Security+ SY0-801 vs SY0-701: Take It Now or Wait?

Last updated 24 July 2026 · 6 min read · CompTIA Certifications

What we know, and how firmly

The retirement estimate is worth understanding rather than trusting. CompTIA's recent pattern is to keep the outgoing version bookable for roughly six months after the new one arrives — CySA+ CS0-003, for example, retires about six months after CS0-004 launched. Applying that pattern to a late-2026 SY0-801 gives mid-2027. It is a pattern, not a promise.

What is expected to change

Reporting so far points at two themes.

1. Artificial intelligence

This is the headline. SY0-801 is expected to add dedicated coverage of large language models, and of how AI changes the threat and vulnerability landscape — both AI as an attacker's tool and AI systems as things that need defending. CompTIA has been building toward this across its portfolio, including the separate SecAI+ certification.

2. Zero trust

Zero trust already appears in SY0-701's Security Architecture domain. SY0-801 is expected to expand it, with more implementation-oriented scenarios rather than definitional questions.

SY0-701 domains today

Whatever SY0-801 turns out to look like, this is what you would be studying if you start now:

Maximum 90 questions, 90 minutes, passing score 750 on a 100–900 scale. The reported AI additions would most plausibly land in Domain 2 (Threats, Vulnerabilities & Mitigations) and the zero trust expansion in Domain 3 (Security Architecture), though CompTIA has renumbered and reorganised domains between versions before.

The case for taking SY0-701 now

• The credential is identical. The exam version is not printed on your certification. An employer sees "CompTIA Security+", not "SY0-701".
• Study material is mature. SY0-701 has had years of books, courses, and practice questions built around it. A brand-new exam has none of that at launch.
• You get certified months sooner. Waiting for a late-2026 or early-2027 exam means delaying a credential you could hold this year — and job applications do not wait.
• Your three years start when you pass. Certifying earlier means your renewal clock starts earlier, but it also means you hold the credential during the period you are job-hunting.
• New exams are unpredictable. Early sittings of a new version tend to have rougher question wording and less community knowledge about what is actually emphasised.

When waiting for SY0-801 actually makes sense

There are real cases, they are just narrower than the internet suggests:

• You are starting from zero and will not be ready before mid-2027 anyway. If your realistic exam date is past SY0-701's likely retirement, study for the version that will exist.
• Your role is AI-adjacent. If you work on AI systems or your employer is pushing AI security, the newer material has direct on-the-job value beyond passing.
• An employer or contract specifically requires the newest version. Rare, but it happens with some government and defence contracting requirements.

If none of those apply, the delay is not buying you anything.

What to do right now

1. If you can sit SY0-701 within the next several months, book it and start.
2. Do not stall your study waiting for objectives that are not published. The overlap between any two consecutive Security+ versions is large — the fundamentals do not change.
3. Check CompTIA's site directly before booking. Preview versions sometimes appear before the marketing does.
4. If you are in the genuinely-waiting camp, study SY0-701 material anyway. It is the best available approximation and it will carry over.

Frequently asked questions

Start on SY0-701

This page will be updated when CompTIA publishes SY0-801 objectives and dates. For the previous Security+ transition, see SY0-701 vs SY0-601. Always confirm exam availability on CompTIA's own site before booking.