Penetration Testing Roles, Phases, and Exam Objectives

This lesson establishes the operating model for CompTIA PenTest+ by clarifying who participates in a penetration test, how an engagement progresses from planning through reporting, and how those activities map to the PT0-002 exam. You will learn the difference between offensive testing roles, business stakeholders, and defensive teams so you can interpret exam scenarios correctly.

We also frame the major penetration testing phases at a practical level: scoping, rules of engagement, reconnaissance, analysis, exploitation, post-exploitation considerations, cleanup, and reporting. The goal is not to dive deeply into tools yet, but to build the structure that later technical lessons will fit into.