How to Pass the CompTIA Security+ Exam on Your First Attempt: 2026 Guide

Yes, you can pass CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) on your first attempt. To give yourself a strong chance, study by domain weight, practice performance-based questions (PBQs) from the start, and book the exam only after timed practice tests show you’re consistently ready. This guide covers the SY0-701 exam. CompTIA expects to launch the next version, Security+ V8 (SY0-801), on or around November 17, 2026. Chapter 2 explains what that means for you.

Chapter 1: Know the Exam You’re Taking (SY0-701)

What Security+ covers

CompTIA says Security+ “focuses on practical, hands-on skills to tackle real-world challenges” (CompTIA Security+ V7). The SY0-701 version launched on November 7, 2023.

CompTIA associates Security+ with roles such as security analyst, security engineer, and systems administrator (CompTIA Security+). Its blog positions Security+ for entry-level cybersecurity professionals (CompTIA). If you work in or toward U.S. Department of Defense roles, CompTIA lists DoD 8140 work roles for Security+, including cyber defense analyst, incident responder, vulnerability analyst, security control assessor, and system administrator.

SY0-701 at a glance

Sources: CompTIA Security+ V7, Schedule your exam, CE renewal cycle, Earn CEUs.

What score do you need to pass Security+?

You need 750 on a scale of 100–900.

That’s a scaled score. CompTIA says it uses a mathematical algorithm to calculate the scaled score and sets passing scores through statistical analysis. CompTIA doesn’t disclose how many questions you need to answer correctly to pass, or how many you answered incorrectly (How are CompTIA exams scored?).

In practice, don’t try to turn 750 into a percentage or count your correct answers during the exam. Answer every question as well as you can.

The five domains and their weights

Source: CompTIA Security+ V7 exam objectives summary.

Chapter 2: Security+ V8 Is Coming: Should You Take SY0-701 or Wait?

CompTIA has announced the next version of Security+, but not every detail is final.

What CompTIA has confirmed

• SY0-701 (Security+ V7) is available now (CompTIA Security+).
• SY0-701 retires on June 11, 2027 for the English exam, and on August 13, 2027 for the Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai exams (CompTIA Security+ V7).
• The next version is Security+ V8, with the exam series code SY0-801 (CompTIA Security+ V8).
• A certification you’ve already earned isn’t affected by an exam retiring. CompTIA says “the status of your CompTIA certification is not affected in any way by exam retirement” (CompTIA).

What is expected but not yet launched

CompTIA expects Security+ V8 to launch on or around November 17, 2026 (CompTIA Security+ V8). Until it launches, treat that as an expected date, not a guaranteed one.

CompTIA’s published pre-launch details for V8 list:

• a maximum of 90 questions, a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based questions;
• 90 minutes;
• a passing score of 750 on a scale of 100 to 900;
• English as the exam language;
• recommended experience: a security administrator with two years of hands-on experience;
• “expanded coverage of areas such as AI-related risks, security operations, and modern environments” (CompTIA Security+).

Check CompTIA’s V8 page again before you book.

What CompTIA hasn’t confirmed yet

At our last check (October 8, 2026), CompTIA hadn’t published:

• the price of a V8 exam voucher;
• when V8 vouchers go on sale;
• whether an SY0-701 voucher or retake can be used for V8, beyond its general voucher terms (below);
• any V8 exam languages other than English, or their dates.

We’ll update this guide when CompTIA publishes these details.

How to decide

There’s no single right answer. It depends on when you can realistically be ready. Start by comparing your likely exam date with the SY0-701 retirement date for your exam language, then use this framework:

The overall format in CompTIA’s pre-launch V8 details is the same as SY0-701: up to 90 questions, 90 minutes, and a passing score of 750. The domain weights differ, so study from the objectives for the version you’ll actually take.

What the change means for exam vouchers

CompTIA’s voucher terms say:

• “Vouchers are exam series specific, and in some cases, exam code specific.”
• “Certification exam retirement dates supersede voucher expiration dates.”
• A voucher is valid for the time period shown on it, and expiration dates can’t be extended.
• Once a certification exam has retired, vouchers for that exam are no longer valid.

Before you buy any voucher, check which exam version it’s for. Then make sure you can sit the exam before both the voucher’s expiry date and the retirement date for your exam language.

