OSCP vs OSCP+: What's the Difference, and Does the OSCP+ Expire?

    One exam, two credentials. What the "+" adds, why OffSec made it expire, the three ways to renew it, what happens if it lapses, and how to list both on a CV and LinkedIn, all from OffSec's own pages.

    By Hacker Blueprint··Updated ·11 min read

    The short answer

    The OSCP® and OSCP+™ come from the same exam. Since November 1, 2024, passing OffSec's exam gives you both: the OSCP, which never expires, and the OSCP+ (OSCP Plus), which expires three years after it's issued.

    That expiry is the whole difference between the OSCP and the OSCP+. In OffSec's words, the OSCP+ differs from the OSCP "in only one way": it "will expire three (3) years from issuance." You keep the "+" by renewing it. If you let it lapse, you still hold the OSCP for life.

    So there's nothing to choose when you book the exam. The decision comes later, when the "+" is close to expiring and you have to decide if renewing is worth it for your job.

    We're Hacker Blueprint. Our instructor holds the OSCP, our academy has more than 600 students, and around 7,000 people have claimed our prep materials. Everything below comes from OffSec's own pages, checked on November 2, 2026, and every link is in Sources at the end.

    Our video on the scoring change goes through OffSec's announcement and FAQ line by line. How pass or fail is decided starts at 1:14, what stays the same at 2:26, and exams booked around December 1 at 3:02.

    OSCP vs OSCP+ side by side

    Detail OSCP OSCP+
    Full name OffSec Certified Professional OffSec Certified Professional Plus
    How you get it Pass OffSec's exam (any date) Pass the exam on or after Nov 1, 2024
    What it shows You passed OffSec's hands-on exam You passed or renewed in the last 3 years
    Expiry Never 3 years after it's issued
    Renewal None needed Recertification exam, a qualifying OffSec certification, or the CPE program
    Cost to keep Nothing A maintenance fee plus a renewal route

    Before the rename, the OSCP was called the Offensive Security Certified Professional, so older certificates carry that name. It's the same credential.

    Why OffSec added the "+"

    OffSec announced the OSCP+ on September 4, 2024. The announcement says what changes and who's affected. It doesn't say why.

    The reason is on OffSec's Annual Membership page, in the FAQ about which certifications expire: "Not all Offsec certifications expire. The reason some do are actually for employer requirements."

    Two other OffSec pages describe the "+" the same way. Its certification FAQ calls recertification a pathway "for those who wish to refresh their credentials or demonstrate current competency." The OSCP+ exam page says: "Maintain industry recognition by renewing your OSCP+ every 3 years."

    Here's how we read it. A lifetime certification shows you passed once, maybe years ago. A certification with an expiry date shows your skills were checked recently. Some employers have rules that ask for the second kind, and the "+" gives OSCP holders a way to meet them.

    The OSCP+ isn't the only OffSec certification built this way. OffSec's certification FAQ lists OSCC-SEC, OSCC-SJD, OSTH, OSIR and OSAI+ as the others that expire. Every other OffSec certification stays valid indefinitely.

    What changed in the exam with the OSCP+

    The OSCP+ exam is the one OffSec runs today. Per the current exam guide, you get 23 hours and 45 minutes to work on three standalone machines worth 20 raw points each (10 for initial access, 10 for privilege escalation) and one Active Directory set of three machines worth 40. You then have 24 hours to submit the report.

    Three details matter if you remember the older exam or older advice:

    • Bonus points are gone. They ended when the OSCP+ started on November 1, 2024, and OffSec's exam FAQ now says they "are not available for the OSCP+ exam anymore." That ended the old advice to skip Active Directory, as our post on passing the OSCP+ without Active Directory shows with the point math.
    • The AD set starts from credentials. OffSec gives you a username and password for the AD set, "simulating a breach scenario." It's the biggest block of points, so our guide to the OSCP+ Active Directory set covers the method step by step.
    • Scoring changes on December 1, 2026. Exams starting from 08:00 GMT that day convert raw points to a score from 100 to 500, and 400 passes. Our OSCP+ scaled scoring guide explains what that means for exam day.

