CompTIA Security+ certification: exam format, cost and practice questions
Security+ is CompTIA’s core cybersecurity certification, currently exam SY0-701. It runs a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes and you pass at 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. CompTIA has announced Security+ V8 for on or around 17 November 2026, so check which version your voucher buys before you book.
- Exam code
- SY0-701 (Security+ V7)CompTIA Security+ V7 page, checked 24 September 2026
- Questions
- Maximum of 90 — multiple choice and performance-basedCompTIA Security+ V7 page, checked 24 September 2026
- Duration
- 90 minutesCompTIA Security+ V7 page, checked 24 September 2026
- Passing score
- 750 on a scale of 100–900CompTIA Security+ V7 page, checked 24 September 2026
- Recommended experience
- CompTIA Network+ and two years in a security or systems administrator roleCompTIA states this as recommended, not required, checked 24 September 2026
- Next version
- Security+ V8, on or around 17 November 2026CompTIA Security+ page, checked 24 September 2026
- SY0-701 retires
- English 11 June 2027; Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai 13 August 2027CompTIA Security+ V7 page, checked 24 September 2026
- Exam voucher price
- Not published on CompTIA’s certification pagesCompTIA sells vouchers and bundles through its store; no figure on the certification pages, checked 24 September 2026
- Practice questions here
- 2,398 for the Security+ examCertsqill question bank
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Why you can trust these CompTIA Security+ questions
What is Security+?
Written out it is CompTIA Security Plus; CompTIA uses the plus sign. It is the vendor-neutral certification CompTIA positions as the baseline for working in security — the one that appears in job adverts as a floor rather than a differentiator. It proves that you can carry out core security functions, not that you specialise in one.
The current exam is SY0-701, which CompTIA launched on 7 November 2023. It is recognised under DoD 8140 for a long list of work roles, from cyber defence analyst to incident responder.
Source: CompTIA — Security+ V7. Checked 24 September 2026.
What does the Security+ exam cost?
CompTIA does not put a figure on its certification pages. The exam voucher price, and any discount on it, is shown in CompTIA’s store rather than on the page describing the exam.
What the store does show is that vouchers are sold on their own and inside bundles with practice products and Retake Assurance, so the cost depends on which of those you buy. Check the price against the exam version before you pay — see the next section.
Source: CompTIA — Security+ V7. Checked 24 September 2026.
Security+ V7 or V8 — which one should you book?
CompTIA has announced that Security+ V8 is expected on or around 17 November 2026, with expanded coverage of AI-related risks, security operations and modern environments. V7, the SY0-701 exam, remains available and CompTIA calls it a strong option for anyone certifying now.
The dates that matter: SY0-701 retires for English on 11 June 2027, and for Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai on 13 August 2027. A voucher bought now for V7 is usable until then. If you are planning past mid-2027, the version question decides which study material is worth buying.
Source: CompTIA — Security+. Checked 24 September 2026.
What is the Security+ exam format and passing score?
The Security+ passing score is 750 on a scale of 100 to 900 — CompTIA publishes it, which not every issuer does. The exam runs 90 minutes, with a maximum of 90 questions. The items mix multiple choice with performance-based questions, the PBQs that ask you to do something rather than pick something; PBQ practice is the part most candidates underweight.
CompTIA publishes no pass rate, so how hard the exam is depends on your starting point. What it does state is the recommended starting point: CompTIA Network+ and two years of experience in a security or systems administrator role. Recommended, not required — these requirements are advisory, and nobody checks them at the test centre.
The exam is available in English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai. CompTIA publishes no figure for how long it takes to get certified — it sets no study-hours number, only the recommended two years of experience.
Source: CompTIA — Security+ V7. Checked 24 September 2026.
Where can you find Security+ practice questions?
This site holds 2,398 Security+ 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 usually sits in the answers that looked plausible.
Practice tests, practice exams and sample questions serve the same need: meeting the exam’s wording before exam day.
