How to Prepare for the PWPT (Practical Web Penetration Tester) Exam

Overview

• Insight into preparing and approaching the PWPT exam
• Emphasis on treating the exam like a real-world pentest
• Encouragement to ask questions in the comments or during weekly live streams
• Promotion of TCM Security certifications and courses

Exam Structure

• Multiple days for pentesting a target and writing a report
• No debrief in the PWPT exam
• Steps: Log into the platform, get a VPN file, connect to the environment, and begin pentesting
• Report should include low, medium, and high findings
• Focus on understanding the application behavior and how it responds

Prerequisite Knowledge

• Everything needed in the course is covered in TCM courses: Practical API Hacking and Practical Web Hacking
• Practical exercises and notes are critical for preparation
• Knowledge of modern web applications, technologies, and common security controls
• Recommended to build a small modern web app (e.g., in Flask or Node and Express)

Key Areas to Understand

• HTTP: headers, content types, authentication and authorization mechanisms (e.g., JSON web tokens, session tokens)
• Common security controls: input filtering, and testing these controls
• Building a solid foundation of knowledge through courses and external research

Exam Preparation Path

• Start with PJWT (Practical Junior Web Tester) if new to web app pentesting, bug bounty, or AppSec
• Absorb exam material from courses, focusing on requests, responses, and understanding unknown terms
• Create checklists for technologies (e.g., JWTs) and vulnerabilities (e.g., injection attacks, XXE, race conditions)
• Develop a game plan: organized notes, checklists, payloads for common attacks
• Focus on the impact of attacks: assess major vs. minor issues and identify potential vulnerability chains
• Verify findings and document proof of concepts (PoC) for future reference

Practical Tips

• Ensure the environment is ready (e.g., Burp Suite configured, extensions installed, wordlists, and payloads accessible)
• Practice with practitioner-level labs on PortSwigger or revisit course challenges

Exam Tips

1. Take Regular Breaks: Helps to solve problems and make meaningful progress.
2. Create To-Do Lists: Document tests and edge cases to avoid distractions and tangents.
3. Take Your Time: There's ample time to take good notes and test thoroughly.

Conclusion

• The exam is designed to demonstrate the ability to find and exploit real-world issues, not to trick you.
• Encouragement to ask questions and participate in live streams for further help.