EC-Council Certified Offensive AI Security Professional Quick Facts (2026)
Certification Guide · Exam Overview · Quick Facts
EC-Council Certified Offensive AI Security Professional (C|OASP) certification guide delivers a concise exam 312-52 overview covering format, domains, prerequisites, costs, and preparation tips to master offensive AI, LLM security, and adversarial machine learning.
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EC-CouncilCertified Offensive AI Security ProfessionalC|OASPCOASPCAISP
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
EC-Council Certified Offensive AI Security Professional Quick Facts
The EC-Council Certified Offensive AI Security Professional (CAISP) certification equips cybersecurity and AI specialists with the knowledge and confidence to master AI-driven offensive security strategies and safeguard intelligent systems. This overview distills the essential information you need to prepare effectively and navigate this cutting-edge certification journey with clarity and purpose.
How does the Certified Offensive AI Security Professional certification empower your cybersecurity career?
The Certified Offensive AI Security Professional (CAISP) credential validates advanced expertise in offensive AI system assessments, adversarial modeling, and AI-enabled cybersecurity tactics. It bridges the gap between traditional ethical hacking and the emerging world of AI system exploitation and defense. Earning this certification demonstrates your ability to evaluate, attack, and secure AI-driven infrastructures, ranging from generative language models to complex data pipelines and autonomous agents. CAISP-certified professionals play a vital role in preparing organizations to responsibly adopt and defend AI in an era of intelligent cyber threats.
Who is the EC-Council Certified Offensive AI Security Professional Certification Designed For?
The Certified Offensive AI Security Professional (C|OASP) certification is built for cybersecurity professionals who want to master the art and science of testing, attacking, and securing AI systems. It’s ideal for those who are already familiar with cybersecurity and want to expand their skill set into AI red-teaming and adversarial testing.
Typical candidates include penetration testers, red teamers, SOC analysts, cybersecurity engineers, and AI/ML engineers focused on security. If you want to bridge the gap between AI development and AI defense, this credential will help you do just that—positioning you at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing areas in cybersecurity.
What Career Roles Can You Pursue After Earning the C|OASP Certification?
This certification opens doors to high-impact, high-salary career paths in AI security. Organizations across finance, healthcare, and technology need professionals who can ethically test and protect AI systems.
Graduates commonly pursue roles such as:
AI Red Team Specialist / Adversarial AI Engineer
Offensive Security Engineer (AI/LLM focus)
AI Incident Response Engineer / AI Forensics Analyst
Adversarial Machine Learning Researcher
Secure AI Engineer / AI Security Architect
By validating your ability to red-team, exploit, and defend AI systems, the C|OASP credential proves you can operate at the intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence—a combination that is increasingly rare and valuable.
What Is the Exam Code and Format for the Certified Offensive AI Security Professional Exam?
The official exam code for this certification is 312-52. The exam is a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based questions, designed to assess not only theoretical understanding but also practical skills in offensive AI.
With a strong emphasis on hands-on proficiency, the C|OASP exam challenges you to demonstrate how you would identify, exploit, and mitigate AI vulnerabilities using real-world frameworks like MITRE ATLAS and OWASP LLM Top 10.
How Long Is the COASP (312-52) Exam and How Many Questions Are Included?
Candidates are given 6 hours (360 minutes) to complete the exam, which includes 70 questions in total. The format combines both knowledge-based and scenario-based items, some requiring critical thinking about adversarial contexts.
The extended duration allows you to explore complex AI threat modeling scenarios and dive deep into conceptual and practical cases. Time management is key—pace yourself to analyze each scenario before selecting your best answer.
What Score Do You Need to Pass the EC-Council Certified Offensive AI Security Professional Exam?
To achieve certification, you need to earn a score between 70% and 80%. Your exact passing threshold may vary slightly depending on the test delivery mode (instructor-led, online, or proctored).
This approach accounts for varied question sets and ensures fairness across different exam sessions. A strong understanding of offensive AI methods, ethical hacking practices, and frameworks like NIST AI RMF will greatly boost your success.
How Much Does the COASP Certification Exam Cost?
The cost of the Certified Offensive AI Security Professional exam is USD $0 when taken as part of an authorized EC-Council training package, which includes all learning materials and instructor support.
Some EC-Council authorized partners may bundle the exam with optional practice labs or study kits, but pricing for those extra resources can vary. It’s always smart to confirm the latest pricing during registration since EC-Council periodically updates training bundles and promotions.
What Languages Is the Exam Available In?
Currently, the COASP exam is offered in English. EC-Council plans to expand availability into additional languages as the demand for AI security expertise continues to grow globally.
Since terminology consistency is crucial when testing AI red-teaming concepts, using the English version ensures alignment with key frameworks and industry standards.
What Are the Main Domains Covered in the COASP Exam?
The C|OASP certification is structured across 10 comprehensive modules, each focusing on a major offensive and defensive AI discipline. Every domain carries roughly equal weight—about 10% of the total exam score.