    OffSec says certifications already earned aren't affected by the scoring change. If you're planning your preparation from scratch, our OSCP+ roadmap puts it in order.

    Our OSCP Exam Prep Guide playlist has our free videos on the current exam, including our full course and the scoring change.

    OSCP+ renewal: three ways to keep the "+"

    OffSec lists three routes on its PEN-200 page and in its renewal article. Each one extends the "+" by three years.

    1. Pass the recertification exam. OffSec's renewal article says to "take and pass a recertification exam within six months before your certification's expiration date." Its certification FAQ says the OffSec Recertification exam includes one attempt, valid for 120 days from purchase, and extends your certification's validity "by 3 more years upon passing."
    2. Pass a qualifying OffSec certification. The renewal article lists OSWA, OSEP, OSWE, OSED and OSEE, "plus paying the Annual Maintenance Fee." The PEN-200 page lists four of these and leaves out OSWE, so confirm with OffSec if OSWE is your plan.
    3. Complete OffSec's CPE program. CPE stands for Continuing Professional Education. OffSec's Annual Membership page says credits "can be earned through various activities," and the membership includes CPE-eligible content every quarter. The number of credits you need is set out in OffSec's help center, so read it before you count on this route.

    The fine print is where people get caught:

    • Two routes need a valid "+". A qualifying certification only renews the OSCP+ "provided it is still within its current validity period," and the recertification exam window is the last six months. Don't leave the decision to the final weeks.
    • The new expiry date is worded two ways. OffSec's renewal article says the new validity runs "three years from the date the qualifying certification is earned." A note in the same article says it "will take effect on the third anniversary of your original expiry date." Those can be different dates, so check yours in your OffSec account after you pass.
    • Maintenance costs money every year. The Annual Maintenance Fee is $145 a year. The Annual Membership is $299 a year and includes certification maintenance for the OSCP+, plus Proving Grounds Practice and the CPE-eligible content. Three-year totals and every other fee are in our OSCP cost breakdown.

    What happens if your OSCP+ expires

    You keep the OSCP. OffSec's announcement is clear on this: "If you allow your OSCP+ to expire, you will still have your OSCP." People who choose not to maintain the "+" "will have their OSCP certification remain valid for life."

    What you lose is the dated credential. A posting or contract that asks for a current OSCP+ won't accept one that has expired.

    OffSec's pages don't describe a separate route for getting the "+" back after it lapses. Two of the three renewal routes are tied to a valid "+", so they're out. OffSec's certification FAQ does say that an existing OSCP holder who wants the OSCP+ can buy the OffSec Recertification exam, and its $1,699 OSCP+ Standalone Exam page names "certified OSCP professionals who need to renew their credential" as one of its audiences. If your "+" has lapsed, ask OffSec which of those two applies to you before you pay.

    If you passed the OSCP before November 2024

    Your OSCP is valid for life. OffSec's announcement covers anyone who already held the OSCP or passed the exam before November 1, 2024, and it calls the credential "a valuable and respected indicator of their skills and knowledge."

    You don't have the "+". OffSec added it only "for newly certified OSCP holders." If you want it, OffSec's certification FAQ answers directly: "If you're an existing OSCP holder and are interested in retaking the exam to earn the OSCP+ certification, you can do so by purchasing the OffSec Recertification exam."

    That means sitting today's exam, with the AD set that starts from credentials and, from December 1, 2026, scaled scoring. Use the same test as the renewal section below to decide if it's worth it for you.

    Which one employers ask for, and how to list both

    We haven't found a reliable count of how many job postings ask for the OSCP and how many ask for the OSCP+, so we won't guess at one. Read each posting's wording instead:

    • It says "OSCP". Your pass shows that, with or without a current "+".
    • It says "OSCP+", or asks for a current or active certification. The employer will look at the expiry date.

