CredenTrek For CompTIA Security+
Choose It Right. Pass It Smart. Turn It into a Career.
Security+ changes in November 2026. Choose the right version before you spend a single hour.
CompTIA is replacing V7 (SY0-701) with V8 (SY0-801), and both will run for months. Candidates buy courses for the wrong version, study every topic equally, freeze on performance-based questions or arrive with identity documents from the wrong country. This book shows you the whole exam on one map and every decision around it.
In publication on Amazon. The buttons appear here as soon as the listing is live.
Edition 2026.2 · Verified 9 October 2026. All 27 V8 objectives and 28 V7 objectives verified against CompTIA's SY0-801 (version 2.0) and SY0-701 (version 7.0) exam objectives documents.
Where candidates go wrong
Security+ is often the first security credential people earn, so many candidates have nobody to ask. They buy a course, then find it was written for an older exam. They study evenly when Security Operations carries more than a quarter of the questions, and they freeze on their first performance-based question.
The logistics catch people too. Candidates arrive with an identity document from another country and are turned away. Others start studying V7 in the autumn of 2026 without knowing that a new version arrives in November. Many pass, then apply for jobs without showing what they can actually do.
The gap this book fills
Security+ books usually teach the content in depth, page after page, and courses teach techniques. Few show you the whole exam on one map, with both versions side by side, and then help with every decision around it. This book does both, and checks every changeable fact against CompTIA's own documents.
The Security+ roadmap in 8 free guides
Each guide answers one question in full, checked against the official documents. Read them in order, from the decision to renewal.
- 01Is Security+ worth it for you this year? What it proves, what it pays and a four-question testDecide · 6 min
- 02Security+ V7 or V8: choose by your finish date, not by which exam sounds newerV7 or V8 · 5 min
- 03Security+ V8 (SY0-801): what moves, what is new and how to re-plan your studySY0-801 changes · 5 min
- 0490 questions, 90 minutes, 27 objectives: the Security+ exam in plain EnglishExam format and domains · 6 min
- 05Security+ study hours: turn your real week into an exam date that holdsStudy hours and plan · 6 min
- 06Security+ cost, booking and exam day: the real budget, the retake rules and the ID check that turns people awayCost, booking, exam day · 5 min
- 07Ten Security+ scenario questions, and why the runner-up answer losesPractice questions · 6 min
- 08Keep the Security+ you passed: 50 CEUs, three years and no last-minute scrambleRenewal and CEUs · 5 min
Security+ at a glance
These facts were checked against CompTIA's Security+ pages, the SY0-701 and SY0-801 exam objectives and CompTIA's test policies in October 2026. Confirm them on comptia.org before you act.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Credential | CompTIA Security+ |
| Issuing body | CompTIA |
| Level | Core, early-career security credential |
| Prerequisites | None required; CompTIA recommends about two years of hands-on experience |
| Current exam | V7 (SY0-701); English retires 11 June 2027 |
| New exam | V8 (SY0-801), expected on or around 17 November 2026 |
| Format | Up to 90 questions, multiple choice and performance-based, 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 750 on a scale of 100 to 900 |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test centre or online with OnVUE |
| Renewal | Three-year cycle; 50 continuing education units |
What changed with V8
CompTIA expects to launch V8 (SY0-801) on or around 17 November 2026. The domain names stay similar, but the weights change, the threat domain adds attacks, and a new objective covers threats linked to artificial intelligence.
| Domain | V7 (SY0-701) | V8 (SY0-801) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · General Security Concepts | 12 per cent | 16 per cent |
| 2 · Threats, Vulnerabilities and Mitigations (V7); Threats, Vulnerabilities and Attacks (V8) | 22 per cent | 24 per cent |
| 3 · Security Architecture | 18 per cent | 19 per cent |
| 4 · Security Operations | 28 per cent | 27 per cent |
| 5 · Security Program Management and Oversight | 20 per cent | 14 per cent |
| Number of objectives | 28 | 27 |
Table 5.1 · Domain weights for V7 and V8, from CompTIA's exam objectives documents.
In V8, mitigation techniques move from the threat domain into Security Operations, and governance becomes "governance, risk and compliance artifacts". V8 launches in English only. V7 stays available until it retires: in English on 11 June 2027 and in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai on 13 August 2027.
What you will learn
You will learn what the Security+ exam tests in full: the five domains and all 27 objectives of the new V8 exam. You will also see how each maps to the 28 objectives of V7. You will see the two question formats, how the scaled score works and exactly what changes in November 2026. You will test yourself with 16 practice questions.
Around that content, you will learn how to choose between V7 and V8 and plan your study hours. You will also learn how to book, meet the identity rules, budget, contact CompTIA and turn the credential into security work.
What you will have at the end
| Output | Where you build it |
|---|---|
| A written go or no-go decision and your version choice | Chapter 3 |
| An identity and booking readiness checklist | Chapter 4 |
| A self-rating on all 27 V8 objectives | Chapter 5 |
| A weekly study plan split by domain | Chapter 7 and Appendix B |
| A three-level budget | Chapter 9 and Appendix C |
| Six message templates for CompTIA and Pearson VUE | Chapter 10 and Appendix D |
| A job search, salary and service plan | Chapters 11 to 13 |
| CV lines, a home lab and interview stories | Chapter 14 and Appendix F |
| A renewal plan for your three-year cycle | Chapter 15 |
| Your score on 16 practice questions | Appendix G |
Sixteen chapters in six stages
- 1What Security+ Really Is
- 2The Professional Picture
- 3Is It Right for You Now?
- 4Eligibility and Requirements
- 5The Exam Map
- 6Choosing Your Study Route
- 7Your Adaptive Study Plan
- 8Scheduling and Exam Day
- 9Costs and Budget
- 10Official Communication
- 11Where It Is Valued Most
- 12Reading Salaries by Region
- 13Freelancing and Consulting
- 14Turning It into Career Proof
- 15Keeping It Active
- 16What Comes Next
Appendices. A. Official Sources Map · B. Weekly Plan Template · C. Budget Template · D. Message Templates · E. Exam-Day Checklist · F. CV and LinkedIn Template · G. Practice Questions · H. Glossary
Try three practice questions
Three of the book's 16 questions, written for the book in the style of the exam. They are not CompTIA questions.
A company adds a sign at the server room door saying the room is monitored by camera. What type of control is the sign?
- ACorrective
- BDeterrent
- CCompensating
- DDetective
Show answer
A team must confirm that a downloaded file has not been altered. What should it use?
- ASymmetric encryption
- BA hash comparison
- CTokenisation
- DSteganography
Show answer
An administrator wants to apply an urgent firewall change on a Friday evening. What should happen first under good change management?
- AApply it and document it on Monday
- BObtain approval and record a rollback plan
- CApply it to all firewalls at once
- DAsk users to test it after the change
Show answer
Paperback and Kindle
For IT support staff, network and systems administrators and career changers moving into security, and anyone whose role requires a recognised baseline security credential.
In publication on Amazon. The buttons appear here as soon as the listing is live.
Companion reading and kit
Search links on Amazon for items candidates often use alongside this book. We do not review them; check that any edition matches your exam version.
- Security+ study guides for your exam versionSearch on Amazon ↗
Frequently asked
Is this an official CompTIA publication?
How current is the book?
Does it include practice questions?
Who is it for?
What happens when the exam changes?
Independent publication. Not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by CompTIA. CompTIA and Security+ are trademarks of CompTIA, Inc.