How Hard Is Security+? Difficulty, Study Time and Where Candidates Lose Marks
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A complete Security+ SY0-701 practice exam: 90 questions in 90 minutes, interactive PBQs graded outcome by outcome and an Exam Coach report that ranks your weakest domains.
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Security Operations
Restore access. Keep the boundary.
A rushed change has taken the customer portal offline. Repair the firewall rules.
Incident response
Run the response in the right order.
Files on a shared drive are being renamed with a strange extension.
General Security Concepts
Replace the portal certificate.
Resolve the browser warning and the exposed-key finding.
PBQs from the Security+ pack, each graded outcome by outcome. The free full-length exam includes PBQs like these.
Security+ is a moderate exam: broad rather than deep. The hard parts are the performance-based questions that usually open it, scenario questions with two plausible answers, and the governance domain. Plan on roughly 80-140 hours of study with some IT background, or 150-220 from scratch. On full-length FigigExams practice papers, candidates answered 79.0% of 1,080 domain-tagged questions correctly, and Security Operations cost the most marks.Compiled 12 October 2026 by FigigExams from 12 candidates' practice answers, 22-31 August 2026.
In this guide
What makes Security+ hard
- PBQs first. The exam usually opens with performance-based questions: logs to read, firewall rules to fix, controls to match. They take far longer than a multiple-choice item, and a slow start eats the clock.
- Scenario wording. Most questions describe a situation and ask for the best control or the first step. Two answers are often defensible; the exam wants the one that fits the scenario's constraint.
- Breadth. Five domains, from cryptography and network attacks to governance, risk and compliance. Candidates from technical jobs often find the governance domain the least familiar.
- A short clock. Up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, PBQs included.
What it is not: deeply technical. Security+ tests recognition and judgement across a wide area rather than configuration skill, which is why it is the usual first security certification.
Which Security+ domains are hardest, measured
Measured across 1,080 domain-tagged answers from 12 candidates on full-length FigigExams Security+ papers between 22 and 31 August 2026. These are practice papers, not the real exam. Weighted shortfall is the domain's exam weight multiplied by the share of its questions answered wrong.
| Domain | Exam weight | Answers | Accuracy | Weighted shortfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security Operations | 28% | 336 | 80.7% | 5.4 pts |
| Security Program Management and Oversight | 20% | 216 | 75.0% | 5.0 pts |
| Threats, Vulnerabilities and Mitigations | 22% | 228 | 81.1% | 4.2 pts |
| Security Architecture | 18% | 132 | 77.3% | 4.1 pts |
| General Security Concepts | 12% | 168 | 79.2% | 2.5 pts |
Overall accuracy was 79.0%. Security Program Management and Oversight has the lowest accuracy (75.0%), but Security Operations costs the most marks because it carries 28% of the exam. Across 36 engaged Security+ attempts between 4 March and 31 August 2026, the median score was 80% and the median sitting took 72 minutes. Method: where candidates lose marks and what a normal practice score is.
How long it takes to study for Security+
Planning ranges, not a measured statistic. Each adds up one complete video course, a book pass on the weak domains, PBQ practice, and three or four timed full-length papers with review.
| Starting point | Study hours | At 10 hours a week | At 15 hours a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| New to IT | 150-220 | 15-22 weeks | 10-15 weeks |
| IT support, A+ or Network+ | 80-140 | 8-14 weeks | 6-10 weeks |
| Already working in security or systems administration | 40-80 | 4-8 weeks | 3-6 weeks |
CompTIA recommends Network+ and two years in a security or systems administrator role before Security+; neither is required, but candidates without a networking base usually sit at the top of their range. The final month, laid out: Security+ 30-day plan.
Security+ compared with nearby certifications
Practice-paper accuracy is not comparable across certifications (different banks, different candidates), so this compares what each exam asks you to do.
| Exam | What it tests | Hands-on format | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| CompTIA Network+ N10-009 | Networking concepts, implementation and troubleshooting | PBQs | CompTIA path |
| CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 | Security concepts, threats, architecture, operations and governance | PBQs | This page |
| CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 | Detection, analysis and response in a SOC; 165 minutes | PBQs | Security+ vs CySA+ |
| Cisco CCNA 200-301 | Networking plus Cisco configuration | CLI simulations | How hard is the CCNA? |
Will SY0-801 be harder?
The format does not change: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, 750 to pass. CompTIA describes expanded coverage of AI-related risks, security operations and modern environments, and most of SY0-701 carries across. If you are already studying SY0-701, finish on it; SY0-701 stays bookable in English until 11 June 2027. Details: Security+ SY0-801 changes.
How to tell you are ready
- Unseen papers with PBQs. Clear the bar on full-length papers you have not seen, PBQs included, inside 90 minutes.
- Security Operations solid. It is the costliest domain above.
- No domain far behind. One weak domain is enough to fail a scaled exam.
The full rubric: Am I ready for Security+?
Measure your own difficulty, not ours
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Frequently asked questions about Security+ difficulty
Is Security+ hard?
It is a moderate exam: broad rather than deep. The hard parts are the performance-based questions at the start, scenario questions with two plausible answers, and the governance domain for candidates from technical jobs. Most candidates with some IT background pass with 80-140 hours of study.
How many hours does it take to study for Security+?
Roughly 150-220 hours if you are new to IT, 80-140 if you already work in IT support or hold A+ or Network+, and 40-80 if you work in security or systems administration. These are planning ranges, not a measured statistic.
Can I pass Security+ in a month?
If you already work in IT and can study 15-20 hours a week, a month is realistic. From scratch, plan on three to five months.
What is the hardest part of Security+?
On full-length FigigExams papers in August 2026, Security Operations cost candidates the most marks (5.4 weighted points) and Security Program Management and Oversight had the lowest accuracy (75.0%). The PBQs at the start are the other common trap.
Is Security+ harder than Network+?
They are different rather than harder: Network+ goes deeper on one subject, Security+ is broader. CompTIA recommends Network+ first because security questions assume networking knowledge.
What is the Security+ pass rate?
CompTIA does not publish a pass rate. The useful measure is your own score on unseen full-length practice papers that include PBQs.