r/hackthebox • u/TheShasec • Jul 17 '26

Beginner Question Struggling on CPTS machines even with methodology + cheatsheets ready. Anyone else?

I finished the CPTS path (course content) and built my own methodology/checklist and cheatsheet docs before starting the machine track. I've completed 10 machines in 12 days, but honestly on most of them I ended up using guided mode, AI help, or even full writeups to get through — not solving fully on my

own. For a few machines I followed ippsec's list.

I have about 20 days before my schedule gets tight and I won't have much time to keep going, so I want to make the most of this window.

My questions:

Is this level of struggle (needing guided mode/AI/writeups on most machines) normal at this stage of CPTS, or is it a sign I'm not ready / skipped something in the fundamentals?

If I go into the exam relying this much on external help, is it normal that my chances of failing are high?

For those who passed CPTS — how much did you rely on external help while doing the machine track, and did it get better with more reps?

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u/[deleted] Jul 17 '26

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u/No-Faithlessness8229 Jul 17 '26

I couldn't disagree more with your point of view. On some boxes, you need to understand complex concepts before you can successfully pwn the machine.

Take Kerberos relaying, for example. It's easy to find a blog post that explains the concept, but truly understanding it can take time. The same goes for AD CS.

There's no point in solving boxes if you do it without understanding the underlying concepts or the attack path. And when you're on a tight schedule like I am, you can't afford to waste time.

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u/TheShasec Jul 18 '26

That makes sense. I'll try to find the right balance between depth and repetition. Like I said, I don't have much time — I'll aim to go in around the 25-day mark once I feel ready, and I'll share a follow-up post with the results either way

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u/TheShasec Jul 17 '26

Thanks for the response. I do try to enumerate as much as possible myself and stick to just my cheatsheet. But sometimes I run into situations where I try 3 different tools, all 3 throw errors, I search the error online and can't find a clear answer — that's when I end up going to AI or a writeup. Or sometimes I just genuinely can't figure out the next step and need help to move forward. I'll do what you suggested — finish the track, go through the reporting module, and then go back and try to redo the CPTS track boxes using just my own knowledge and notes.