A free CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-003) cheat sheet: domain weights, engagement documents, the testing phases, attack categories and must-know acronyms for final revision.
By The Exam Atlas Editorial Team · Verified 2026-08-05
A quick-revision summary for CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-003). Use it in the final days before the exam to check recall. It is a study aid only - you cannot bring notes into the proctored exam, and everything here describes concepts, not operational steps.
The five domains and weights
#
Domain
Weight
1
Engagement management
13%
2
Reconnaissance and enumeration
21%
3
Vulnerability discovery and analysis
17%
4
Attacks and exploits
35%
5
Post-exploitation and lateral movement
14%
Attacks and exploits is the biggest single domain, but domains 1, 2 and 5 together are 48%. Do not neglect the process content.
Format at a glance
Item
Detail
Questions
Up to 90
Types
Multiple choice plus performance-based questions (PBQs)
Time
165 minutes
Passing score
750 on a scale of 100-900
Languages
English, French, Japanese, Portuguese
Delivery
Pearson VUE test centre or OnVUE online
Engagement documents to know
Document
Purpose
Rules of engagement (RoE)
What may be tested, when, from where, and what is off-limits
Statement of work (SOW)
Deliverables, timeline and commercial terms
Master service agreement (MSA)
The standing legal relationship
Non-disclosure agreement (NDA)
Protects what the tester learns
Attestation of findings
Short signed statement of scope and dates, often for auditors
Pattern: nothing you do is legitimate outside written authorisation, and third-party assets may need the provider’s approval too.
