CPSA Exam Information and Outline
CREST Practitioner Security Analyst
Syllabus Update Checked on: November 6, 2026
CPSA Exam Syllabus & Study Guide
Before you start practicing with our exam simulator, it is essential to understand the
official CPSA exam objectives. This course outline serves as your roadmap.
The information below reflects the 2026 syllabus defined by
CREST.
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
- Exam Format
- Multiple-choice examination (approx. 120 questions, 2 hours) based on the CPSA syllabus
- Soft Skills and Assessment Management
- Engagement lifecycle, legal and regulatory considerations
- Scoping, rules of engagement and risk to client systems
- Core Technical Skills
- IP protocols, network mapping and OS fingerprinting
- Cryptography basics and applications
- Packet analysis and common services
- Background Information Gathering and Open Source
- Registration records, DNS and OSINT
- Networking Equipment
- Management protocols, SNMP, routers, switches and firewalls
- VPNs and IPsec
- Microsoft Windows Security Assessment
- Domain reconnaissance, user enumeration, Active Directory
- Windows services, patching and common vulnerabilities
- Unix Security Assessment
- User enumeration, file permissions, SUID
- NFS, X11, R-services and common vulnerabilities
- Web Technologies and Testing Methodologies
- HTTP, web servers, application frameworks and authentication
- OWASP Top 10, injection, XSS, session handling
- Databases
- SQL injection basics and database server security