CySA+ certification: exam format, cost and practice questions
CompTIA CySA+ is the vendor-neutral certification for security operations and vulnerability management. The current exam is V4, series code CS0-004: a maximum of 85 questions in 165 minutes, passing at 750 on a scale of 100 to 900.
- Current exam
- V4, series code CS0-004, launched 23 June 2026CompTIA CySA+ V4 page, checked 24 September 2026
- Questions
- Maximum of 85CompTIA CySA+ V4 page, checked 24 September 2026
- Duration
- 165 minutesCompTIA CySA+ V4 page, checked 24 September 2026
- Passing score
- 750 on a scale of 100–900CompTIA CySA+ V4 page, checked 24 September 2026
- Recommended experience
- About 4 years as a SOC analyst or vulnerability analystCompTIA states this as recommended, not required, checked 24 September 2026
- Languages
- English, with French, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese coming soonCompTIA CySA+ V4 page, checked 24 September 2026
- V3 retires
- English exam 22 December 2026; English learning products 22 November 2026; translations 23 March 2027CompTIA CySA+ page, checked 24 September 2026
- Exam voucher price
- Not published on CompTIA’s certification pageCompTIA prices vouchers and bundles in its store, checked 24 September 2026
- Practice questions here
- 499 for the CySA+ examCertsqill question bank, currently written against CS0-003
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What is CySA+?
CySA+ stands for CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst. It is the vendor-neutral certification for the defensive side of security operations — detecting suspicious activity, running vulnerability management, responding to incidents, and reporting the result to people who do not read logs.
CompTIA recommends about four years in a SOC analyst or vulnerability analyst role before sitting it. Recommended, not required, and nobody checks it at the test centre.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ V4. Checked 24 September 2026.
CS0-003 or CS0-004 — which exam are you sitting?
This decides which study material is worth buying, so it goes before everything else. CompTIA launched CySA+ V4, series code CS0-004, on 23 June 2026. V3 remains available but is being retired: English learning products on 22 November 2026, the English exam on 22 December 2026, and the translations on 23 March 2027.
If you are booking after December 2026 in English, you are sitting CS0-004. The practice questions on this site are currently written against CS0-003 — useful while V3 is still open, and something to weigh if your exam date is past the retirement.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ certification. Checked 24 September 2026.
What is the CySA+ exam format and passing score?
V4 is a maximum of 85 questions in 165 minutes, and you pass at 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. CompTIA publishes no pass rate, but it does publish the weighting of the four objective areas, which is the more useful number:
- Security Operations — 34%
- Vulnerability Management — 26%
- Incident Response and Management — 24%
- Reporting and Communication — 16%
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ V4. Checked 24 September 2026.
How much does CySA+ cost?
CompTIA does not put a figure on the certification page. Vouchers are priced in CompTIA’s store rather than on the page describing the exam, and the amount depends on whether you buy the voucher alone or inside a bundle with CertMaster products and Retake Assurance.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ V4. Checked 24 September 2026.
Where can you find CySA+ practice questions?
This site holds 499 CySA practice questions. Every question shows all options, which one is correct, and why each of the others is wrong — on a scaled 100–900 score, the margin sits in the answers that looked plausible.
What you will not find here is an exam dump — recycled live exam content, and doubly useless in a year when the exam series code is changing.
No practice percentage converts into a CompTIA score, because 750 sits on a scaled range. What practice can tell you is which objective area still puts you at risk.
What CySA+ study guide and book do you need?
CompTIA publishes the exam objectives and sells CertMaster products; the rest is third party. Whichever study guide or book you choose, check the series code on the cover before you buy, because CS0-003 and CS0-004 are different papers and the V4 objectives add AI use in security operations.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ V4. Checked 24 September 2026.
CySA+ vs CASP, CISSP and PenTest+
CASP is CompTIA’s advanced security practitioner track: CySA+ is SOC work, CASP is architecture and enterprise security. PenTest+ sets offence against the defence of CySA+ inside the same CompTIA family.
Comparing CySA+ with CISSP crosses issuers and levels: ISC2’s CISSP is the broad security design and management certification requiring five years of experience; CySA+ is the hands-on analyst one with no requirement at all.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ V4. Checked 24 September 2026.
CySA+ questions people ask
What does CySA+ stand for?
CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst. It certifies detection, analysis and response work in security operations and vulnerability management. Source: CompTIA, checked 24 September 2026.
Is CySA+ CS0-003 or CS0-004?
CS0-004 is the current version, launched 23 June 2026. CS0-003 remains available but retires: English learning products on 22 November 2026, the English exam on 22 December 2026, translations on 23 March 2027. Source: CompTIA, checked 24 September 2026.
What is the CySA+ passing score?
750 on a scale of 100 to 900. Source: CompTIA CySA+ V4 page, checked 24 September 2026.
How many questions are on the CySA+ exam?
A maximum of 85, in 165 minutes. Source: CompTIA CySA+ V4 page, checked 24 September 2026.
What does CySA+ cost?
CompTIA publishes no figure on its certification page; vouchers and bundles are priced in its store, checked 24 September 2026.
