CRTP is the cheapest serious offensive-security certification an Indian candidate can buy in 2026 — but “cheap” is exactly why the real number gets muddled. The sticker price you see on Altered Security’s site is not what most people end up spending, because lab time runs out, retakes cost money, and the currency you pay in is not the one you earn in. This page lays out what CRTP actually costs in India, line by line, including the parts people discover after they have already paid.
CRTP price in India 2026 — at a glance
Short answer: the CRTP certification cost in India is ₹20,500 (US$249) bought directly from Altered Security, which bundles the course, 30 days of lab access and one exam attempt. Budget realistically for ₹20,500–₹33,000 once you allow for a lab extension or a retake. Full breakdown below.
| What you are paying for | 2026 price in India |
|---|---|
| Direct from Altered Security (course + 30 days lab + 1 exam attempt) | ₹20,500 (US$249) |
| Exam-only retake voucher | ₹8,250 |
| Lab access extension (+30 days) | ₹4,100 |
| Macksofy mentored CRTP preparation (training only) | ₹22,000–₹28,000 |
| Realistic all-in for most candidates | ₹20,500–₹33,000 |
Macksofy is not an Altered Security authorised training partner. The CRTP course, lab and exam are purchased directly from Altered Security; what Macksofy provides is independent mentored preparation alongside it.
CRTP cost — line-by-line breakdown
Unlike OSCP or OSEP, where the training and the exam are sold as one expensive package, the CRTP price in India is built from a small base plus optional extras. That structure is what makes it affordable — and also what makes the final figure vary between candidates.
1. The base bundle — ₹20,500
Altered Security sells CRTP as a single bundle: the “Attacking and Defending Active Directory” course material, access to a simulated multi-domain lab forest, and one attempt at the 24-hour exam. At US$249 this converts to roughly ₹20,500 depending on the exchange rate on the day you pay. There is no separate CRTP exam fee to budget for on a first attempt — it is inside the bundle.
2. Lab extension — ₹4,100 per 30 days
Thirty days sounds generous until you are working full time. The lab is where CRTP is actually learned — Kerberoasting, AS-REP roasting, unconstrained and constrained delegation abuse, ACL abuse, trust attacks and ADCS exploitation are not things you absorb from slides. Candidates holding a full-time job commonly buy one extension. Treat ₹4,100 as a probable cost rather than an optional one if you have less than about ten hours a week to give it.
3. Retake voucher — ₹8,250
The CRTP exam is a 24-hour hands-on assessment in which you compromise multiple domains in a forest, followed by a report. A retake costs ₹8,250 — about 40% of the original bundle. This is the single line item that turns a ₹20,500 certification into a ₹28,750 one, and it is almost always avoidable with disciplined lab time rather than more money.
4. Mentored preparation — ₹22,000–₹28,000 (optional)
This is training, not the certification. Macksofy’s guided CRTP preparation runs alongside the Altered Security material for candidates who want structured Active Directory practice, review of their attack path methodology, and report-writing feedback before the exam. You still buy the CRTP bundle from Altered Security separately. Candidates who are already comfortable in AD environments routinely skip this and self-study — it is a genuine choice, not a requirement.
CRTP cost compared with CRTE, CRTO and OSEP
CRTP’s price only makes sense next to the certifications it competes with. The gap is not marginal — it is an order of magnitude at the top end.
| Certification | Vendor | 2026 price in India | What the money buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRTP | Altered Security | ₹20,500 (US$249) | Course + 30d lab + 1 exam attempt |
| CRTE | Altered Security | ₹36,900 (US$449) | Multi-forest escalation, longer lab |
| CRTO | Zero-Point Security | ~₹51,700 | Operator workflow, C2 tradecraft |
| OSEP | OffSec | ₹2,15,000 (US$1,799) | Evasion and adversary simulation |
Read that table as a ladder rather than a menu. CRTP at ₹20,500 costs about two-fifths of CRTO and roughly one-tenth of OSEP, and it is the only one of the four that assumes no prior red-team certification. For a full side-by-side of what each one teaches, see our CRTP vs CRTE certification guide and the broader red team certifications in India comparison.
Hidden costs — and how to avoid paying twice
Most people who overspend on CRTP do it in one of four predictable ways. None of them are the vendor’s fault.
- Buying lab time before you have study time. The clock starts when you purchase, not when you begin. Buying the bundle in a month you are shipping a project at work is the most common way to burn ₹4,100 on an extension.
- Sitting the exam without a full practice run. The exam is 24 hours plus a report. Candidates who have never chained a full compromise end-to-end in the lab are the ones who pay ₹8,250 twice.
- Forex markup on the card. US$249 billed internationally attracts a foreign-transaction fee on most Indian credit cards, typically 2–3.5% plus GST on that fee. It is small, but it is real, and it is why your statement will not read exactly ₹20,500.
