AssociateCompTIA

CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) — Study Guide & Exam Overview

CompTIA Security+ is the most recognized entry-level cybersecurity certification globally, and is DoD 8570 approved for US government roles. It validates that you have the baseline skills to secure networks, identify threats, and respond to incidents — the foundation for any security career path.

Duration

90 min

Passing Score

75%

Level

Associate

Provider

CompTIA

What This Certification Covers

  • Identifying and mitigating common threats: phishing, ransomware, social engineering, and zero-day attacks
  • Implementing security architecture: network segmentation, DMZ design, and zero trust principles
  • Managing identity and access: MFA, SSO, PAM, and directory services
  • Conducting security assessments: vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and OSINT
  • Responding to security incidents: forensics, chain of custody, and recovery procedures

Exam Domain Breakdown

  • General Security Concepts (12%)
  • Threats, Vulnerabilities & Mitigations (22%)
  • Security Architecture (18%)
  • Security Operations (28%)
  • Security Program Management (20%)

Exam Format

Maximum 90 questions including performance-based questions (PBQs), 90 minutes, passing score 75%

Study Tips to Pass Security+

  1. 1Use the CompTIA CertMaster Learn platform or Professor Messer's free study guide — both are highly aligned to the exam
  2. 2Memorize common ports and protocols: SSH (22), HTTPS (443), LDAP (389), RDP (3389), SMTP (25/587)
  3. 3Understand the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption, and know common algorithms (AES, RSA, ECC)
  4. 4Study the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and how its five functions map to security controls
  5. 5Practice performance-based questions (PBQs) — they appear at the start of the exam and require hands-on analysis

Ready to test your knowledge? Take a free timed mock exam below.

Official Security+ exam page