Chapter 3: Build a Domain-Weighted Study Plan

Start with CompTIA’s exam objectives

CompTIA’s Security+ V7 page includes an exam objectives summary. Use the objectives as your study checklist: work through each one and mark what you can explain and apply.

CompTIA’s general study advice for its exams is to treat each objective’s heading as the thing to study and the bulleted lists as examples, because the objectives aren’t exhaustive of everything you may be tested on (CompTIA).

Take a diagnostic first

Take a timed practice test before you start studying. Your results show which domains need the most attention from day one. At this stage, a low score is useful data, not a failure. CompTIA’s Security+ Practice Test (V7) page is one place to start (see Chapter 4).

A 6–10 week study plan

Recommended study timeline: 6–10 weeks

This plan is EvolveSkill guidance, not a CompTIA requirement. Stretch it if you need to.

Domain time allocation: Give the heavier domains proportionally more time, starting with Domains 2 and 4 (see the Key Insight in Chapter 1).

Chapter 4: Choose Study Resources (Official First)

CompTIA’s own learning and practice products

CompTIA’s CertMaster products for Security+ include CertMaster Learn+Labs, CertMaster Learn, CertMaster Practice, and CertMaster Labs (CompTIA Security+ V7).

CompTIA also publishes a Security+ Practice Test (V7) page with 10 practice questions and an answer key. It’s publicly available on CompTIA’s site.

Free third-party resources

These are independent resources, not CompTIA’s. Check that anything you use is built for SY0-701.

• Professor Messer’s SY0-701 Security+ course: 121 videos with a total run time of 15 hours, 11 minutes, all free to watch (Professor Messer). He also runs live Security+ study groups with an hour of new questions each month (study groups) and publishes a series of Security+ pop quizzes (SY0-701 resources).
• ExamCompass: free SY0-701 practice tests that, according to ExamCompass, are based on CompTIA’s current exam objectives. No registration or email is required (ExamCompass).

What to avoid: brain dumps

CompTIA defines unauthorized training materials, often called brain dumps, as sources containing exam content that is the same as, or substantially similar to, real exam questions. The consequences CompTIA lists include a ban of at least 12 months from its exams, loss of certification, and invalidated scores, even if a candidate didn’t intend to cheat (CompTIA). Avoid any resource that claims to show real exam questions.

CompTIA’s policy also says it doesn’t authorize using AI or large language model tools to generate study questions, practice exams or exam-related content, and that candidates must not use them to try to recreate, predict or obtain exam questions or answers. It warns that AI-generated study material may be inaccurate, out of date or not aligned with the current exam objectives.

Chapter 5: Practice Performance-Based Questions

What PBQs ask you to do

SY0-701 mixes multiple-choice and performance-based questions. A PBQ asks you to apply a skill rather than pick an answer from a list.

Good ways to practice PBQ-style tasks:

• match security controls to scenarios;
• read logs and identify what kind of attack they show;
• write or order firewall rules and access control lists;
• analyze network diagrams.

These are practice ideas. They aren’t a list of what will appear on your exam.

How PBQs work on exam day

• CompTIA’s help center lists Security+ among the exams that include simulation PBQs (What are PBQs?).
• CompTIA’s PBQ FAQ says you can return to a simulation PBQ, and your work is saved when you move on. A virtual PBQ is different: you can’t return to it, so you must complete it when you reach it (PBQ FAQs).
• Some PBQs may offer partial credit, and some may be worth more points than others. CompTIA keeps the details of question scoring confidential (What is a performance-based question?).
• If there’s more than one way to reach the correct answer, CompTIA says you receive a correct score when you achieve the correct solution.

A time-management approach for PBQs

Chapter 6: Know When You’re Ready (and the Mistakes to Avoid)

Readiness signals

We recommend booking the exam when:

• you consistently score 80%–85% on full-length, timed practice exams;
• those scores hold across practice tests from more than one provider;
• you’ve taken at least three practice exams in the real format: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes;
• you can complete PBQ-style tasks without notes.

If you’re scoring in the mid-70s with one provider, try another provider and retest before you book.

Eight common mistakes

Mistake 1: Memorizing acronyms and ports without understanding them

The mistake

Drilling flashcards of acronyms, port numbers, and one-line definitions, and expecting straight recall questions.

Why it happens

Flashcards make memorizing easy, so learning “443 = HTTPS” feels like progress.

