’s 20 modules
EC-Council lists these modules for the CEH course. Whatever material you use, it should cover each of them for the current version:
The order roughly follows an attack: first learn about the target (modules 2 to 5), then get in and stay in (6 to 12), then apply the same thinking to specific platforms — web, wireless, mobile, IoT and OT, cloud — and finish with cryptography.
- Module 01: Introduction to Ethical Hacking
- Module 02: Footprinting and Reconnaissance
- Module 03: Scanning Networks
- Module 04: Enumeration
- Module 05: Vulnerability Analysis
- Module 06: System Hacking
- Module 07: Malware Threats
- Module 08: Sniffing
- Module 09: Social Engineering
- Module 10: Denial-of-Service
- Module 11: Session Hijacking
- Module 12: Evading IDS, Firewalls, and Honeypots
- Module 13: Hacking Web Servers
- Module 14: Hacking Web Applications
- Module 15: SQL Injection
- Module 16: Hacking Wireless Networks
- Module 17: Hacking Mobile Platforms
- Module 18: IoT and OT Hacking
- Module 19: Cloud Computing
- Module 20: Cryptography
Source: EC-Council — Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). Checked 9 October 2026.
What the knowledge exam and the practical exam test
EC-Council describes the knowledge exam as testing information security threats and attack vectors, attack detection, attack prevention, procedures and methodologies. In other words, it asks you to recognise and reason about attacks, not to perform them.
The practical exam — 20 challenges in six hours, on EC-Council’s iLabs Cyber Range — is where you perform them. EC-Council lists port scanning tools, vulnerability detection, attacks on systems such as denial of service and session hijacking, web server and web application attacks, SQL injection methodology and evasion, wireless threats and communication protocols among the areas it covers.
A CEH certified ethical hacker study guide therefore needs two layers: enough theory to answer scenario questions fast, and enough hands-on time to know what a tool’s output actually looks like.
Source: EC-Council — Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). Checked 9 October 2026.
Choosing a certified ethical hacker book
EC-Council sells its own courseware with official training; its CEH page says official training includes access to all course materials, including cheat sheets, plus six months of access to its hands-on labs. Every other certified ethical hacker book is a third-party product written against the same modules.
When you compare ethical hacker certification books, check three things before buying:
One ethical hacker certification book is usually enough if it matches the version. Spreading yourself across several older ones is a common way to study material that is no longer on the exam.
- Version: it should state v13. EC-Council positions v13 around AI-assisted work, and that content is exactly what older editions lack.
- Coverage: compare its table of contents with the 20 modules above. A gap in a whole module is a gap on exam day.
- Practice: a book on its own gives you no feedback. Plan for practice questions and lab time alongside it.
Source: EC-Council — Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). Checked 9 October 2026.
A study plan that works with any certified ethical hacker study guide
Work through the modules in order, and after each one answer practice questions on that module only. Read the explanation for every answer option, not just the ones you got wrong: CEH’s wrong options are usually real tools or techniques from a neighbouring phase of the attack.
Once you have covered all 20 modules, switch to mixed sets under exam timing — 125 questions in four hours is a little under two minutes each. Then go back to the weakest modules. On Certsqill a readiness score per domain shows which ones those are; the questions are expert-developed with an explanation for every option, and there is a 7-day money-back guarantee.
EC-Council sets the pass mark per exam form, between 60% and 85%, so aim for a solid result in every module rather than a high average carried by a few strong ones.
CEH study guide: questions people ask
What is the best CEH study guide?
The one that matches the current version, v13, and covers all 20 modules EC-Council lists for the course. Pair it with practice questions and some lab time, because the exam rewards recognising attacks quickly.
Do I need a CEH v13 study guide, or is an older edition enough?
Use v13 material. EC-Council positions v13 around AI-assisted offensive work, and older editions do not cover that content.
Which certified ethical hacker books does EC-Council provide?
EC-Council’s own courseware comes with official training, which includes access to course materials, cheat sheets and six months of lab access. Books from other publishers are third-party products.
How long should I study for CEH?
EC-Council does not set a study time. Its official training is structured as a five-day boot camp, followed by lab access; on your own, plan for as long as it takes to be solid on all 20 modules.
