Exam Format

• Exam Code: PAM-DEF
• Certification Level: Defender (Intermediate) — demonstrating practical skills in operational PAM tasks.
• Exam Duration: ~90 minutes (standard for CyberArk Defender-level exams)
• Passing Score: Not publicly disclosed by CyberArk (often ~70% industry practice).
• Unscored Content: May include pre-trial or evaluation questions that do not count toward the final score.

Exam Details

• Question Types: Primarily multiple-choice and scenario-based questions focused on real-world PAM operational tasks.
• Number of Questions: Approximately 50–100 questions (varies by exam instance).
• Hands-On Questions: The exam emphasizes situational application of PAM concepts, covering typical operational challenges and configuration scenarios.

Exam Policies

• Offline Proctoring: Rescheduling/cancellation timelines follow Pearson VUE standard policies.
• Online Proctoring: Availability depends on region and Pearson VUE offerings (may change over time).
• Waiting Period: Typically a minimum wait period applies before retake (standard CyberArk certification policy).
• Retake Fee: Full exam fee applies for each retake.

Certification Validity and Renewal

• Validity: 3 years (typical certification validity for CyberArk credentials).
• Renewal Options: Recertify by passing the same or higher-level CyberArk certification (e.g., Sentry or Guardian level) or through continuing education credits where applicable.

Exam Fee

• Base Fee: Region-specific (exam cost is determined by CyberArk’s exam partner such as Pearson VUE).
• Taxes: Local VAT/GST may apply depending on your country.
• Example: In India, local GST would add on top of the base fee.

Prerequisites

• Foundational knowledge of privileged access management concepts and practices.
• Experience with CyberArk Privileged Access Security (PAS) products and operations.
• Familiarity with components such as Vault, PVWA, CPM, PSM, safes, and session management.

Exam Topics

The PAM-DEF exam focuses on real-world administration and operational tasks including:

• PAM Concepts & Architecture: Privileged access principles, core CyberArk architecture, components and secure centralized vaulting.
• Account & Password Management: Onboarding, credential rotation, lifecycle tasks, and automated password management.
• Safe and User Management: Creating and managing safes, user/group permissions, roles, and access policies.
• Session Management: Monitoring privileged sessions, logs, compliance, and session policy enforcement.
• Security & Audit: Compliance reporting, auditing controls, logs, alerts and secure access governance.
• Troubleshooting & Support: Operational troubleshooting, common error resolution, vault health checks and connectivity issues.

Intended Audience

• PAM Administrators
• Identity & Access Management (IAM) Engineers
• Security Operations Specialists
• System/Network Security Administrators

Career Impact

• Privileged Access Management Administrator
• PAM Specialist
• IAM Engineer
• Security Operations Analyst

• Demonstrates validated hands-on ability to support and maintain enterprise privileged access security, which is critical to reducing insider risks and strengthening cybersecurity posture.

Exam Mode

•  In-person at authorized Pearson VUE test centres.
• Region-specific online proctoring options where supported by Pearson VUE.

Exam Booking Link

• You can schedule the CyberArk PAM-DEF exam via CyberArk’s official certification portal or the Pearson VUE scheduling system—both accessible from CyberArk’s certification page.

After passing the exam:

• You will receive a digital badge/certificate from CyberArk/Credly confirming your PAM-DEF certification.

Offers