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Bilash J. Shahi
TCM Security PNPT Practical Network Penetration Tester Active Directory

How I Conquered the PNPT: A Wild Ride Through Cyber Shenanigans

On September 3, 2025, I finally tamed the beast known as the Practical Network Penetration Tester (PNPT) exam. This blog is my victory lap, a chance to share the highs, lows, and downright facepalm moments of my journey. It’s also a love letter to my future self as I gear up for the OSCP (fingers crossed). So, grab a coffee—or an energy drink if you’re feeling my late-night hacking vibes—and let’s dive into how I survived this cyber rollercoaster.

Practical Network Penetration Tester

My Prep: Overconfidence Meets Lazy Town

Picture this: I’m an Active Directory (AD) wizard with over eight years as a sysadmin under my belt. I’ve wrangled forests and domains so complex they’d make your head spin. I’ve performed full forest recoveries, hardened systems with CIS benchmarks (spoiler: one wrong Group Policy setting can ruin your day), and debugged AD issues like it’s just another Tuesday. So, when I heard the PNPT was AD-heavy, I thought, “Pfft, I’ve got this in the bag.”

Add to that my year-long obsession with Hack The Box (HTB) machines—many at Insane difficulty—and I was practically strutting into the exam like a cybersecurity peacock. The PNPT is considered entry-level, so I figured I could skip the course. Big mistake. I got lazy, skimming reviews that said the Practical Ethical Hacker (PEH) module was enough. Newsflash: shortcuts are great for GPS, not for cert exams.

I did, however, binge YouTube and Medium reviews the day before my first attempt. Every single one screamed: ENUMERATE, ENUMERATE, ENUMERATE! Some folks couldn’t even get a foothold, which sent my overconfident brain into a mild panic spiral.

First Attempt: A Comedy of Errors

The exam claimed to be a “real-world” pentest. Yeah, right. If the real world involves banging your head against a keyboard for 48 hours, then sure. I struggled hard with the OSINT portion, not because it was technically brutal, but because I forgot the golden rule: stick to the basics. It took me two days to realize I was overcomplicating things.

By day three, I finally got a foothold. Hallelujah! But then I dove headfirst into rabbit holes, chasing shiny distractions like a cat with a laser pointer. By day four, I was so exhausted I threw in the towel. Reviews suggested submitting a report even if you fail, as it might earn you a hint. I didn’t bother—because, honestly, what hint was going to save me from my own stubbornness?

Lessons from the First Flop

  • This ain’t a CTF. Capture The Flag challenges are like: “Grab the user flag, pwn the root, flex on Discord.” The PNPT? It’s more like, “Chill, you might not need to be root to win.” Sometimes, less is more.
  • Don’t treat every box like it’s hiding a secret flag. Focus on what’s in front of you.

Second Attempt: Redemption Arc

After my spectacular faceplant, I went back to HTB with a vengeance, grinding AD-focused machines like my life depended on it. I also built a homelab to mimic the exam environment. Spoiler: It helped a lot. I refined my methodology, experimented with new tools, and learned a hard truth: not all tools are created equal.

For example, what’s your go-to tunneling tool? Proxychains? Chisel? Sshuttle? I’m team ligolo-ng because it plays nice with nmap, unlike some of its clunkier cousins. Tool choice matters, folks.

When the second attempt rolled around, I was ready. The exam environment hadn’t changed, so I hit my previous progress in an hour. But then, predictably, I got stuck again. I was this close to rage-quitting when I decided to take a nap instead. Best. Decision. Ever. Post-nap, I enumerated like a madman, and—poof—the answer was staring me in the face. I felt like I’d just missed the “You Are Here” sign on a map.

An hour later, I was Domain Admin. I couldn’t believe it. I screamed, called my buddy, and probably woke up half the neighborhood. The next day, I reset the lab to take pristine screenshots (pro move) and realized I could’ve pwned the domain in an hour if I’d enumerated properly from the start. This exam isn’t technically brutal—it’s an enumeration marathon.

Then came the debrief meeting. I made a rookie mistake: no presentation. There’s a 15-minute timer, and if you can’t walk through your report clearly, it could tank your score. I babbled my way through, finishing with 20 seconds to spare. Talk about cutting it close!

Lessons from the Second Shot

  1. Enumerate like it’s your job. Because it is.
  2. Take breaks. Hydrate. Dehydration is the real enemy.
  3. Screenshots are your BFF. Document every step like you’re making a scrapbook.
  4. Prep a PowerPoint for the debrief. Trust me.
  5. Watch the 15-minute timer like a hawk.
  6. Celebrate the small wins. You got a foothold? Pop some confetti.

Tips to Slay the PNPT

  • Choose your tools wisely. Some tools are like that one friend who’s great at parties but useless in a crisis. For example, impacket scripts are gold, but netexec often does the same job faster.
  • Don’t sleep on local admin accounts. Just because a machine is domain-joined doesn’t mean it’s free of juicy local creds.
  • Go beyond the course. The PEH is great, but if you want to be a pentesting rockstar, dive into external resources. HTB, TryHackMe, and YouTube are your playgrounds.

Resources That Saved My Bacon

  1. 0xdf’s Writeups – Pure gold for HTB walkthroughs.
  2. IppSec’s YouTube Channel – Like having a pentesting mentor in your ear.
  3. How Hackers Move Through Networks (with Ligolo) – Tunneling tips that’ll make you feel like a network ninja.

Final Thoughts

The PNPT isn’t just about technical chops—it’s about grit, patience, and not being too lazy to enumerate. I went from overconfident slacker to Domain Admin in two attempts, and I’m still kicking myself for those rabbit holes. If I can do it, so can you. Just keep calm, enumerate like a pro, and maybe don’t skip the course like I did.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an OSCP to prep for. Wish me luck!