Cracking the OSCP exam? Sounds thrilling. But the road to becoming an Offensive Security Certified Professional isn’t as smooth as it seems. Trust me, many fall into traps they never see coming.
If you’re starting your OSCP journey, you better know this—you’re gonna make mistakes. We all do mistakes. But hey, the smart ones learn from others’ mistakes before making their own. So, let’s talk about the most common blunders OSCP aspirants make, and more importantly—how you can avoid them.
Table of Contents
- Not Understanding What OSCP Is All About
- Relying Only on Course Materials
- Ignoring the Lab Machines
- Memorizing Instead of Understanding
- Poor Time Management
- Skipping Note-Taking and Documentation
- Not Practicing Enough Real-World Boxes
- Giving Up After Failing Once
- Overlooking the 24-Hour Exam Strategy
- Final Tips to Keep You on Track
- Conclusion
1. Not Understanding What OSCP Is All About
Some people jump into OSCP thinking it’s just another cert. It’s not. OSCP is a hands-on, real-world, attack-focused certification. It’s less theory, more “do it yourself.” If you don’t get this early on, you’ll struggle. Big time.
🛠 Fix: Before signing up, go read the exam guide. Watch YouTube reviews. Check Reddit. Understand what you’re getting into.
2. Relying Only on Course Materials
Yes, OffSec gives you great material—PDF, videos, lab access. But it’s not enough. You need to go beyond. There’s a whole world of learning outside the official stuff. VulnHub. TryHackMe. Hack The Box.
🛠 Fix: Treat the course as your foundation. Then build on it. Use external platforms to practice what you learn.
3. Ignoring the Lab Machines
Some students think the videos and notes are enough. So they skip the lab it’s a Huge mistake. The labs are where the magic happens. That’s where you really learn.
🛠 Fix: Spend time in the labs. Try to root as many machines as possible. Break things. Reboot. Learn.
4. Memorizing Instead of Understanding
Copy-pasting commands won’t help you pass OSCP. This exam is about applying what you understand. If you don’t know why you’re running a certain command, you’ll freeze up during the test.
🛠 Fix: Ask yourself “why” at every step. Watch walkthroughs and pause to understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
5. Poor Time Management
Some folks binge study for hours, burn out, and then disappear for a week. Others barely touch the material until exam week.
🛠 Fix: Create a study plan. Stick to it. Short, focused sessions work better than long, tiring marathons.
6. Skipping Note-Taking and Documentation
“Why take notes? I’ll remember everything.” Nope. You won’t.
Note-taking is part of the process. Plus, your OSCP report requires documentation, remember.
🛠 Fix: Use CherryTree, Obsidian, OneNote—whatever you like. Take detailed notes. You’ll thank yourself later.
7. Not Practicing Enough Real-World Boxes
If all you do is hack easy boxes, you’ll be shocked on exam day. Real-world scenarios are tough. Tricky. Unexpected.
🛠 Fix: Try hard boxes. Explore HTB Pro Labs or OSCP-like retired machines. Don’t just go for easy wins.
8. Giving Up After Failing Once
Failing OSCP feels bad. Like, real bad. But it’s part of the journey for many. Some quit here. Don’t be that person.
🛠 Fix: Treat failure as feedback. Review your weak points. Come back stronger. People pass OSCP after 2, even 3 attempts.
9. Overlooking the 24-Hour Exam Strategy
The exam is 24 hours long. Yeah, sounds wild. But without a plan, it becomes a nightmare.
🛠 Fix: Make a schedule. Know which boxes to attack first. Take breaks. Sleep if needed. Time is everything.
10. Final Tips to Keep You on Track
- Practice privilege escalation daily.
- Don’t compare your progress to others.
- Join OSCP forums and Discords.
- Practice OSCP-style buffer overflow.
- Test your report format before the exam.
Conclusion
Everyone wants the OSCP badge. But not everyone prepares the right way. Avoiding these common mistakes can save you time, energy, and frustration. Your OSCP journey is personal. Own it. Learn from others, but walk your own path.
And most of all—don’t just prepare to pass. Prepare to become a great hacker.
Note
This article is created using information collected from various online sources and personal experiences shared by others. If you find any mistakes or wish to suggest updates, feel free to contact us at support@cyberxsociety.com.
Reference
- OSCP Preparation Guide: The RoadMap to Becoming an Ethical Hacking Pro
- CyberSecurity Tools By Category
- 100 Cybersecurity Job Roles and the Best Certifications for Each
