This article aims to answer the following questions:
- Are assessments available for all Learning Paths?
- What are the criteria for obtaining a 100 Level badge?
- Why isn’t passing the assessment enough to obtain the badge?
- What is the difference between a certification and a badge?
- Can I attempt the assessment in the classic view of the Learning Library?
- Do I need to schedule a date and time for my assessment?
- Are assessments proctored?
- How do I attempt an assessment?
- How long do I have to complete an assessment?
- How can I tell when I completed 80% of the exercises for every Topic in the Fundamental course?
- How can I end my assessment?
- Do assessments have a cooling off period?
- Can an assessment be paused?
- Can I access the Learning Path materials while taking the assessment?
- Can I navigate to other pages in the Learning Library while taking the assessment?
- If a learner does not obtain a badge for an assessment, can they try again?
- Once they’ve passed, can learners retake an assessment?
- I have passed an assessment, how can I claim my badge?
- Technical Assistance
Are assessments available for all Learning Paths?
We currently have three assessments released: PEN, WEB, and SOC. Eventually, assessments will be made available for other Fundamental Learning Paths.
Note: Certificates will not be issued for Fundamental Learning Paths. Learners will however receive a badge once the learning path and assessment are successfully completed.
For more information on which of our Learning Paths have certificates or badges, please click here.
What are the criteria for obtaining a 100 Level badge?
To obtain a badge, you will need to meet two goals:
- In order to meet goal #1, the learner must submit the correct flags for at least 80% of the assessment exercises during a single attempt.
- In order to meet goal #2, the learner must complete 80% of the exercises for every Topic in the corresponding Fundamental Learning Path.
Why isn’t passing the assessment enough to obtain the badge?
The badge indicates to the learner and (potential) employers that they have achieved competency in all the prerequisites necessary to begin the next-level course. Successful completion of the assessment is an important indicator that the learner has achieved those prerequisites. However, we believe that a wider and more robust demonstration of the learner’s progress through the entirety of Fundamental Learning Paths provides more insight into their current knowledge, skills, abilities, and in which areas they can improve on, in the future.
What is the difference between a certification and a badge?
An OffSec Certification is an indicator of trust. They certify that OffSec, as an official certifying body, trusts the learner to perform at a certain level.
An OffSec Badge is an indicator of competency. They signal that a learner is adept at a certain skill set. In particular, the assessments indicate that a learner likely has the prerequisites necessary to succeed in a higher level OffSec Learning Path.
Can I attempt the assessment in the classic view of the Learning Library?
No, assessments are only available via the new Learning Library interface.
Do I need to schedule a date and time for my assessment?
No, as long as you have an ongoing subscription and you are outside of the cooling of period, you may attempt an assessment whenever you wish without having to schedule it ahead of time.
Are assessments proctored?
No, assessments are not proctored, however, the assessment must be done individually. In other words, learners are expected to work on their own without help from others for the duration of the assessment.
How do I attempt an assessment?
To attempt an assessment:
- In the OffSec Learning Library Learning Paths tab, select the Fundamental learning path for which you wish to take the assessment.
- Click the Assessment button at the bottom of the Topic page.
- Click the Create new assessment button at the top right of your screen and an assessment attempt will be created.
- Make sure to read the assessment instructions carefully!
- Once you are ready to begin the assessment, click the Start assessment button at the bottom of the screen. The timer will now begin counting down, and you can start working through the exercises.
How long do I have to complete an assessment?
You will have six (6) hours to complete your assessment from the moment you click the Start assessment button. Once your assessment has started you will see a timer at the bottom of your screen.
How can I tell when I completed 80% of the exercises for every Topic in the Fundamental course?
You can track your progress in the Progress section of the Topics page by expanding the Progress field for each Topic
How can I end my assessment?
You may end your assessment at any time. To end your assessment, navigate to the Next Steps section at the end of the exercise list and click the Submit Assessment button. Once you end your assessment you will not be able to go back and edit any of the answers for the assessment exercises. The results of the assessment will be displayed immediately after ending it.
Do assessments have a cooling off period?
Yes, each assessment attempt will have a one week cooling off period.
Can an assessment be paused?
No, assessments cannot be paused. You may however end your assessment at any point and try again once your cooling off period has passed.
Note, your assessment progress will not be saved. You will need to go through all the exercises each time you attempt an assessment.
Can I access the Learning Path materials while taking the assessment?
Yes, same as our exams, the assessments are built to be practical in nature so we are not prohibiting the use of the Learning Path material during the evaluation.
Can I navigate to other pages in the Learning Library while taking the assessment?
Yes, if you need to navigate to a different page during the assessment, you can close the assessment by clicking the Close assessment button at the top right.
Closing the assessment will not pause the timer or submit your assessment, and you can navigate back to the page once you’re ready to continue with the assessment exercises.
If a learner does not obtain a badge for an assessment, can they try again?
Yes, learners can attempt assessments as many times as they need for as long as their subscription is valid (a cooling off period applies for all failed attempts).
Once they’ve passed, can learners retake an assessment?
No, learners cannot re-attempt assessments they have passed in the past.
I have passed an assessment, how can I claim my badge?
To claim your badge you will need to have a passed assessment and have completed 80% of the exercises for every Topic. Once these two criteria are met, to claim your badge:
- Navigate to the Assessments page
- Click on the 3 dotted menu to the right of your passed assessment
- Click on the Generate badge button to create your Accredible badge
Repeat steps one and two each time you wish to view your badge.
For more information on OffSec badges please visit our Digital certification FAQ.
Technical Assistance:
If you encounter any connectivity problems with the VPN or target machines, please reach out to our Administrators in the Discord #support channel where they can provide assistance in real-time. OffSec Discord server: https://discord.gg/offsec
Please note that we will not be able to assist with, or give hints on, any exercises and will only be available for technical assistance with the VPN or connectivity to the target machines during the assessment.