There are so many different OSCP writeups out there, too many even. Why read mine? I failed the exam 3 times so maybe that will provide a slightly different perspective compared to many of the guides which pass on the first go. Prior knowledge Before I go through the course, I’d like to cover where my knowledge level was at. At the start of the year I was studying to do my CCNA so I spent a few hours each working day on it for about 6 months.