These are my personal opinions based on my background and training experience.
This course is online.
The course materials include PDF and lab access.
The class size unknown.
The lab environment is shared.
At the time of this review, the course prices were listed as follows (Check the web site for actual prices!)
$49 - Week Pass
$99 - Month Pass
$249 - 3 Month Pass
$449 - 6 Month Pass
$749 - Year Pass
All passes give you full access to all courseware on the site and more than 40 custom made hosts.
I signed up for this shortly after the OSCP because I was wanting more experience.
I had forgotten about this course, although I really don't know how or why I forgot about it. I will report what I remeber, and maybe I can grab some new lab time (because a LOT has changed since I first signed up) and add to this.
I recall finding this site fresh out of the OSCP. I signed up and got access to the PDF, which I recall really liking a lot and all I can remember is the design seemed to appeal to me as well as the materials.
I went through a few boxes in the lab, very much OSCP like, and a few different boxes. But I was new, and was not at the level I needed to be at to proceed. I recall seeing that they had a Certificate of Completion at the time, and wanted to work toward it and be the first to get one, but, I just found it too hard to progress at the time (which may have been time related or work related or maybe even skill related... I honestly don't recall and it could have been all of those combined.
I let my time lapse, and was a little disappointed I didn't push myself harder because I recall when they posted the first CoC had been awarded. That motivated me a lot. I signed back up, and I started over. I recall having some issues with a few machines and thinking it was odd that ports were closed and/or things didn't seem right. Glancing back at my notes from before, I grabbed and admin hash and jumped on one of the boxes to see. The application was not running. I started the application, exploited it like before, and rebooted the box. I checked a little while later and the application wasn't running, so I logged in and started it. I recall typing an e-mail to support to ask if they could check to see if it was the box or maybe another user and I were accessing the same system, or something, but I have no clue if I sent the e-mail or not. So to this day I don't know if the second lab I connected to was having problems or me and another user were working the same box.
I spent some time in the labs, I had some fun, and then my time expired, and I totally forgot about VHL.
When I was moving some data off one external hard drive to another, I saw the VHL PDF and was like, yikes, they deserve a review...and I owe it to myself to sign back up and get a Certificate of Completion that I didn't get the first time.
After making plans to write the review, I went to their website to gather some data, and I found a lot has changed. Prices still seem to be about the same and very reasonable, but they have added a lot of new boxes. I do recall them adding a few boxes while I was subscribed, but I think there were only about 30 when I first joined. So a second, or actually a third in my case, look is in order.
There is no exam, although if you meet specified requirements*, you can get a VHL Certificate of Completion and/or a VHL Advanced+ Certificate of Completion.
* See the Certificate of Completion section of https://www.virtualhackinglabs.com/labs/penetration-testing-lab/ for the requirements.
I signed up when this was just getting started. I remember the PDF being excellent. I recall the labs being good as well, until I let my time expire, signed back up and got in to a different lab setting where I recall having some issues that I have no clue if they were lab related or due to other users. Either way, this was a hidden gem that I forgot about and recommend people give it a try.