How I Passed Three TCM Certs in Eight Months.
This title could be clearer and more informative.Try out Clickbait Shieldfor free (5 uses left this month).
A first-person account of passing three TCM Security web pentesting certifications (PWPA, PWPP, PWPE) within eight months, all on first attempts. Covers the course structure and exam experience for each cert, with practical advice on methodology, note-taking, avoiding rabbit holes, managing fatigue, and report writing. Key lessons include the importance of sleep and breaks, following a personal methodology document, slowing down during testing, and knowing when to abandon unproductive paths. The PWPE expert-level exam required chaining low-level vulnerabilities and using external research beyond course material.
Table of contents
PWPA, PWPP, PWPE — Three certs, eight months, and a lot of coffee.Why TCM Security?PWPA — Practical Web Pentest AssociateWhat it isThe courseThe examMy examVerdictPWPP — Practical Web Pentest ProfessionalThe step upThe courseThe examMy examGet ShadowForge ’s stories in your inboxVerdictPWPE — Practical Web Pentest ExpertThis was differentThe courseThe examMy examVerdictWhat I learnedThe five lessonsSort: