Once you register, the excitement begins! Expect monthly challenge details delivered straight to your inbox about a week before each start date.
Note: Expect monthly challenge notifications before a challenge window opens. Every month brings a completely new competition; new challenges, a reset leaderboard, new winners.
Every challenge counts! Bring your A-game and rise to the top
to earn cash and in-kind awards.
Monthly Awards: Top players earn awards based on their standings at the end of each month if they meet the award eligibility criteria. However, points earned during the current challenge will not carry over to the next month’s leaderboard.
Players on the leaderboard are
classified into four distinct ranking tiers: Apprentice, Journeyman, Master, and
Grandmaster.
All new players begin at the Apprentice rank. These are players with scores
below the 25th percentile.
To achieve Journeyman status, a player
must:
Rank in the 25th percentile or
higher on the leaderboard
Successfully complete at least 50% of
Journeyman-level challenges
Total challenges completed: >= 30% of
the total challenges available on the platform for the month
To attain Master rank, a player must:
Rank in the 50th percentile or higher
on the leaderboard
Successfully complete at least 50% of
Master-level challenges
Total challenges completed: >= 30% of
the total challenges available on the platform for the month
To reach Grandmaster rank, a player must:
Rank in the 75th percentile or higher
on the leaderboard
Successfully complete at least 50% of
Grandmaster-level challenges
Total challenges completed: >= 30% of
the total challenges available on the platform for the month
Please note: The eligibility criteria above only apply to challenges available within that month's competition window. Each month's CTF is completely independent; there is no carry-over.
Our dynamic scoring system rewards both skill and speed. The
faster you solve challenges, the more points you earn.
At EC-Council, we pride ourselves on transparency, so we’re laying it all out for you.
Dynamic Scoring: A challenge’s point value decreases with each solve. This
means, the faster you solve, the more points you earn. As more players complete a challenge, the point value
naturally decreases.
Fair Play: Our scoring system ensures easier, frequently solved challenges
are worth fewer points than harder, less solved ones.
Initial challenge points range from 10 to 500, based on difficulty and category.
The scoring system tracks three key values per challenge:
Initial: The starting point value
Decay: Number of solves before
reaching minimum points
Minimum: The lowest possible point
value
The point decay follows this formula: value = (((minimum – initial) /
(decay ** 2)) * (solve_count ** 2)) + initial
value = math.ceil(value)
If the calculated value falls below the minimum, the minimum value is used instead.
This system ensures higher-value challenges keep their worth longer, unlike linear or exponential methods. It rewards precision and timing, keeping the competition fair and exciting.
Hackerverse CTF challenges are categorized into four distinct difficulty levels, each with its own point range:
Apprentice: Very Easy
Journeyman: Easy
Master: Medium
Grandmaster: Hard
Each challenge may include multiple questions or tasks, allowing players to earn points for solving individual components. This ensures partial credit for progress while keeping scoring consistent across difficulty tiers.
New challenges go live during the last 7 days of each month. Challenges are only available within that month's competition window; they do not carry over to the following month.
Each month focuses on a core cybersecurity theme. Topics covered across Hackerverse CTF competitions include:
Participants are eligible for prizes in the month they register and compete. Each month is an independent competition; there are no cumulative or End-of-Season awards. Register, compete, and win; every month is a new opportunity.
Certificate of Participation: Awarded to participants who complete at least 30% of all available challenges for that month.
Certificate of Appreciation: Awarded to participants who complete at least 50% of all available challenges for that month.
To qualify for awards, ALL 4 of the following criteria must be met:
Secure a place among the top competitors on the leaderboard
Rank within the top 75th percentile of all participants
Complete at least 30% of all available challenges
For top 3
positions only: complete at least 50% of Master-level challenges
Kindly refer to our Terms and Conditions for complete eligibility details.
Experience EC-Council private Capture-the-Flag Competitions onsite at your location. Now offered fully virtually or onsite at select locations.
PLEASE NOTE: Your First Name and Last Name will appear on your personal certificate of participation.