- Paying for mentoring you do not need. If you already work in an AD-heavy environment, the ₹22,000–₹28,000 preparation line is very often unnecessary. Buy the bundle first, spend two weeks in the lab, and decide then.
Paying for CRTP from India
CRTP is priced in US dollars and billed internationally, so a few practical points matter more here than they would for a domestically-sold course. Your card must be enabled for international online transactions — many Indian debit cards are not by default, and this is the single most common reason a CRTP purchase fails at checkout. The rupee figure on your statement is set by the exchange rate at the moment of the transaction, so the ₹20,500 in this page is an approximation that moves with the market. Expect a foreign-transaction fee on top, and keep the invoice: if your employer reimburses certification costs, an international invoice in USD is usually still claimable, but finance teams tend to ask for it in a specific format.
There is no India-specific pricing tier, no regional discount and no GST charged by the vendor on the bundle itself, because the service is supplied from outside India. That is worth knowing before you go looking for a local reseller offering “CRTP at a discount” — Altered Security sells it directly, and a third party quoting a materially lower number is a reason for caution rather than celebration.
ROI — when does CRTP pay back?
CRTP is unusual among offensive-security certifications in that the payback question is almost trivial. At ₹20,500, the certification costs less than a month’s salary for the junior roles it helps unlock.
| Role | Experience | Typical certs | Salary (₹ LPA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Team Analyst (junior) | 2–3 years | OSCP + CRTP | 10 – 18 |
| Red Team Operator | 3–5 years | OSCP + CRTO or OSEP | 15 – 28 |
| Senior Red Team Operator | 5–8 years | OSCP + OSEP + CRTO | 22 – 40 |
The honest caveat: CRTP on its own rarely moves anyone into a red team role. In Indian hiring it functions as an Active Directory depth signal that sits on top of a baseline pentest credential — which is why the junior row above lists OSCP alongside it. Candidates who treat CRTP as a first certification and stop there generally find it does less for them than the price suggests. Candidates who add it to an existing pentest background tend to see it earn its ₹20,500 back inside the first appraisal cycle.
What Macksofy provides
To be explicit, because this trips people up: Macksofy does not sell the CRTP certification and is not an Altered Security authorised training partner. You buy the CRTP bundle from Altered Security. What Macksofy offers is mentored training — structured Active Directory attack practice, methodology review and report feedback — for candidates who want guidance alongside the official material. Our related programmes are OSCP (PEN-200) preparation, which is the usual prerequisite in practice, and OSEP (PEN-300) preparation for candidates going further up the ladder. If you are still deciding between the AD certifications, CRTP vs CRTE vs OSEP sets out the sequencing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CRTP certification cost in India?
The CRTP certification cost in India is ₹20,500 (US$249) bought directly from Altered Security, covering the course, 30 days of lab access and one exam attempt. Most candidates should budget ₹20,500–₹33,000 all-in, because a lab extension costs ₹4,100 and a retake voucher costs ₹8,250.
Is there a separate CRTP exam fee?
No. One exam attempt is included in the ₹20,500 bundle, which is why CRTP looks cheaper than certifications that price the course and exam separately. Only a retake is charged separately, at ₹8,250.
Why is the CRTP price in India lower than OSCP or OSEP?
Scope. CRTP covers Active Directory attack paths deeply but narrowly, with a 24-hour exam against a prepared lab forest. OSCP and OSEP cover far broader ground with longer labs and longer exams, and are priced accordingly — OSEP is ₹2,15,000 against CRTP’s ₹20,500. The price gap reflects breadth, not quality.
Does the CRTP price include lab access?
Yes — 30 days of access to the simulated multi-domain forest is part of the bundle. Additional lab time is ₹4,100 per 30 days, and candidates studying around a full-time job should assume they may need one extension.
Can I pay for CRTP with an Indian debit card?
Only if the card is enabled for international online transactions, which many Indian debit cards are not by default. A credit card enabled for international use is the more reliable route. Expect a foreign-transaction fee of roughly 2–3.5% on top of the converted amount.
Is CRTP worth it at this price?
For a candidate who already holds a baseline pentest credential and wants demonstrable Active Directory depth, yes — it is the cheapest credible way to prove that skill, and junior red team roles pairing OSCP with CRTP sit at roughly ₹10–18 LPA. As a first and only certification it is much weaker value, because Indian employers read it as a specialisation signal rather than an entry credential.
Prices are converted from Altered Security’s US dollar pricing and move with the exchange rate; confirm the current figure with the vendor before purchasing. Salary ranges are indicative of the Indian market in 2026 and vary by city, employer and interview performance.
For the CRTO side of that comparison, see our CRTO certification cost in India guide.