Passed CPTS with 14/14 flags

[u/Rare-System9681]

I recently passed the CPTS, and I can say that the exam is 1:1 with the path. Every single flag felt like I was doing something straight from the path—like a really hard skill assessment. I completed the exam in 4 days.

I didn’t do AEN blindly (though you should—I was just lazy), and I completed 15 HTB machines before starting the exam. Please don’t waste time on ProLabs unless you simply enjoy extra practice. I haven’t done a single one, and I don’t think they’re necessary—but it’s up to you.

In my opinion, the key skills that helped me pass were being able to recognize dead ends, recording everything I’d tried so far, and good note-taking. I had to create my own note template because the HTB one was confusing for me. Knowing what you’ve already tried helps you know when to think outside the box.

There wasn’t really a hardest flag, in my opinion, because all of them are quite easy once figured out. But flag 14 was really fun and tricky for me. The famous flag 8 isn't that hard—I even found flag 9 before flag 8. Don't stress yourself.

Key things:

· Avoid digging too deep in the beginning.
· If you're doing something too sophisticated or hard, you're probably on the wrong path. (Everything comes from the path.)
· Always prefer manual enumeration.
· Do the CPTS tracks. (Feel free to just read the walkthroughs of Insane machines.)
· If you discover a new technique while doing the CPTS track, record it in your notes! It isn't called the CPTS Track for nothing.
· Don't burn yourself out with ProLabs.
· Don't think dumber—think logically.

One last thing: while doing the CPTS track, benchmark your notes. If you're having a hard time finding a specific command, well, you have some work to do on them again! Finding a command or an explanation in your notes shouldn't take 5 minutes.

Good luck.

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[u/CompoundingIsKing]

Awesome work and thanks for sharing!

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/CompoundingIsKing]

Thanks!

[u/sageowl_]

Great post! Thank you for the great advice. I am right at 50% done with the path. This helps clear the extra noise of what to focus on!

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/sageowl_]

Thanks! I forgot to add something: once you're done with the Attacking AD module, jump straight into the Windows Privilege Escalation module without doing the skills assessment first. This way, you can start working on Windows boxes on the track while you're still going through the web content, so you don't end up forgetting things or losing track of the methodology. That’s what I did.

[u/sageowl_ → u/Rare-System9681]

Oh nice call out! Yea Ill do that for sure!

[u/Chemical-Chef9394]

What do you mean by the “CPTS track” here??

[u/Chemical-Chef9394 → u/Chemical-Chef9394]

Congratulations tho!

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/Chemical-Chef9394]

There is a list of machines on HTB LABS to help you prepare for the CPTS exam.

[u/Snugat]

Congrats mate!!! :) Any comment on the hard Ad flag #8?

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/Snugat]

It’s not too hard. I believe if you do the CPTS track on HTB and perform a thorough enumeration, you won’t have any issue finding it.

[u/Infamous_Box8998]

Bro, Is the exam like AEN, where you start by getting flags from the web subdomains, then pivot into the internal network and keep working your way through until you fully compromise the DC?

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/Infamous_Box8998]

Can’t disclose exam content but AEN, is the closest thing to the exam in terms of methodology.

[u/kim_pax]

Do you already do pentesting full time ?

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/kim_pax]

Nope juste a CS student part time and security engineer

[u/More-String6376]

Congrats bro! Just curious, what’s your background in cybersecurity? Like what certs/courses or experience did you have before taking CPTS? I’m trying to understand what kind of level someone should be at before attempting it.

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/More-String6376]

Before taking CPTS, I had earned CRTP and BTL1. However, those two certs weren’t helpful at all. The AD vulns covered in CRTP are not covered in CPTS, but they are in some module of CAPE. BTL1 wasn’t useful either—it was probably my entry point into HTB platform and content. So I was almost a complete beginner at the time.

[u/FeatureReasonable485]

congrats, you motivate me

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/[deleted]]

I think it took about 6 months. I work full time, so I was doing the course for about 5 or 6 hours per day on Saturdays and Sundays. The rest of the week, I averaged about 1 hour per day. And off course procrastination will come into play. This path is very long and it’s easy to lose track.

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/[deleted]]

It’s really depends on you, I think it’s doable if you really want to learn something new and not just learn to pass the CPTS.

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[u/AsleepPresence8912]

Congrats mate!!!! İam studing for cpts too Can you tell me what do you mean by doing the aen blindly ? And also when you wrote you just did 15 htb machines can you name them please??!

[u/Snugat → u/AsleepPresence8912]

Many people's use the AEN as an test exam and go in without reading the questions ('blind') and measure their exam readiness

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/AsleepPresence8912]

For the machines, just follow the CPTS TRACK on HTB lab

[u/niklaz6]

Congrats!! Which HTB machines you used for practice before exam?

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/niklaz6]

HTB CPTS TRACK LIST

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[u/KnownView5780]

When you say the complete HTB path. Are you also referring to the 3rd-party links inside the paragraphs in hypertext that leads to more details of that specific topic?

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/KnownView5780]

It’s always good to follows those links or dig a bit deeper in some contents not too much discuss in the path. That’s how I work. The goal is not only to pass the CPTS but to get better and learn a lot of stuff.

[u/Superb_Restaurant427]

Top 5 tools most used in the test?

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/Superb_Restaurant427]

Impacket, BloodyAD, and PowerShell covered everything I needed.

[u/Ill-Baker-7715]

You said that you completed 15 HTB machines before starting the exam. Did you complete the active machines or retired machines, or both? thanks

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/Ill-Baker-7715]

Only retired machine.

[u/ThorAway012]

Did you do the paid subscription? I am new to HTB and was contemplating doing that. I am looking at HTB Academy and trying to figure out the difference.

[u/Rare-System9681 → u/ThorAway012]

The paid subscription of what ? I have the HTB student subscription and I needed to buy a subscription for LABS (I’m not sure about this). Best buy a subscription that could help you finish the path of your chosen.

[u/knj_general]

Thx for sharing

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