The fix

Learn the reasons behind each term: when you’d choose SAML or RADIUS, what changed between TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3, and what a control mitigates. CompTIA describes Security+ as focusing on practical, hands-on skills, so practice applying what you learn.

Mistake 2: Watching video courses passively

The mistake

Streaming a long course at high speed, nodding along, and never testing yourself.

Why it happens

Video feels like effort but asks nothing of you. Material often feels familiar right after a lecture, even when you can’t use it yet.

The fix

Spend at least half your study hours on practice questions and active recall.

Mistake 3: Ignoring PBQs until exam day

The mistake

Practicing only multiple-choice questions and meeting your first PBQ in the real exam.

Why it happens

PBQ-style practice takes more setup than multiple-choice drills, and it feels less comfortable.

The fix

Practice PBQ-style tasks every week, using the ideas in Chapter 5.

Mistake 4: Treating cryptography and PKI as optional

The mistake

Skimming hashing, symmetric and asymmetric encryption, certificates, and the chain of trust because they feel hard.

Why it happens

Cryptography is abstract and easy to postpone. It also shows up in more than one domain: CompTIA’s objectives summary lists cryptographic solutions under general security concepts and cryptographic attacks under threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations.

The fix

Study PKI, encryption, hashing, salting, and digital signatures systematically, and early.

Mistake 5: Not taking timed practice exams

The mistake

Answering practice questions without a time limit.

Why it happens

Untimed practice feels more comfortable, and it hides pacing problems until exam day.

The fix

Use timed mode and full-length practice exams, and book only when you meet the readiness signals above.

Mistake 6: Skipping weak domains

The mistake

Studying only what you already know.

Why it happens

Strong topics feel rewarding, and weak ones feel discouraging.

The fix

Use your diagnostic results to target weak domains early. When you try a new domain for the first time, aim to find gaps, not to score high. If you ever need to retake the exam, CompTIA’s score report lists the exam objectives associated with the questions you answered incorrectly (How are CompTIA exams scored?). Use it to focus your review.

Mistake 7: Cramming instead of studying consistently

The mistake

Marathon study sessions in the final week instead of steady practice.

Why it happens

Last-minute intensity feels productive.

The fix

Plan for 6–10 weeks. Short, regular sessions work better than occasional marathons. Answer practice questions from week one, not week eight.

Mistake 8: Misreading the scaled score

The mistake

Trying to track a percentage in your head during the exam, as if 750 matched a fixed number of correct answers.

Why it happens

Scores out of 900 look like percentages.

The fix

Treat 750 as a scaled score, as explained in Chapter 1. Answer every question as well as you can, and don’t try to keep a tally.

Chapter 7: Book and Sit the Exam

Scheduling through Pearson VUE: test center or OnVUE

You schedule Security+ through your CompTIA Central account, which takes you to Pearson VUE to finish booking. You can take the exam in person at a Pearson VUE test center or online through OnVUE (Schedule your exam).

When you book, we recommend that you:

• book about 4–6 weeks ahead to get the date you want;
• choose a time of day when you’re most alert;
• avoid busy work periods and the day after travel;
• check the online-testing requirements before you choose OnVUE.

According to CompTIA’s voucher terms, rescheduling or canceling less than 24 hours before your appointment, or not showing up, means you lose your exam fee (voucher terms).

Once your readiness signals are steady and you’re ready to book, check which exam version any voucher covers and confirm you can sit the exam before both the voucher’s expiry and the SY0-701 retirement date for your language. An exam voucher is the exam registration only. EvolveSkill’s product page lists its voucher’s exam version, expiry, what it includes, and its terms.

Exam-day approach

• Use the PBQ approach from Chapter 5, and don’t let a single item use up your time.
• Keep an eye on the clock: you have 90 minutes for up to 90 questions.
• Read each scenario fully before you choose an answer.

After you pass: validity and renewal

Your CompTIA renewal cycle is three years from the date you earn the certification (CE renewal cycle). Renewing Security+ through CompTIA’s continuing education program requires 50 CEUs (Earn CEUs).

Next Steps

1. 01Decide which version you’ll take (Chapter 2).
2. 02Learn the exam format, scoring, and domain weights (Chapter 1).
3. 03Build a domain-weighted plan and practice PBQs and timed exams (Chapters 3–6).
4. 04Book the exam when you hit your readiness signals (Chapter 7).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do most people pass Security+ on their first try?

