Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and CompTIA PenTest+ exams - GI Bill reimbursable
EC-Council and CompTIA (exam fees reimbursed by VA)
Check before you apply: details change often, so confirm on the official page before you apply.
- Who it's for
- Veterans, service members and family members covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30) or Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606), or DEA (Chapter 35), with entitlement left
Open to: veterans, active duty / transitioning service members, spouses, family or caregivers. - Cost
- Paid; GI Bill / VR&E may cover it (CEH exam $950, PenTest+ exam $439; the GI Bill pays you back, using part of your entitlement)
- Free with no benefit?
- No
- VA benefits
- GI Bill (can be used)
- What you get
- Both ethical hacking exams are on VA's approved licensing and certification test list, so the GI Bill can pay you back for the exam fee: CEH (EC-Council) $950 and CompTIA PenTest+ $439. Pay for the exam, take it, then send VA Form 22-0803 with your receipt and results. VA pays back up to $2,000 per test, even if you don't pass, and charges your GI Bill entitlement for the amount it pays you. Some prep courses for these exams are also VA-approved (Post-9/11 GI Bill and DEA only). To sit the CEH exam you need either EC-Council official training (starts at $1,699) or 2 years of information security work experience plus a $100 non-refundable eligibility application fee
- Type
- Certification or course
- Credential strength
- 4/5: Leads to a proctored vendor or industry certification with solid employer recognition.
- Duration
- CEH exam 4 hours; PenTest+ exam 165 minutes
- Format
- Online (Proctored exam (online or at a test center))
- Location
- Nationwide
- Deadline
- Rolling / varies
- Next start
- Varies
- Jobs it can lead to
- Penetration Tester; Ethical Hacker; Security Analyst
- Notes
- CEH at a Pearson VUE test center costs $1,199 (the $950 fee is for the remotely proctored exam). VA approved-test records (GI Bill Comparison Tool, checked Oct 7, 2026): Certified Ethical Hacker, test 312-50, fee $950; CEH Practical exam, fee $550; CompTIA PenTest+, test PT0-003, fee $439. Free training on this site (Cisco Ethical Hacker, PortSwigger Web Security Academy, TCM Security free courses) does not count as EC-Council official training, so self-study CEH candidates need the 2-year experience route. PenTest+ recommends 3-4 years of penetration testing experience with Network+ and Security+ knowledge (not required). Exam pages: eccouncil.org/train-certify/certified-ethical-hacker-ceh/ and comptia.org/en-us/certifications/pentest/.
- Official page
- va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/licensing-and-certification-tests
- Last checked
- Oct 7, 2026