Skip to main content
RUOK

CompTIA

CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701, V7)

CompTIA Security+ (exam code SY0-701, version V7) is CompTIA's foundational security certification. It spans the range a working practitioner deals with: threats and vulnerabilities, security architecture, day-to-day security operations, and governance and risk management. The exam runs 90 minutes with a maximum of 90 questions, and combines multiple choice with performance-based questions (PBQs) that ask you to carry out a task rather than pick an answer. The passing score is 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. The Japanese version became available on April 23, 2024. The certification is valid for three years and is renewed by earning 50 CEUs. SY0-701 is scheduled to retire on June 11, 2027 for the English version. The weighting leans toward operational work, with security operations at 28 percent and threats, vulnerabilities and mitigations at 22 percent, so what you study maps fairly directly onto daily tasks. CompTIA's recommended background is knowledge equivalent to CompTIA Network+ plus two years in a security or systems administration role, though neither is required to sit the exam.

Official page

Who takes it

  • IT staff who have just been given responsibility for security operations
  • Engineers moving into security from network or server operations
  • SOC and help desk staff who handle first-line incident response
  • Sales and presales people selling security products who need to hold a technical conversation
  • Career changers aiming for a security role who want a structured foundation

What it lets you do

  • Performance-based questions (PBQs) mean memorizing terms is not enough; you practice following the actual steps of configuration and investigation
  • The weighting (security operations 28 percent, threats and vulnerabilities 22 percent) is close to real operational work, so study maps onto day-to-day tasks
  • The official page maps the certification to DoD 8140 work roles such as incident responder, vulnerability analyst and system administrator
  • For ISC2's CISSP, holding Security+ waives one of the five years of required work experience (it appears on the list of qualifying credentials as of April 1, 2026)
  • The exam is offered in Japanese, and the three-year renewal cycle keeps the knowledge from going stale

The exam

As published by CompTIA. Anything we could not confirm is left out. Check the official page before you apply.

Questions
Maximum of 90 questions
Time
90 minutes
Pass mark
750 or above on a scale of 100 to 900
Format
Computer-based test combining multiple choice (single and multiple response) with performance-based questions (PBQs)
Languages
English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai (the Japanese version launched on April 23, 2024)
When it runs
Available year-round. SY0-701 is scheduled to retire on June 11, 2027 for the English version and on August 13, 2027 for the Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai versions.
Validity and renewal
Three years. Renewal requires earning 50 CEUs (completing CertMaster CE, earning a higher-level certification, approved training and so on).

How hard it is

Pass rate: not published by the exam body. CompTIA does not release pass rates. The passing standard is a scaled score of 750 on a 100 to 900 scale, and no equivalent percentage of correct answers is published. CompTIA's recommended experience is knowledge equivalent to CompTIA Network+ plus two years of work in a security or systems administration role, but neither is a requirement for sitting the exam.

How long people study

Not published by the exam body. CompTIA does not state a standard number of study hours. The only official guidance is the recommended experience: CompTIA Network+ and two years of work in a security or systems administration role.

Syllabus

  • General security concepts12%
  • Threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations22%
  • Security architecture18%
  • Security operations28%
  • Security program management and oversight20%

Our apps and books for this exam

  • Security+ Exam Prep SY0-701

    Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Questions people ask

Does a passing score of 750 mean 83 percent correct?
No. The scale runs from 100 to 900 rather than from 0, so a scaled score does not match the percentage of questions answered correctly. CompTIA does not publish the passing standard as a percentage, so describing it as '83% to pass' is not accurate.
How long can I take SY0-701?
CompTIA's official page gives a retirement date of June 11, 2027 for the English version and August 13, 2027 for the Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai versions. After those dates you sit the successor version instead.
What are performance-based questions (PBQs)?
Rather than choosing an option, you carry out a task in a simulated environment or configuration screen. They are mixed in with the multiple choice questions within the maximum of 90. Reading logs or reordering firewall rules are typical examples: the procedure itself is what is being tested.
How do I renew?
The certification is valid for three years from the date you earn it, and you renew by accumulating 50 CEUs during that period. Completing CompTIA CertMaster CE, earning a higher-level CompTIA certification, holding certain third-party IT certifications and approved training all count.
How much is the exam fee?
This page does not list a price. CompTIA's public pages present pricing inside the purchase flow, and no price could be confirmed on the public page at the time this page was written. Please check the current amount on CompTIA's official purchase page before registering.

Sources

These are the pages the figures came from. Some are published in Japanese only, and are marked as such — we keep the original titles rather than translating them, so you can match what you find on the official site. Exam rules change; check the official page before you apply.

Related certifications

Back to all exam prep apps →

Our security policy, terms of use and privacy policy are published in Japanese.

Information security policyTerms & privacy