The HTK certificate
You do not pass it with a multiple-choice test. You earn it by finishing the course, solving the labs on real machines, and submitting a final report that a person grades.
The three introductory courses are free; the certificate needs the 24 € Pro unlock.
What it actually certifies
That you did the work, not that you watched a video. Every certificate is tied to one course and one student, and it is only issued when all three conditions below are met. There is no shortcut: you cannot sit the exam on its own.
And what it is not
Worth saying plainly. The HTK certificate is not accredited by an external body and it is not equivalent to a CISSP, an OSCP or a CompTIA. It is a record that you completed a specific hands-on programme, with labs on real machines and a report graded by hand. What carries weight is the evidence behind it, not the acronym.
How you earn it
Three conditions, and all three are required.
Every lesson completed
Every published lesson in the course, module exams included. Progress is tracked in your dashboard.
Every lab solved
The labs on an isolated VM, with their flags validated. Opening the machine is not enough: you have to solve the objectives.
Final report passed by a human
An instructor reads and scores it. You need to clear the pass mark, and this is the part that cannot be automated.
What is on the certificate
- Your name and the exact course title
- The level: beginner or intermediate
- The hours of content in the programme
- The issue date
- A unique identifier in the format HTK-XXXXXXXX
- Issued by HTK Academy
Download it as a PDF from your dashboard and add it to LinkedIn in one click: the identifier goes into the credential field.
The certificate is the cover; the portfolio is what sits underneath
In an interview, what you can talk through beats what you can show. Finishing a course leaves you more than a PDF: it leaves the reports you wrote, the flags you solved and the calls you made in the simulator, with the reasoning behind them. That is what you answer with when someone asks you to walk them through something you have analysed.
Reports you wrote
Every course ends in a real report: findings, evidence, and what the next team should do.
Labs with evidence
Each solved flag is an answer you found on a real machine, not a box you ticked.
Decisions on record
The simulator keeps what you decided on each alert and which piece of evidence settled it. That is interview material.
Courses that issue a certificate
Every paid course includes one. The three introductory courses are free and issue one too, but they need the 24 € Pro unlock, which is what pays for the real VM and the human grading.
Frequently asked questions
No. It is a certificate of completion issued by HTK Academy, not a credential accredited by an external body. It attests that you completed a specific hands-on programme with labs on real machines and a report graded by a person.
Yes. Every certificate carries a unique code in the form HTK-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX, printed on the PDF next to a QR code. Anyone who scans it, or types the code into the verification page, immediately sees the holder, the course, the issue date and whether it is still valid — with no account and no login. It is the same address sent to LinkedIn as the credential URL, so the “view credential” button on your profile lands on that check. The page shows your name, the course, the date and the status: not your email, not your grades, nothing else. And you can hide it at any time from your account.
That option does not exist. You need the lessons, the labs and a passing grade on the final report. If you have not solved the labs, it is not issued.
A person reviews it, so it is not instant. We aim to respond within 48-72 business hours; the score and feedback appear in your dashboard.
No. Course access is permanent and so is the certificate, along with its identifier.
Yes, but they need that course's 24 € Pro unlock. The content really is free; what you pay for is the real virtual machine and having a person grade your work, which is exactly what the certificate rests on.
Start with a free course
You can complete the whole course, take the exams and submit the final report without paying anything. You decide afterwards whether you want the certificate.