Roughly 700,000 IT professionals hold the CompTIA Security+ — and employers still post it as a minimum requirement on entry-level security job listings that pay $75,000+. That gap between saturation and continued demand is exactly why the sec plus certification remains worth pursuing in 2026, even as newer cloud and AI-focused credentials have appeared.
This guide covers the current SY0-701 exam specifically: what's on it, how long preparation realistically takes, which roles it opens, and whether the $392 exam fee pays off for your situation.
What the Sec Plus Certification Actually Tests
The SY0-701 version, released November 2023, made a significant shift from its predecessor. CompTIA cut the number of exam domains from five to four and restructured the content around how security work actually gets done — not just what you need to memorize.
The four domains and their exam weighting:
- General Security Concepts — 12%: Terminology, authentication methods, cryptographic concepts, security tools
- Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — 22%: Malware types, social engineering, application and network attacks, threat intelligence
- Security Architecture — 18%: Cloud vs. on-premise, zero trust, resilience and recovery, infrastructure design
- Security Operations — 28%: Identity management, endpoint security, incident response, digital forensics
- Security Program Management and Oversight — 20%: Risk management, compliance frameworks, data privacy, vendor management
The exam is 90 questions, 90 minutes, with a passing score of 750/900. Questions include standard multiple-choice and performance-based questions (PBQs) — interactive scenarios where you configure a firewall, interpret a network diagram, or identify an attack in a log file. The PBQs are where unprepared candidates lose points; most study guides don't drill these enough.
Who Should Pursue the Sec Plus Certification
Security+ occupies a specific band in the certification ecosystem. It's not a beginner cert like CompTIA IT Fundamentals, and it's not a specialist cert like OSCP or CISSP. It targets people who are transitioning into security from another IT role, or who need a formal credential to back up work experience they already have.
The cert makes sense for:
- Help desk / sysadmin professionals wanting to move into security analyst or SOC roles
- Network engineers adding a security credential to qualify for hybrid positions
- Federal contractors and DoD employees — Security+ satisfies the IAT Level II requirement under DoD 8570.01-M / DoD 8140, which is a hard job requirement for many government IT positions
- Career changers who've completed a cybersecurity bootcamp or self-study and need a vendor-neutral credential that hiring managers recognize
It's less useful if you already hold a CISSP, CEH, or equivalent, or if your work is exclusively cloud-native (where AWS Security Specialty or GCP Professional Cloud Security Engineer may carry more weight).
Exam Preparation: What Actually Works
Most candidates who fail Security+ didn't study the wrong material — they studied in the wrong format. Reading a textbook, then taking a practice test, then panicking at PBQs is the standard failure pattern.
Realistic Prep Timeline
With 1-2 hours of study per day:
- 0 IT background: 5-6 months (get CompTIA A+ first)
- Help desk / sysadmin experience: 6-10 weeks
- Prior security exposure: 3-5 weeks
CompTIA recommends two years of IT experience with a security focus before attempting the exam. That's aspirational. Most hiring managers treat Security+ as an entry point, not a proof of existing expertise — so don't wait for two years of experience to start studying.
Study Approach
Effective preparation for the sec plus certification combines three elements:
- Domain-organized study — Work through all five domains systematically, not randomly. The "Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations" domain at 22% is the highest-weighted section and worth extra time.
- Practice exams with explanations — Not just to see if you pass, but to understand why wrong answers are wrong. Aim for consistent 80%+ on practice sets before booking the real exam.
- PBQ simulation — CompTIA publishes a free exam demo at comptia.org. Use it. Then find third-party PBQ simulators. This is where most preparation falls short.
Top Courses for Sec Plus Certification Prep
These courses are specifically useful for the SY0-701 exam and for building the foundational skills you'll use on the job.
IT Security: Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts
Google's IT Security course on Coursera covers encryption, authentication, network security, and security best practices — all core Security+ domains. It's practical rather than exam-cram focused, which means you're building knowledge that holds up in real SOC work, not just test scenarios. Rating: 9.7/10.
Put It to Work: Prepare for Cybersecurity Jobs
Part of Google's Cybersecurity Certificate, this course focuses specifically on translating security knowledge into job readiness — incident response, log analysis, and how to present security skills to employers. Useful for candidates who want to link Security+ prep to actual role requirements. Rating: 9.7/10.
Managing Security in Google Cloud
The SY0-701 exam increased its cloud security content significantly compared to SY0-601. This course fills that gap with hands-on Google Cloud security configuration — IAM, network security, monitoring — skills that appear in the Security Architecture and Security Operations domains. Rating: 9.7/10.
