About This Certification

CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) is the globally trusted, vendor-neutral cybersecurity certification that validates baseline security skills and knowledge needed for a career in IT security. It covers threat detection, risk management, cryptography, network security, identity management, incident response, and governance/compliance.

Exam Overview

The SY0-701 exam contains a maximum of 90 questions including multiple-choice and performance-based questions, with a 90-minute time limit. A scaled score of 750/900 is required to pass. Offered at Pearson VUE centers and online.

Exam Domains & Weighting

Domain	Description	Weight
General Security Concepts	Security controls, cryptography types, PKI, authentication methods, and fundamental security principles	12.0%
Threats, Vulnerabilities & Mitigations	Malware types, social engineering, application vulnerabilities, threat actors, indicators of compromise	22.0%
Security Architecture	Network segmentation, Zero Trust, cloud security models, virtualization, and secure infrastructure design	18.0%
Security Operations	Identity management, incident response, vulnerability scanning, log analysis, and endpoint security	28.0%
Security Program Management & Oversight	Risk management, compliance frameworks (NIST, ISO), data privacy, third-party risk, and auditing	20.0%