    OffSec's explanation that some certifications expire "for employer requirements" tells you where the "+" counts most: at employers and clients with a rule about current certifications.

    On a CV, list both, with dates, under the names OffSec uses today:

    • OffSec Certified Professional (OSCP), OffSec, June 2026
    • OffSec Certified Professional Plus (OSCP+), OffSec, June 2026, valid until June 2029

    Listing both names means a recruiter's search for either one finds you.

    On LinkedIn, add two entries under Licenses & certifications, with OffSec as the issuing organization and the same issue date. Add an expiration date to the OSCP+ entry only. OffSec moved to digital certificates and badges on April 5, 2022, with one-click sharing to professional networks and one-click verification, so add your OSCP badge or credential link to each entry and people can check it.

    When the "+" lapses, update or remove the OSCP+ entry and keep the OSCP. If you passed before November 2024, list the OSCP only, under the name on your certificate.

    Is it worth renewing the OSCP+

    You get the OSCP+ with your pass at no extra cost. The cost is in keeping it, so the question is whether the "+" earns that back for you.

    Renew it if:

    • Your employer, a client contract or a job you want asks for a current OSCP+, or for current certifications in general.
    • You're already working toward OSEP, OSWA, OSWE, OSED or OSEE. Passing one while the "+" is valid renews it, with the maintenance fee on top.
    • You'd pay for Proving Grounds Practice anyway. The Annual Membership bundles it with certification maintenance.

    You can let it lapse if:

    • Nobody you work for or apply to asks for the "+".
    • The fees and the exam or CPE time would come out of study you'd rather put into your next certification.
    • You're moving away from hands-on testing, and the lifetime OSCP is enough to show you passed.

    Make the call in year two. Two of the three routes stop working once the "+" expires, and the OSCP stays with you either way. If you're still weighing the exam itself, read is the OSCP worth it.

    FAQ

    What is the OSCP+?

    It's the OffSec Certified Professional Plus, the dated version of the OSCP. Since November 1, 2024, passing OffSec's exam earns it alongside the OSCP. The two differ only in that the OSCP+ expires after three years.

    What does OSCP stand for?

    OSCP stands for Offensive Security Certified Professional, the original full form. OffSec's pages now also call it the OffSec Certified Professional, and the OSCP+ is the OffSec Certified Professional Plus.

    Does the OSCP+ expire?

    Yes, three years after it's issued. The OSCP you earn with it never expires.

    What happens when the OSCP+ expires?

    You keep the OSCP for life. You lose the "+" until you earn it again, and OffSec's pages don't describe a separate route for that, so ask OffSec which option applies to you.

    How do I renew the OSCP+?

    Pass the recertification exam in the six months before expiry, pass a qualifying OffSec certification such as OSEP or OSWA while the "+" is valid, or complete OffSec's CPE program. Maintenance fees apply, and our OSCP cost breakdown has them.

    I passed the OSCP before November 2024. Do I have the OSCP+?

    No. Your OSCP stays valid for life. To add the "+", OffSec points existing holders to its Recertification exam.

    Is the OSCP+ worth it?

    You get it automatically when you pass, so the question is renewal. Renew if an employer, client or job posting asks for a current OSCP+. If nobody does, the lifetime OSCP still shows you passed.

    Prepare for the exam that earns both

    Both credentials come from one pass, so the exam is where your effort pays off. If you're new, start with the free beginner paths in our academy. Then follow our OSCP+ roadmap, and test yourself on Active Directory early with our free AD chains, which start from domain credentials the way the exam does. Hacker Blueprint isn't affiliated with OffSec, and our material contains no OffSec course, lab or exam content.

    wisemenwisemen, one of our students, wrote: "A really amazing course for the OSCP, I was able to collect 70 points under 8 hours." (More reviews)

    Try our 30+ hour course for OSCP prep with a free trial, or start with one of our free Active Directory chains.

    Not sure if renewing makes sense for your job? Ask in the Hacker Blueprint Discord.

    Sources

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