GIAC GCIH Practice Test
Use the free 20-question tests to find gaps in incident handling, attacker tradecraft and investigation skills. The current GCIH certification exam is 106 questions in four hours with a 69% pass line and CyberLive hands-on testing, so short drills are useful for diagnosis. Full-length practice is the pacing check.
Mixed Set — GCIH Practice Tests
Five 20-question mixed sets for a quick read on your knowledge and pacing. Each runs for about 45 minutes, keeping the same rough time-per-question ratio as a 106-question, four-hour GCIH exam.
Domain Wise — GCIH Practice Tests
Fifteen focused 20-question tests, one for each objective heading in GIAC's current GCIH outline. Use them after a mixed set has shown you where the gap is.
Twenty questions finds the gap.
One hundred six questions tests the four-hour problem.
The free sets are for diagnosis. The full-length tests are for the part you cannot measure in a short drill: staying accurate across a 106-question run while the clock keeps moving.
| Free tests on this page | Full-length tests | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 20 per test | 106 per test |
| Time limit | About 45 minutes | 240 minutes |
| Use | Mixed benchmark or single-objective drill | Full four-hour selected-response rehearsal |
| Objective coverage | Five mixed sets + 15 current-objective drills | All 15 current GCIH objective headings |
| Number available | 20 free tests | 10 full-length tests |
| Price | Free | From $4.49₹159£3.69€4.29 per test |
How to Use These Tests in a Study Plan
Use short tests to expose the gap, focused drills to work it, then move to a four-hour rehearsal. Each stage answers a different question.
Benchmark
Take two mixed sets before changing your study plan. Look for the techniques and investigation decisions that keep costing you questions.
Start Practice Test 1 →Drill the gap
Use the objective-specific test for the area you just missed. Then return to your notes or lab and fix the reason, not just the answer.
Choose an objective above ↑Dress rehearsal
When the short sets stop exposing obvious gaps, sit 106 questions on a 240-minute clock. That is where pacing and concentration become part of the result.
Get Full-Length Tests →About the GIAC GCIH Exam
GIAC's current GCIH format is 106 questions in four hours with a 69% minimum passing score. The exam is proctored and includes CyberLive hands-on testing.
Exam format
Exam: GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH).
Questions: 106.
Duration: 4 hours.
Minimum passing score: 69% for candidates receiving the exam version released on or after 10 May 2025.
Hands-on testing: CyberLive virtual-machine challenges are part of the certification exam.
Delivery: Web-based and proctored, remotely through ProctorU or on-site through Pearson VUE.
Access, books and renewal
Open book: Printed books, printed notes, handwritten notes and an index are permitted. Electronic reference files and internet access are not.
Attempt access: 120 days from activation.
Certification attempt: $999 USD.
Retake: $899 USD, with a 30-day wait after a failed exam.
Attempt limit: Up to three exam attempts per year. After three failed attempts, GIAC requires a one-year wait before starting a new certification attempt.
Renewal: Every four years with 36 CPEs or by retaking the current exam, plus the applicable renewal fee.
Current GCIH Objective Headings
GIAC currently publishes 15 objective headings for GCIH. It does not publish percentage weights for those objectives, so there is no official domain-weight table to invent.
| Objective | Current GIAC heading | Published weight |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Attacking Passwords | Not published |
| 02 | Detecting Evasive and Post-Exploitation Techniques | Not published |
| 03 | Detecting Exploitation and Covert Communications Tools | Not published |
| 04 | Endpoint Attack and Pivoting | Not published |
| 05 | Exploiting Insecure Web Application References | Not published |
| 06 | Incident Response and Cyber Investigation | Not published |
| 07 | Integrating LLMs with Offensive Operations | Not published |
| 08 | Malware and AI Assisted Investigations | Not published |
| 09 | Network and Log Investigations | Not published |
| 10 | Scanning and Mapping | Not published |
| 11 | Securing Credentials and Data in the Cloud | Not published |
| 12 | SMB Security | Not published |
| 13 | Understanding Passwords | Not published |
| 14 | Web Application API Attacks | Not published |
| 15 | Web Application Injection Attacks | Not published |
How Our GCIH Practice Tests Are Used
Short sets are for diagnosis. Twenty questions is enough to expose a weak area without spending half a day on one attempt. Use the mixed sets first, then move to the objective-specific tests when you know what needs work.
GCIH is open book, so practise the lookup workflow too. Build an index around your printed material and use it during timed practice. The point is not to search every answer. It is to know where to look when one detail decides between two plausible choices.
CyberLive needs a lab. GIAC uses virtual machines and real tools for hands-on testing. The paid full-length tests on this site are selected-response practice, so use them for investigation logic and four-hour pacing, then practise CyberLive-style work in a real lab environment.
GCIH Exam Preparation Tips
Study strategy
Build the index while you study. GIAC allows hardcopy references, but the clock does not stop while you search. Index topic names, tools, commands and investigation patterns as you learn them.
Use the current objective list. The 2026 GCIH headings now include cloud credential security, web APIs and two AI-focused objectives. Study plans based on an older outline can miss current material.
Keep hands-on work separate from question practice. Use tests to sharpen decisions and evidence interpretation. Use a lab for the commands, tools and virtual-machine work CyberLive is designed to measure.
Test-taking strategy
Protect the four-hour pace. A difficult item can steal several minutes without improving your odds. Make the best evidence-based choice you can, then keep moving.
Use printed references deliberately. Reach for the index when a specific fact is the blocker. If you already understand the scenario, searching the book can cost more time than it saves.
Practise when tired. The first hour and the fourth hour are different tests of concentration. Full-length practice shows whether your decision quality holds when the novelty is gone.
Frequently Asked Questions
The current GCIH certification exam has 106 questions and a four-hour time limit.
The current minimum passing score is 69% for candidates receiving the exam version released on or after 10 May 2025.
Yes. GIAC permits hardcopy books, printed notes, handwritten notes and an index. Electronic reference files and internet access are not permitted during the exam.
Yes. CyberLive uses virtual-machine environments and real security tools for hands-on tasks inside the GCIH certification exam.
GIAC lists the GCIH certification attempt at $999 USD and an exam retake at $899 USD in September 2026.
GIAC imposes a 30-day wait after a failed exam. Candidates can attempt an exam up to three times per year. After three failed attempts, GIAC requires a one-year wait before pursuing a new certification attempt.
GIAC certifications renew every four years. Renewal can be completed with 36 CPEs or by retaking the current certification exam, together with the applicable renewal fee.
Yes. The GIAC GCIH full-length practice tests contain 106 selected-response questions on a 240-minute clock. There are 10 full-length tests, each covering all 15 current GCIH objective headings, with raw-percentage scoring against a 69% practice pass line and an explanation on every question.
Yes. This hub links to five mixed 20-question tests and 15 objective-specific 20-question tests, 400 free questions in total.
Start short. Finish with a four-hour run.
Use the free sets to find what needs work. When you want a 106-question pacing check, the full-length GCIH tests start at $4.49₹159£3.69€4.29 per test.