There is a free Security+ practice test here to start with. What you will not find are Security+ dumps: test dumps and brain dumps all mean recycled live exam content, and these questions are written against CompTIA’s published exam objectives instead. The best practice tests are the ones that follow the objectives, not the ones that follow a leak.
No practice percentage converts into a CompTIA score, because 750 sits on a scaled range rather than a share of questions answered. What practice can tell you is which domain still puts you at risk, which is what the readiness score is for.
What Security+ study guide and books do you need?
The Security+ study guide people search for most is CompTIA’s official one, and CompTIA also sells CertMaster products and bundles. Other books, study guides and cheat sheets all map to the same exam objectives.
One caution given the version change: study material written for SY0-701 will not cover the V8 additions. Check which version a study guide is written against before buying it this close to November 2026.
Source: CompTIA — Security+. Checked 24 September 2026.
Security+ questions people ask
What is Security Plus?
CompTIA Security Plus, written Security+, is a vendor-neutral cybersecurity certification, currently exam SY0-701. It is a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes and you pass at 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. Source: CompTIA Security+ V7 page, checked 24 September 2026.
What is the Security Plus passing score?
750 on a scale of 100 to 900. Source: CompTIA Security+ V7 page, checked 24 September 2026.
How long is the Security Plus exam?
90 minutes, with a maximum of 90 questions mixing multiple-choice and performance-based items. Source: CompTIA Security+ V7 page, checked 24 September 2026.
What does the Security Plus exam cost?
CompTIA publishes no figure on its certification pages; vouchers and bundles are priced in its store, checked 24 September 2026.
What are the Security Plus requirements?
None are required. CompTIA recommends Network+ and two years of experience in a security or systems administrator role, but states it as recommended experience, checked 24 September 2026.
When does SY0-701 retire and what replaces it?
Security+ V8 is expected on or around 17 November 2026. SY0-701 retires for English on 11 June 2027, and on 13 August 2027 for Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai. Source: CompTIA, checked 24 September 2026.
How long does Security Plus last?
Three years before renewal. CompTIA certifications run on a three-year renewal cycle through its continuing education programme. The retirement dates above apply to the exam, not to a certification already earned.
Is Security Plus worth it?
CompTIA publishes no salary or pass-rate data on its certification pages, so this page states none. What it does publish: SY0-701 is recognised under DoD 8140 for a long list of work roles, the exam is a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, you pass at 750 on a scale of 100 to 900, and the certification renews every three years. Checked 24 September 2026.
Security Plus vs Network Plus — which first?
CompTIA names Network+ as recommended experience for Security+, not as a requirement, so Security Plus vs Network Plus is a sequencing question rather than a choice: Network+ covers the networking baseline, Security+ the security one. Nobody checks either at the test centre. Checked 24 September 2026.
How many Security Plus practice questions does Certsqill have?
2,398 for the Security+ exam, each with an explanation for every option — the correct one and the wrong ones.
How to get a Security Plus certification, step by step
There is no application and no eligibility check. CompTIA recommends experience but does not require it, so the route to the CompTIA Security Plus certification is short:
- Choose the version: the current Security Plus exam is SY0-701; V8 (SY0-801) is expected on or around 17 November 2026.
- Buy an exam voucher from CompTIA, on its own or in a bundle, or pay by credit card when you book.
- Book the CompTIA Security Plus exam through your CompTIA Central account, which passes you to Pearson VUE.
- Sit the Security Plus certification test and score at least 750 on the scale of 100 to 900.
- Keep it current: renew within three years.
Source: CompTIA — Schedule your exam. Checked 9 October 2026.
Where you take the Security+ exam
Like other CompTIA security exams, Security+ is delivered by Pearson VUE: in person at a Pearson VUE test center, or online through OnVUE. CompTIA states that the scheduling steps are the same for both. For a test center you can compare availability at up to three locations before choosing a date and time.
Source: CompTIA — Schedule your exam. Checked 9 October 2026.
Security Plus renewal: CEUs or a higher certification
The CompTIA Security Plus renewal cycle is three years from the date you certify — pass on 15 January 2025, for example, and you renew by 15 January 2028. Once the requirements are met, the certification is valid for three more years.