We haven’t found an official CompTIA pass rate, so we don’t quote one. Treat any pass or fail percentage that doesn’t name its source with caution. What you control is your own readiness, so check the readiness signals in Chapter 6 before you book.

What percentage do you need to pass Security+?

There’s no published percentage. The passing score is 750 on a scale of 100–900, and it’s a scaled score. CompTIA doesn’t disclose how many questions you need to answer correctly or how many you answered incorrectly. See what score you need in Chapter 1.

Is Security+ hard to pass?

It depends mostly on your background. Three things make it demanding. CompTIA describes it as focusing on practical, hands-on skills. Performance-based questions sit alongside multiple-choice. And the scoring is scaled, so you can’t count your way to a pass. If networking or security is new to you, plan a longer study window and start PBQ practice early.

Can you pass Security+ with no experience?

CompTIA says there are no prerequisites for Security+. It recommends CompTIA Network+ and two years of experience in a security or systems administrator role (CompTIA). Asked whether you can skip Network+, CompTIA answers, “You can, but it’s not recommended” (CompTIA). Without that background, allow extra time to learn networking basics before the security domains. If you’re unsure whether to start with A+ or Network+, see our guide on A+ vs Network+ (opens in a new tab).

How long should you study for Security+?

It depends on your starting point. In its 2023 Q&A for the SY0-701 launch, CompTIA suggested between 30 and 40 hours of study before sitting the exam (CompTIA). Our 6–10 week study plan is a guide for spacing that study, PBQ practice, and full practice exams. Allow longer if you’re new to IT.

What practice-test score means you’re ready?

We recommend booking when you consistently score 80%–85% on full-length, timed practice exams from more than one provider. That’s EvolveSkill guidance, not a CompTIA rule. A practice-test percentage isn’t the same thing as CompTIA’s scaled score.

How many questions and PBQs are on the Security+ exam?

SY0-701 has a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, “a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based questions,” according to CompTIA’s exam details. CompTIA doesn’t list how many of them are PBQs, so practice PBQ-style tasks every week (see Chapter 5).

Can you skip a PBQ and come back to it?

It depends on the type. CompTIA says you can return to a simulation PBQ, but you can’t return to a virtual PBQ, which must be completed when you reach it. CompTIA’s help center lists Security+ among the exams that include simulation PBQs. See the PBQ time-management approach in Chapter 5.

Is SY0-701 still valid now that Security+ V8 is coming?

Yes. SY0-701 is available until June 11, 2027 for the English exam, and until August 13, 2027 for the Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai exams. CompTIA says an exam retiring doesn’t affect the status of a certification you’ve already earned, and your renewal cycle runs three years from the date you’re certified. See what CompTIA has confirmed in Chapter 2.

Should I take SY0-701 now or wait for Security+ V8?

It depends on when you can realistically be ready. CompTIA’s Security+ page says that if you’re ready to certify now, V7 remains a strong option. Our guidance: if you can be ready well before the SY0-701 retirement date for your exam language, SY0-701 is available now; if your ready date is close to or after that date, plan around V8. See How to decide in Chapter 2.

What happens if you fail Security+, and when can you retake it?

CompTIA’s retake policy doesn’t require any wait between your first and second attempts. Before a third or later attempt, you must wait at least 14 calendar days from your last attempt (retake policy). Your score report lists the exam objectives associated with the questions you answered incorrectly, so use it to focus your review (Mistake 6).

Can you take Security+ online?

Yes. You can take it online through OnVUE, or in person at a Pearson VUE test center (Schedule your exam). Check the online-testing requirements before you choose OnVUE.

Sources

• CompTIA: Security+ (overview) · Security+ V7 · Security+ V8 · Security+ Practice Test (V7)
• CompTIA policies and help: Voucher terms · Retake policy · Schedule your exam · How are CompTIA exams scored? · What are PBQs? · Unauthorized training materials
• CompTIA continuing education: CE renewal cycle · Earn CEUs
• CompTIA blog: Performance-based question FAQs · What is a performance-based question? · Best IT certifications for beginners · How do I get my Security+ certification? · The new CompTIA Security+: your questions answered (2023) · Exam development lifecycle · How to study for CompTIA Project+ (general exam-objectives guidance)
• Independent resources: Professor Messer SY0-701 course · ExamCompass Security+ practice tests