As part of the package, each of us gets one year of access and two attempts to complete the OSCP+ exam – the gold standard in penetration testing certifications.

It's been 10 months since I started, and in that time I've gone through most of the study materials and labs. Along the way, I've been building my own cheat sheet in Obsidian, capturing commands, tools, and processes I've learned. The goal was simple: make sure I have a trusted, organized reference ready for exam day.

The Reality Check: Challenge Labs A, B, and C

Recently, I decided to tackle the OSCP challenge labs – specifically, Labs A, B, and C.

Let's just say… they were humbling.

I went in thinking I had a decent handle on the process, but quickly realized I didn't always know what to look for. I spent days trying to solve them without hints, stubbornly refusing to check Discord for guidance.

Eventually, I caved and looked up some hints. Even then, it took me a while to understand the attack vectors. Once things clicked, I updated my cheat sheet with the newly learned techniques. Hopefully, these lessons will save me precious time during the actual exam.

Cutting Out the Noise

With the exam just a month away, I've been thinking a lot about how I spend my time.

Instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media, I decided to put my phone to better use – I subscribed to Medium and started reading OSCP preparation articles. The more I read about others' approaches and pitfalls, the more I realized how valuable it is to learn from shared experiences.

My Advice to Future OSCP Candidates

If you're planning to take the OSCP soon, here's one piece of advice:

Imagine you're a chef preparing food and you need the recipe to help you with it. Prepare your cheat sheet like it's your recipe!

When you're in a time-bound exam, every minute counts. You don't want to waste time Googling commands you've used before or getting lost in forum rabbit holes.

Your cheat sheet should be your battle plan – tested, familiar, and reliable.

The OSCP is more than just a test of technical skill. It's a test of mindset, time management, and persistence. I may not feel "ready" yet, but with each challenge, I'm sharpening my tools – both mental and technical – for exam day.

With one month to go, let's see how this story ends.