Obtaining the OSCP certification

I’m proud to share that I successfully earned my OSCP certification on my first attempt, prior to the introduction of OSCP+ by OffSec.

How to prepare

Here are some tips I recommend for anyone preparing for the OSCP exam:

1. Complete the entire course (except for new modules like AWS).
2. Take detailed notes, even on the small things.
3. Finish all challenge labs, including the bigger ones.
4. Try not to ask for help while doing challenge labs, as it can make things harder.
5. Set a time limit for each machine to keep yourself on track.
6. Make everything easy to copy and paste to save time during the exam.
7. Create snapshots of your VM when it’s in a stable state to avoid losing progress.
8. Don’t focus on other certifications (like CPTS) while preparing for OSCP. It will help you concentrate on the way OffSec wants you to think.
9. Watch IppSec’s videos from the tjnull list. You don’t need to do the HackTheBox machines, but watching the videos and taking notes will help.
10. Go over your notes again, making sure you’ve written down everything important.
11. Create oneliners, to look instantly for proof.txt or local.txt.
12. Read the exam guide, these are crucial - one mistake and all your hard work is invalid.

Following these tips will help you stay organized and prepared for the exam.

Some tips & tricks

During my OSCP journey, I used the note-taking app Obsidian, which I found to be excellent for organizing my notes. One of its standout features is the ability to link notes, allowing me to easily trace back the steps that led me to a foothold on a particular machine.

I also made use of the Omnisearch plugin, as Obsidian’s default search functionality is not very efficient, but the plugin significantly improved my ability to search through my notes. When using this search tactic, I recommend taking notes with specific ‘keywords,’ as it makes it much easier to locate important information. For example, a note like ‘Netexec (nxc) show domain controllers (DC)’ can be quickly found by searching for ’nxc dc.’

Ending note

I hope these tips and tricks help you on your journey to obtaining the OSCP certification.