GMOB Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling

There Is No Fixed GMOB Exam Calendar

If you searched for "GMOB exam dates 2026" hoping to find a list of testing days like a college entrance exam, here is the first thing to know: the GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB) exam does not run on a published national calendar. GIAC certification exams are delivered as individual proctored attempts. You register for an attempt, it is activated, and you then choose your own testing date and time within a defined completion window.

That distinction changes how you should think about "dates." The relevant deadlines are not seasonal cutoffs but personal ones: the day your attempt is activated, the day your 120-day window closes, and the day you book your proctoring appointment. This article walks through each of those and shows how to build a GMOB study plan around them. If you are still deciding whether to pursue the credential at all, our breakdown of whether the GMOB certification is worth it covers the career case, and What Is GMOB Certification? gives the basics.

How GMOB Scheduling Actually Works

Step 1: Register and Activate an Attempt

Your first move is registering for a certification attempt through GIAC. Activation starts the clock on your attempt-completion window, which is why many candidates delay activation until their preparation is well along. Registering early "just to lock something in" can quietly consume days you would rather spend studying.

Step 2: Choose Your Proctoring Method

GIAC exams are delivered through two proctoring routes, subject to attempt-specific eligibility:

• Pearson VUE: an onsite testing center experience where you sit the exam in a controlled facility.
• ProctorU: a remote option where you test from your own space under live or monitored proctoring.

Which options appear for your attempt depends on your specific eligibility, so check the details of your assigned attempt at the GIAC attempts page rather than assuming both are available. Onsite slots at a Pearson VUE center can fill up near busy periods, and remote slots depend on proctor availability, so booking a few weeks ahead is wise.

Step 3: Book Your Appointment Inside the Window

Once your attempt is active, you select a specific date and time. Because there is no group sitting, you can often choose a day that fits your own preparation, work schedule, and energy levels. Use that flexibility deliberately: pick a day when you are not coming off a long on-call rotation or a travel week.

The 120-Day Attempt Window

The single most important date rule for GMOB is the completion window: you have 120 days from activation to complete the attempt. That is roughly four months, which sounds generous until you factor in course material, lab practice, index building, and scheduling logistics.

Do not treat the 120 days as a deadline to hit exactly. Candidates who test in the final days of the window leave no margin for a technical problem, illness, or a proctoring reschedule. Build a buffer of at least a week. For a deeper look at how long preparation really takes, see our GMOB study guide.

If Your Window Closes

If the window lapses without a completed attempt, you should not assume it can be extended informally. Read the GIAC Candidate Agreement and the attempt-specific terms before you rely on any extension or reinstatement option, and contact GIAC directly with your situation. Policies on this can change, so the issuer's current wording takes precedence over any summary, including this one.

Fees, Retakes, and Timing Your Spend

Date planning and budget planning are linked, because each attempt carries its own fee and its own window. The figures below come from GIAC's published pricing and exclude applicable sales tax. SANS training tuition is a separate cost.

A sensible approach is to treat the official practice exam as a diagnostic checkpoint roughly halfway through your window. That leaves enough time to act on what it reveals. For the full cost picture, including training, read the GMOB certification cost breakdown.

What Awaits You on Exam Day

Knowing the format helps you choose a sensible time of day and prepare your reference materials before your date arrives.

• Questions and time: 75 questions in a 2-hour limit, which averages under two minutes per question.
• Passing score: 71% minimum. Our GMOB passing score guide explains how that translates to the number of questions you need to get right.
• Open book: hardcopy books, notes, and an index are allowed. Internet access, personal electronic references, and materials resembling practice or exam questions and answers are prohibited.
• No changing answers: submitted answers cannot be changed, so avoid submitting a response you intend to revisit.
• Breaks: 15 minutes of break time are allowed.

The open-book rule is the reason your preparation calendar matters so much. The exam rewards candidates who can find the right page quickly, which means your index must be finished well before test day, not assembled the night before. The 71% passing standard applies to exam versions released on or after December 24, 2016, but your assigned attempt's objectives, format, and passing score at the GIAC attempts page take precedence over any third-party summary.

Planning Your Window Around the 11 Domains

GIAC publishes eleven objective headings for GMOB, listed in the order below. No official percentage weights are published for them, so you should not budget study time based on invented weightings. Instead, allocate time by your own gaps and by how connected the topics are. For a fuller walkthrough, see GMOB Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 11 Content Areas.

1. Analyzing Mobile Applications
2. Attacking Encrypted Traffic
3. Managing Android Devices and Applications
4. Managing iOS Devices and Applications
5. Manipulating Mobile Application Behavior
6. Manipulating Network Traffic
7. Mitigating Against Mobile Malware
8. Mitigating Against Stolen Mobile Devices
9. Mobile Application Security Assessments
10. Reverse Engineering Mobile Applications
11. Unlocking and Rooting Mobile Devices

Because the scope heading names Android and iOS together, avoid specializing too narrowly. A candidate comfortable only with one platform can lose points across several domains. The official SANS preparation course, SEC575 (iOS and Android Application Security Analysis and Penetration Testing), is a common route, though training is optional and its platform examples vary by edition. Our page on GMOB training compares preparation paths.

A Sample Window Timeline

Here is one way to spread a 120-day attempt window across the domains. Treat it as a template to adapt, not a prescription; shorten or lengthen blocks based on your background. The sequencing logic matters more than the exact week counts: platforms first, testing workflow second, interception third, device risk last, with practice and index work running throughout.

If you need a faster plan, compress the timeline but keep the buffer. If you want a quick-reference companion for the final stretch, our GMOB cheat sheet condenses the must-know facts, and you can pressure-test your recall with the GMOB practice tests.

After You Pass: Validity and Renewal Dates

Passing starts a second clock. GMOB certification is valid for four years. To renew, you earn 36 approved CPE credits during the active four-year period or take a renewal exam, and in either case pay the standard USD $499 renewal fee. The candidates who avoid last-minute stress treat CPE collection as a steady habit rather than a final-year scramble: conference sessions, security research, and relevant training can all contribute, subject to GIAC's approval rules.

Check GIAC's CPE information and renewal guide for what counts and how to submit it, since acceptable activities and procedures are defined by the issuer. If you are weighing long-term value, our GMOB salary guide and GMOB jobs overview describe the roles where the credential tends to matter, such as mobile application security testing, penetration testing, and mobile device security operations.

Frequently Asked Questions