These domains include:
Offensive AI and AI System Hacking Methodology
AI Reconnaissance and Attack Surface Mapping
AI Vulnerability Scanning and Fuzzing
Prompt Injection and LLM Application Attacks
Adversarial Machine Learning and Model Privacy Attacks
Data and Training Pipeline Attacks
Agentic AI and Model-to-Model Attacks
AI Infrastructure and Supply Chain Attacks
AI Security Testing, Evaluation, and Hardening
AI Incident Response and Forensics
This modular design ensures candidates learn how to approach AI security holistically—from reconnaissance through red-teaming to incident recovery.
Are There Any Prerequisites to Sit for the C|OASP Exam?
Yes. Candidates are expected to have at least 3 years of practical cybersecurity experience before enrolling. This ensures participants can fully benefit from the advanced offensive AI methodologies covered in the course.
While formal AI experience is not mandatory, a foundational understanding of networks, security testing, and incident response will make the learning journey smoother and more rewarding.
How Is the Certified Offensive AI Security Professional Training Delivered?
EC-Council offers flexible delivery formats designed to suit your learning style and schedule:
Instructor-Led Training (ILT): Classroom-style sessions with peers and expert trainers.
iLearn (Asynchronous Online Learning): Self-paced digital learning with video lectures and labs.
iWeek (Synchronous Online Learning): Live online sessions guided by certified EC-Council instructors.
Each format provides access to hands-on practice labs, red-team simulations, and real-world AI attack scenarios. Every module builds the muscle memory needed to effectively test and secure AI systems in enterprise environments.
What Does the COASP Certification Validate?
The C|OASP credential verifies your ability to think like an attacker to defend like an engineer. It proves you can ethically exploit AI vulnerabilities, assess adversarial risks, and architect resilient AI systems.
Earning this certification demonstrates competency across the offensive and defensive AI life cycle—from prompt injection testing and data poisoning analysis to forensic investigation and threat mitigation.
How Long Does It Take to Complete the Training?
The official C|OASP training program is designed as a 5-day immersive course, blending theoretical instruction with lab-based learning. Each day focuses on a cluster of modules that build cumulative skills.
Students emerge from the program ready to manage AI security assessments, simulate live adversarial attacks, and design mitigation controls for real-world deployments.
How Widely Is This Certification Recognized?
C|OASP is a globally recognized credential from EC-Council, an ANAB ISO/IEC 17024-accredited organization. EC-Council’s certifications are acknowledged by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), NATO, and GCHQ in the UK.
Holding this certification signals your alignment with internationally accepted standards and positions you as a subject matter expert in AI security and red-teaming across multiple industries.
What Kinds of Practical Skills Will I Gain?
Through immersive labs, you’ll sharpen both your offensive and defensive AI skills, including:
Performing AI reconnaissance using OSINT tools
Executing prompt injection and jailbreaking techniques
Red-teaming LLMs and AI agents for vulnerabilities
Conducting data poisoning, model extraction, and supply chain attacks
Implementing defensive AI strategies such as sandboxing and anomaly detection
These skills prove you can bridge security, engineering, and data science to keep enterprise AI deployments safe and reliable.
How Does COASP Differ from Traditional Cybersecurity Certifications?
Unlike certifications that focus solely on network or web application security, C|OASP specializes in AI attack simulation and defense validation. It’s tailored for professionals who want to explore threats in LLMs, GenAI, agents, and training pipelines.
It introduces red-teaming tactics unique to artificial intelligence—techniques standard penetration testing does not cover. C|OASP graduates emerge capable of performing offensive AI testing at both model and infrastructure levels.
How Is the C|OASP Exam Delivered?
You can take the exam through the ECC Exam Portal, available to EC-Council members worldwide. Exams can be completed in-person through approved testing centers or remotely with online proctoring.
Upon successful completion, your digital certificate and verifiable badge are issued through EC-Council’s verified credentialing platform, allowing employers to instantly validate your achievement.
How Long Is the Certification Valid?
Your Certified Offensive AI Security Professional certification does not expire but may require periodic renewal or continuing education as AI threat landscapes evolve. Maintaining current knowledge through EC-Council’s updated modules or advanced AI security programs ensures you stay relevant and valuable in this ever-changing field.
How Can I Best Prepare for the EC-Council COASP Exam?
Structured practice makes all the difference. Combine official resources, frameworks, and an authentic testing experience to refine your knowledge.
What Frameworks and Standards Does the Certification Reference?
The C|OASP exam integrates multiple global standards, including:
OWASP LLM & ML Top 10
MITRE ATLAS
NIST AI Risk Management Framework (RMF)
ISO/IEC 42001 – AI Management Systems
These alignments ensure your expertise translates seamlessly into enterprise compliance, risk reduction, and operational defense strategies.
How Much Demand Exists for Offensive AI Security Professionals?
The demand for certified AI security professionals continues to grow exponentially. Enterprises across industries face new AI-driven attack surfaces—from finance and healthcare to government and defense.
This credential positions you to fill urgent skill gaps, helping organizations identify vulnerabilities before adversaries do. Salaries for roles like AI Security Engineer and Adversarial AI Researcher often exceed six figures, underscoring the premium placed on these capabilities.
Once registered, choose your delivery method, book a convenient exam date, and begin your journey toward mastering offensive AI security. With the right preparation and mindset, you’ll soon be among the elite professionals redefining cybersecurity for the age of artificial intelligence.