Security+ Exam Change: SY0-701 vs SY0-801 and Your Study Plan
Short answer: there is no reason to be nervous, and no reason to change your plan. You have until June 2027 to enroll, study and pass.
CompTIA is launching a new version of the Security+ exam, SY0-801, on November 17, 2026. The current version, SY0-701, stays available until June 11, 2027 (English). If you are studying now and will test well before then, keep studying for SY0-701.
Key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| November 17, 2026 | SY0-801 launches |
| June 11, 2027 | SY0-701 retires (English) |
| August 13, 2027 | SY0-701 retires (Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai) |
Both exams run side by side for about seven months. Both have up to 90 questions (multiple-choice and performance-based), 90 minutes of testing time and a passing score of 750 on a scale of 100 to 900.
Which exam should you study for?
Testing before spring 2027
Study for SY0-701. You gain nothing by switching, and you would lose study time reviewing new objectives.
Already partway through SY0-701 prep
Finish it. CompTIA’s own guidance for candidates studying a version that is about to be replaced is to keep going if you are close to ready and test before the retirement date.
Test date in May 2027 or later
Plan on SY0-801. That is the time to start looking at the new objectives, not now.
Leave a buffer. SY0-701 retires on June 11, 2027, so an exam booked in its last weeks leaves no room for a retake on the same version. If you do not pass in time, the next attempt would be on SY0-801.
Does the exam version matter for your certification?
CompTIA states that retiring an exam does not affect the status of certifications already earned. Passing SY0-701 earns you the Security+ certification, and nothing requires you to take the newest version. Check CompTIA’s site for current certification terms before you book.
SY0-701 vs SY0-801: What Is Changing?
Both versions have five domains. The weights shift:
| Domain | SY0-701 | SY0-801 |
|---|---|---|
| General Security Concepts | 12% | 16% |
| Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations (SY0-701) / Attacks (SY0-801) | 22% | 24% |
| Security Architecture | 18% | 19% |
| Security Operations | 28% | 27% |
| Security Program Management and Oversight | 20% | 14% |
CompTIA’s SY0-801 objectives add coverage of AI-related risks, third-party risk management, resilience and recovery, and asset management. SY0-801 is listed in English only.
Where Certification Academy fits
Our Security+ Boot Camp currently prepares you for SY0-701. It is five live days with an expert instructor, hands-on labs and an exam voucher included, in a city near you or online.
The bottom line: a new exam version does not make the current one less useful. You have until June 2027 to enroll, study and pass. Pick a test date, work backward, and spend May deciding about SY0-801 only if your date falls that late.
Find a Security+ Boot Camp near youTake the live online class
Dates are from CompTIA’s Security+ exam pages and can change. Confirm them on CompTIA’s site before you book. Sources: CompTIA, Security+ (SY0-701); CompTIA, Security+ V8 (SY0-801); CompTIA, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About CompTIA Exams.