CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)
Security+ is the most widely held entry-level security certification: a vendor-neutral exam covering core security concepts, threats and mitigations, architecture, operations, and program management. It is frequently listed as a baseline requirement for security analyst, systems administrator and SOC roles, and satisfies common compliance baselines for security work.
- Up to 90
- Questions
- 90 min
- Duration
- 750 on a 100–900 scale
- Passing score
- About US$400
- Exam cost
multiple-choice and performance-based
≈ 83%
confirm current local pricing on comptia.org
Exam facts reviewed July 2026 · Independent study resource, not affiliated with CompTIA
Who should take it
IT professionals moving into security, systems and network administrators formalising security knowledge, and career changers targeting SOC or security-analyst roles. CompTIA recommends Network+ level knowledge and around two years in a security or systems administrator role before sitting it — but there are no enforced prerequisites.
Skills measured
Domains and weightings as published by CompTIA. Full objectives →
- 12%General Security Concepts
- 22%Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations
- 18%Security Architecture
- 28%Security Operations
- 20%Security Program Management and Oversight
What’s inside
What you get on Kwizza for this certification — free, no account needed to start.
- 150
- Practice questions
- 2
- Full exams
- 5
- Domains covered
- Free
- Cost
weighted to the official blueprint
every answer explained
Prepare with Kwizza
- Free practice exam — full-length, weighted to the official blueprint, every answer explained
- Study guide — domain-by-domain focus areas, common mistakes, exam-day tips
- Exam objectives — the official domains, unpacked
- Sample questions — real items from our bank, with answers and explanations
- How our exams are made — the quality pipeline behind every question
Frequently asked questions
- How hard is the Security+ exam?
- It sits at a solid intermediate level: broad rather than deep. Most failures come from underestimating its breadth — five domains spanning technical operations and governance — and from the performance-based questions at the start of the exam. Candidates with hands-on IT experience typically prepare in 4–8 weeks.
- How many questions does SY0-701 have, and how long is it?
- Up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing multiple-choice with performance-based items. The passing score is 750 on CompTIA's 100–900 scale — roughly 83%.
- Do I need other certifications first?
- No — there are no enforced prerequisites. CompTIA recommends Network+ level knowledge and about two years of security or systems administration experience, but motivated beginners pass with focused study.
- How long should I study for Security+?
- With an IT background, 4–8 weeks of consistent practice is typical. Without one, plan 2–3 months. The most reliable signal is practice-exam performance: consistently scoring above the 83% pass mark across full-length, blueprint-weighted sets.
- Is Security+ worth it in 2026?
- It remains the most commonly requested baseline security certification in job listings, satisfies common compliance requirements for security roles, and is the standard first rung before deeper certifications like CySA+ or CISSP.
- Are Kwizza's practice questions real exam questions?
- No — deliberately. Every question is original, written against the exam's officially published objectives and checked for duplicates, broken citations and item-writing flaws. Using real exam content violates CompTIA's NDA and teaches you less; our questions test the same skills at the same difficulty with fresh scenarios.
Related certifications
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) — Infrastructure-side credential — pairs well for cloud security roles