How many CySA+ practice questions does Certsqill have?
499, each with an explanation for every option. The bank is currently written against CS0-003.
The CySA certification at a glance
The CySA certification — written CySA+, CySA Plus or Cybersecurity Analyst+ — is one credential with one certificate, whichever spelling you search. What changes is the exam version behind it. As checked on 9 October 2026, CompTIA still lists both: V4 (CS0-004) as current, and V3 (CS0-003) as the retiring version.
For the CySA Plus certification itself, the version you passed does not change the name on the certificate. It changes what you study, which is why the next section matters more than any other on this page.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
CySA 003 exam objectives or V4: plan around the retirement dates
If you have been studying the CySA 003 exam objectives (CS0-003), you can still sit that exam — but not for long. CompTIA’s page states that English learning products for V3 retire on 22 November 2026, the English exam on 22 December 2026, and translations on 23 March 2027.
A practical rule: if your CySA exam date is before 22 December 2026 and you are well into CS0-003 material, finishing on V3 is reasonable. If you are starting now or cannot book before then, study for CS0-004 from the beginning, using the V4 objectives.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
CySA training: what CompTIA offers for V4
CompTIA’s own CySA training for V4 is listed on the CS0-004 page under four CertMaster products: CertMaster Learn, CertMaster Perform, CertMaster Practice and CertMaster Labs. Any CySA course from another provider should name CS0-004 or V4 explicitly; if it only says CySA+, ask which version it teaches.
Choosing a CySA+ bootcamp? Check three things: that it follows the V4 objectives with their weighting (Security Operations 34%, Vulnerability Management 26%, Incident Response and Management 24%, Reporting and Communication 16%), that it includes hands-on lab time, and whether the exam voucher is included.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ V4. Checked 9 October 2026.
CySA study guide and study material
The best starting point for any CySA study guide is CompTIA’s own exam objectives for your version, because they define the scope. Third-party CySA study material is only useful if it matches that version — CS0-003 and CS0-004 are different exams.
Use the weighting to split your time. Security Operations alone is a third of V4, while Reporting and Communication is the smallest area but still worth around one question in six.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ V4. Checked 9 October 2026.
CySA exam cost and vouchers
The CySA exam cost is not printed on CompTIA’s certification pages; as checked on 9 October 2026, neither the main CySA+ page nor the V4 page shows a price. The CySA certification cost is set in CompTIA’s store, where a CySA voucher can be bought alone or in bundles with CertMaster products, and prices depend on your region.
If your employer or a training programme provides a voucher, check which exam version it is valid for and when it expires before you plan your date around it.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ V4. Checked 9 October 2026.
How to renew CySA+
CompTIA certifications run on a three-year renewal cycle. You renew through CompTIA’s continuing education programme: earning CEUs through qualifying activities, or by passing another qualifying CompTIA certification exam within that cycle. CompTIA notes that continuing education fees are not waived if a higher-level certification does not fully renew the lower one.
Source: CompTIA — Renewing with additional CompTIA certifications. Checked 9 October 2026.
CySA salary and whether it is worth it
CompTIA does not publish salary data on its CySA+ pages, so we do not quote a CySA salary figure.
Is CySA+ worth it? It is worth it if you work, or want to work, in a SOC or in vulnerability management and want a vendor-neutral credential above Security+. CompTIA recommends about four years in a SOC or vulnerability analyst role, so it fits best once you have hands-on experience to attach it to.
Source: CompTIA — CySA+ V4. Checked 9 October 2026.
Practising for the CySA test
Certsqill’s CySA practice questions are expert-developed, explain every answer option, and show a readiness score per domain, with a 7-day money-back guarantee. The bank is currently written against CS0-003, so it suits candidates sitting the CySA test before the V3 retirement.
More CySA+ questions
Is the CySA certificate the same for V3 and V4?
Yes. Both lead to CompTIA CySA+. Only the exam differs: V4 (CS0-004) is current, V3 (CS0-003) retires in English on 22 December 2026. Source: CompTIA, checked 9 October 2026.
What CySA training does CompTIA offer?
CompTIA lists CertMaster Learn, CertMaster Perform, CertMaster Practice and CertMaster Labs on the CS0-004 page. Checked 9 October 2026.
What is the CySA exam cost?
CompTIA does not show a price on its CySA+ certification pages; vouchers and bundles are priced in its store by region. Checked 9 October 2026.
Where are the CySA 003 exam objectives?
Get exam objectives from CompTIA itself: its main CySA+ page links to a separate V3 page for CS0-003. V3 is retiring, so check the dates before you build a study plan on them. Checked 9 October 2026.
How often do I need to renew CySA+?
CompTIA certifications follow a three-year renewal cycle through its continuing education programme. Source: CompTIA, checked 9 October 2026.
CompTIA retires the CS0-003 exam on December 22, 2026; CS0-004 is already available and has different domain weightings. These questions cover CS0-003. Vendor page, checked September 4, 2026.
Exam fee: $425 — what the CySA+ exam costs, retakes included →