A Practical Guide to Cybersecurity Operations Foundations
A Udemy course that goes deeper on day-to-day security operations work: SIEM tools, log analysis, threat hunting. This is less exam prep and more the practical foundation that makes Security+ knowledge stick. Useful for candidates who want to understand the context behind what they're memorizing. Rating: 9.6/10.
Salary and Career Outcomes After Sec Plus Certification
What the cert actually does for compensation depends heavily on what you were earning before and what role you're targeting.
Entry-Level Security Roles
Security+ is typically required or strongly preferred for:
- SOC Analyst (Tier 1/2): $55,000–$80,000
- Security Administrator: $65,000–$90,000
- Systems Administrator (with security focus): $60,000–$85,000
- IT Auditor: $60,000–$85,000
- Federal/Government IT (IAT Level II): $70,000–$100,000+
Does Security+ Increase Salary?
For candidates moving from help desk ($40,000–$55,000) to a security analyst role, the first-year salary delta is often $20,000–$35,000. That's a 3–4x return on the $392 exam fee within the first year. For someone already in a security role adding the cert as a checkbox for a DoD position, the delta is smaller but the cert may be a strict requirement rather than a differentiator.
After Security+, common next certifications are:
- CompTIA CySA+ — cybersecurity analyst operations, logical next step
- CompTIA CASP+ — advanced security practitioner (management track)
- CEH (EC-Council) — ethical hacking, offensive focus
- CISSP (ISC²) — senior/management security credential (requires 5 years experience)
FAQ
How hard is the sec plus certification exam?
Pass rates aren't publicly disclosed by CompTIA, but the exam is considered moderate difficulty. Candidates with relevant IT background typically need 6-10 weeks of dedicated study. The performance-based questions (PBQs) are harder than the multiple-choice sections and require hands-on familiarity with security tools and scenarios, not just memorized definitions.
Is the SY0-601 or SY0-701 version still available?
The SY0-601 exam retired in July 2024. As of mid-2026, only SY0-701 is available for new test-takers. If you're beginning Security+ preparation now, all your materials should be SY0-701-specific — some older study guides and practice tests still reference SY0-601 content and domain structure, which differs meaningfully from the current exam.
How much does the sec plus certification cost?
The exam voucher costs $392 USD (2024 pricing; check CompTIA's site for current pricing). Retakes require a new voucher at full price. CompTIA offers exam bundles that include one retake — these are worth considering if you're less confident in your preparation. Study materials (books, video courses, practice tests) typically add $50–$200 depending on format.
Does Security+ satisfy DoD 8570 requirements?
Yes. CompTIA Security+ is approved under DoD 8570.01-M for IAT Level II and IAM Level I. This makes it a hard requirement for many federal IT and contractor positions, not just a preferred credential. Government and defense contractor job listings will often specify "DoD 8570 IAT Level II compliant" — Security+ is the most common way to meet that requirement.
How long is the sec plus certification valid?
Security+ is valid for three years. To renew, you earn 50 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through activities like attending security conferences, completing relevant courses, publishing security content, or passing a higher-level CompTIA exam. Alternatively, passing CompTIA CySA+, CASP+, or higher automatically renews Security+.
Can I get Security+ without any IT experience?
Technically yes — CompTIA doesn't enforce prerequisites. In practice, candidates with no IT background struggle significantly. At minimum, a foundational understanding of networking (TCP/IP, DNS, firewalls), operating systems, and basic security concepts is necessary to make sense of exam scenarios. If you're starting from zero, completing CompTIA A+ and Network+ first — or working through a structured cybersecurity bootcamp — will dramatically improve your exam outcome and your ability to do the job once hired.
Bottom Line
The sec plus certification is not glamorous. It's a baseline credential that signals you understand how security works, not that you can hack a network or run a red team operation. What it does reliably: it satisfies DoD 8570 requirements for government work, it clears automated resume filters at companies that require vendor-neutral certifications, and it gives career-changers a credible entry point into security roles that pay significantly more than help desk or general IT positions.
If you're already working in security with several years of experience, Security+ probably doesn't add much. If you're in IT and trying to move into security, or you need the DoD compliance checkbox, it's one of the clearest ROI certifications available at this price point. Budget 6-10 weeks of study, prioritize PBQ practice, and focus your preparation on the SY0-701 domain structure — not older study materials written for the SY0-601 exam.