There are two CompTIA security renewal routes. You can earn 50 continuing education units during the cycle and pay the annual CE fee; CompTIA also offers CertMaster CE as a single-activity renewal course. Or you can pass a qualifying higher-level CompTIA certification: CySA+, PenTest+ and SecurityX each fully renew Security+, the CE fee is waived in that case, and your Security+ expiry date is aligned with the new one.
Source: CompTIA — Renew with a higher-level CompTIA certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
Where Security+ sits among CompTIA security certifications
Security+ is CompTIA’s core cybersecurity certification. Holding a Security Plus cert is also the base that CompTIA’s higher-level renewal rules build on: CySA+ and PenTest+ each renew Security+, and SecurityX renews CySA+, PenTest+, Security+, Network+ and A+.
So the next CompTIA security cert after Security+ is often one of those, chosen by the direction you want to specialise in. Earning one also renews your CompTIA Security Plus cert, which saves a separate CE effort.
Source: CompTIA — Renew with a higher-level CompTIA certification. Checked 9 October 2026.
Is there a CompTIA security AI certification?
Yes. CompTIA launched SecAI+ (exam CY0-001) on 17 February 2026, designed to help you “secure, govern and responsibly integrate artificial intelligence” into cybersecurity operations. It is a maximum of 60 multiple-choice and performance-based questions in 60 minutes, with a passing score of 600 on a scale of 100 to 900.
It is not an entry point. CompTIA recommends 3–4 years in IT and 2+ years of hands-on cybersecurity, and lists Security+, CySA+, PenTest+ or equivalent as recommended. Separately, CompTIA lists AI-related risks among the skills in Security+ V8.
Source: CompTIA — SecAI+. Checked 9 October 2026.
Security Plus CertMaster and other training
The Security Plus CertMaster range is CompTIA’s own training. CertMaster Learn is a self-paced interactive course, CertMaster Labs adds labs, and CertMaster Practice offers timed practice exams, objective quizzes and exam objective mastery scores. They are sold on their own or in bundles with a voucher that includes Retake Assurance.
If you prefer a classroom course or an intensive boot camp, CompTIA notes that classroom training costs “can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars”. Before booking a bootcamp, check that it teaches the exam code you will sit — SY0-701 or SY0-801 — and covers all five domains of the syllabus, which CompTIA calls the exam objectives.
Source: CompTIA — How much does the Security+ certification cost?. Checked 9 October 2026.
More Security+ questions
What is the Security Plus certification used for?
It is recognised for DoD 8140 work roles such as cyber defense analyst, incident responder, vulnerability analyst and system administrator, among others CompTIA lists. Source: CompTIA Security+ V7 page, checked 9 October 2026.
How to get Security Plus certification without experience?
You can book the exam without experience: CompTIA recommends Network+ and two years in a security or systems administrator role, but does not require them.
Where to take Security Plus exam: test center or online?
Either. Pearson VUE delivers it at test centers and online through OnVUE, and CompTIA’s scheduling steps are the same for both. Source: CompTIA, checked 9 October 2026.
Can I take the CompTIA security test online?
Yes, through Pearson VUE’s OnVUE online delivery. You choose online or in-person when you schedule.
Is the Cyber Security Plus certification the same as Security+?
People sometimes call it the Cyber Security Plus certification; CompTIA’s name is Security+, currently exam SY0-701.
Does a Security Plus certification exam pass last forever?
No. The certification is valid for three years from the date you pass the Security Plus certification. CompTIA then requires renewal through CE or a higher-level certification. Source: CompTIA CE renewal cycle, checked 9 October 2026.
Do other CompTIA security certs renew Security+?
Yes. CySA+, PenTest+ and SecurityX each fully renew Security+ if earned within your three-year cycle, and the CE fee is waived in that case. Source: CompTIA, checked 9 October 2026.
Security+ in detail
Exam fee: $425 — what the Security+ exam costs, retakes included →
