Security+ SY0-701 vs SY0-801: Should You Take the Current Exam or Wait?

CompTIA updates Security+ roughly every three years so that the exam keeps pace with real-world threats and technologies. The current version is SY0-701. The next version, SY0-801, is expected to launch around 17 November 2026, and the English version of SY0-701 is expected to retire on 11 June 2027. If you are planning to take Security+, you now have a choice to make. This article helps you make it.

Dates in this article are based on information available at the time of writing. Launch and retirement dates can move. Confirm them on the CompTIA website before you book.

How CompTIA exam transitions usually work

CompTIA typically runs the old and new versions side by side for several months. During that overlap you can choose either exam, and both lead to the same Security+ certification. Once the old version retires, only the new one is available. Non-English versions of an exam sometimes follow a different timetable, so check the dates for the language you plan to use.

Importantly, the certification you earn is simply “CompTIA Security+”. Employers do not usually distinguish between people who passed one version and those who passed the next. What matters to them is that the certification is current.

What we know about SY0-701

SY0-701 is a mature exam with plenty of established study material. Its objectives are organised into five domains:

• General Security Concepts
• Threats, Vulnerabilities and Mitigations
• Security Architecture
• Security Operations
• Security Program Management and Oversight

The exam combines multiple-choice and performance-based questions, in which you complete a short task or analyse a scenario. Check the official exam objectives for the current weightings, question limits and passing score.

What we know about SY0-801

At the time of writing, CompTIA has not published the full final objectives for SY0-801 in a form we can verify. Based on how previous versions have evolved, you can reasonably expect updated coverage of areas that have grown in importance — for example, cloud and hybrid environments, identity, automation and the security implications of AI — but we will not guess at specific domains or weightings. When the official objectives are published, compare them with SY0-701 to see what has actually changed.

Option 1: Take SY0-701 now

This makes sense if…

• You have already started studying and are making steady progress.
• You can realistically be exam-ready before the English SY0-701 retirement date, with time to spare for a retake if needed.
• You need the certification soon for a job application, a promotion or a contract requirement.
• You prefer the wide availability of mature study material and practice questions.

Passing SY0-701 gives you a Security+ certification that is valid for the standard period from the date you pass, regardless of when the exam version later retires. You do not need to “upgrade” to SY0-801.

The risk

The main risk is running out of time. If you start late, fall behind, or need a retake, you could find yourself near the retirement date with your preparation aligned to an exam you can no longer book. Build in a buffer of at least a couple of months.

Option 2: Wait for SY0-801

This makes sense if…

• You are just starting out and do not need the certification for several months.
• You want your knowledge aligned to the newest objectives, for example because you will use it to train others.
• You are comfortable studying with newer, less mature material for the first few months after launch.

The risk

In the first months after a new version launches, study resources and practice questions are still catching up, and early candidates have less community guidance to draw on. If you wait, you also delay the career benefit of holding the certification.

A simple decision rule

Ask yourself: “Can I comfortably be ready for SY0-701 by early 2027?” If the answer is yes, take SY0-701. If you are only beginning and your timeline stretches well into 2027, plan for SY0-801, but begin building the foundations now — networking, operating systems and core security concepts will be relevant to either version.

Study tips that work for either version

1. Download the official exam objectives and use them as a checklist. Tick off each objective only when you can explain it without notes.
2. Learn the concepts behind the acronyms. Security+ contains many acronyms, but performance-based questions test whether you can apply the ideas.
3. Practise hands-on tasks: reading logs, configuring basic firewall rules, recognising common attack indicators.
4. Use practice questions to find weak areas, not to memorise answers.
5. Schedule your exam date early. A booked date is a strong motivator.

Renewing Security+ later

Security+ has generally been valid for three years and can be renewed through CompTIA’s continuing education programme, which includes earning continuing education units or passing a higher-level CompTIA certification such as CySA+. Passing a later version of Security+ is not the only way to renew. Check the current renewal options on the CompTIA website.

How our course handles the transition

Our Security+ course is currently aligned to SY0-701. Once CompTIA publishes the SY0-801 objectives and the exam is available, we will update the course and clearly label which version each batch prepares you for. If you are unsure which batch to join, our advisors will review your timeline with you.

Summary

If you are ready, or nearly ready, take SY0-701 — the certification is the same, and there is no benefit in waiting. If you are just starting and have a long runway, plan for SY0-801 while building strong foundations now. Either way, confirm launch and retirement dates on the CompTIA website before you book.