Good news: SY0-701 has no formal prerequisites — it's open to anyone willing to learn. Here's what that means and the background CompTIA recommends.
While there's no hard requirement, the background CompTIA recommends helps the scenario questions feel intuitive rather than abstract.
SY0-701 requires valid for 3 years; renew with 50 continuing education units (ceus) plus the ce fee, by passing the latest security+ exam, or by earning a higher-level comptia certification to stay current.
Meeting the requirements gets you to the exam; passing it is a separate job. SY0-701 is an application exam, so the fastest route is targeted practice with explanations, not just reading. ExamDeck gives you original SY0-701 questions, per-area readiness, and a spaced-repetition error log — 6 free to start.
Take SY0-701 now if you can be ready before mid-2027. CompTIA lists June 11, 2027 as the English retirement date for SY0-701, and the certification you earn is valid for three years regardless of which exam version you passed.
PBQs are interactive items — configuring a rule set, ordering incident-response steps, matching log lines to attacks. ExamDeck covers the underlying knowledge with scenario questions, but the drag-and-drop interface itself is not reproduced; use CompTIA's exam sandbox to see the format.
Security+ is one of the certifications listed for DoD 8140 work roles, which is why it appears as a hard requirement in many US federal and contractor postings. Check the specific role's requirement, as some now accept alternatives.
A maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes at a Pearson VUE test centre or online.
The passing score is 750 on a scale of 100–900 (roughly 83%). Aim for a consistent 80–85% on realistic practice exams before booking.
CompTIA does not publish official pass rates, so any exact percentage quoted online is unverified. The readiness signal that actually predicts passing: consistently holding 80–85% on realistic, full-length practice exams before you book.
No prerequisites — anyone can buy a voucher and schedule the exam. CompTIA recommends holding Network+ and having two years of experience in a security or systems administrator role; many candidates pass with less, using structured study.
The US list price is $439 USD per attempt (CompTIA raised prices in June 2026 — verify on comptia.org; prices differ by country, and academic-store and training-partner vouchers cost less). Renewal through Continuing Education carries a $50 USD annual CE fee ($150 over the three-year cycle).
For most candidates, commonly reported 60–100 hours for candidates with some IT background (CompTIA publishes no official figure). What matters most is practising questions and analysing why each option is right or wrong — not just reading.
valid for 3 years; renew with 50 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) plus the CE fee, by passing the latest Security+ exam, or by earning a higher-level CompTIA certification.
No — every question is original, written to test the concepts and reviewed before it ships, with an explanation linked to the source for every option. Dumps are stale, often wrong, and against CompTIA's policies.