Security+ SY0-801 vs SY0-701: What Changed and Which Exam to Take
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CompTIA Security+ SY0-801 (V8) is expected on or around November 17, 2026, and SY0-701 stays available in English until June 11, 2027. The exam format does not change: a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based items, and a passing score of 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. What changes is the content: the domain weights move, a new objective covers threats and vulnerabilities tied to artificial intelligence, mitigation topics are consolidated, and several objectives shift from explaining a concept to working through a scenario. This guide is most urgent if you have not booked a test yet or are choosing study materials this month. If you already have a date before June 2027 and are partway through SY0-701 material, the short answer is to finish SY0-701 and use the gap plan below only if you change your mind.
Dates and Exam Format Side by Side
The format is identical on both versions, so your test-day strategy does not change. The differences are availability, language and the content outline. CompTIA says SY0-801 is expected on or around November 17, 2026 and shows the V8 listing as coming in November 2026, so confirm the live date on CompTIA's site before you book.
| SY0-701 (V7) | SY0-801 (V8) | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Available now | Expected on or around Nov 17, 2026 |
| Retirement | English June 11, 2027; Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai August 13, 2027 | Estimated about 3 years after launch |
| Questions | Maximum 90 | Maximum 90 |
| Question types | Multiple-choice and performance-based | Multiple-choice and performance-based |
| Length | 90 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 750 on 100 to 900 | 750 on 100 to 900 |
| Languages | English plus the languages above | English only at launch |
| Recommended experience | Not compared here | Two years of hands-on experience as a security administrator |
CompTIA's V8 page does not say when SY0-701 retires or which version you should take. The retirement dates come from the V7 page, and the advice later in this guide is our own reasoning, not CompTIA guidance.
Domain Weights: Where the Exam Moved
Both versions have five domains, but the weights shift toward the fundamentals and away from governance. Security Program Management and Oversight loses six points, the biggest move, and General Security Concepts gains four. One domain was renamed: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations in V7 becomes Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks in V8, because the mitigation content moves into Security Operations.
| Domain | SY0-701 | SY0-801 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. General Security Concepts | 12% | 16% | +4 |
| 2. Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations (V7) / Attacks (V8) | 22% | 24% | +2 |
| 3. Security Architecture | 18% | 19% | +1 |
| 4. Security Operations | 28% | 27% | -1 |
| 5. Security Program Management and Oversight | 20% | 14% | -6 |
On a full 90 question form, a six point drop works out to roughly five fewer governance questions, assuming questions count equally, which CompTIA does not state. Domain 4 is still the largest slice at 27%, so Security Operations remains the area where most of your score is decided.
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Objective-by-Objective Changes
SY0-701 has 28 objectives (4, 5, 4, 9 and 6 per domain). SY0-801 has 27 (3, 6, 4, 8 and 6). Most topics carry over, but they are reorganized, and the verbs change. "Given a scenario" objectives are the ones where you must apply a concept to a situation, so they reward practice more than memorization.
| Area | SY0-701 | SY0-801 |
|---|---|---|
| Security concepts | 1.1 security controls and 1.2 fundamental concepts are separate | Merged into 1.1 "security concepts and controls" |
| Change management | 1.3, explain the importance | 1.2, now "given a scenario, demonstrate the impact" |
| Threat landscape | 2.1 actors, 2.2 vectors and attack surfaces, 2.3 vulnerabilities | 2.1 characteristics of threats and vulnerabilities, 2.2 actors, 2.3 vectors and sources, 2.4 vulnerability types and attack surfaces |
| Mitigations | 2.5 mitigation techniques, plus 4.1 and 4.5 | Consolidated into 4.1, "given a scenario, apply mitigating controls, techniques, and solutions" |
| AI | Not an objective | New 2.6, threats and vulnerabilities associated with AI usage |
| Vulnerability management | 4.3, explain activities | 4.3, now "given a scenario, perform tasks" |
| Automation | 4.7, explain the importance | 4.6, now "given a scenario, apply automation and orchestration solutions" |
| Governance | 5.1 governance elements | 5.1 governance, risk, and compliance artifacts |
The topics in Domains 3 and 5 are largely the same four and six objectives with adjusted wording, so a learner who has covered them for SY0-701 is mostly covered here too.
The New AI Objective (2.6)
Objective 2.6 is the only entirely new objective, and it is the one most likely to catch SY0-701 learners off guard. It covers threats and vulnerabilities associated with AI usage. CompTIA's list is: model manipulation, poisoning, prompt injection, data loss, bias, explainability, hallucinations, jailbreaking, evasion, privacy, ethical considerations, session hijacking and code execution. AI also appears in the automation objective (4.6), which lists agentic AI, chatbots, predictive analysis and AI-augmented baselines among the capabilities.
| Topic | What to be able to explain |
|---|---|
| Prompt injection | Untrusted input that changes what the model is told to do, and why input filtering alone is not a complete control |
| Poisoning | Corrupting training or reference data so the model learns or retrieves bad information |
| Jailbreaking | Getting a model to ignore its safety rules through crafted prompts |
| Evasion | Crafting inputs that a model misclassifies, such as malware tuned to slip past an ML detector |
| Hallucinations | Confident output that is wrong, and why AI answers need verification |
| Data loss and privacy | Sensitive data pasted into or exposed by AI tools, and how policy and DLP reduce it |
| Session hijacking and code execution | AI agents and chat sessions that can be taken over or made to run code |
| Bias, explainability, ethics | Why model decisions need to be reviewable and fair, and who is accountable |
Treat each as a threat paired with a control, because exam scenarios usually ask which control addresses which problem.
Which Exam Should You Take?
CompTIA does not tell candidates which version to choose, so this is our reasoning from the dates and the objective changes, not official guidance. The deciding factor is your test date and how far along you are.
| Your situation | Suggested version | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Test date before June 11, 2027, studying SY0-701 material already | SY0-701 | Finish what you started. The exam stays available and nothing in V8 requires a restart. |
| Starting from zero, can test within the next few months | Either | SY0-701 study materials are more mature today. SY0-801 materials will take time to appear. |
| Starting from zero, flexible on timing or testing after June 2027 | SY0-801 | It is the version that will be current longest, with an estimated life of about 3 years. |
| Planning to test after June 11, 2027 | SY0-801 | SY0-701 will no longer be offered in English. |
If an employer or program requires a specific version, follow that requirement first, and check CompTIA's pages for any change to the dates.
If You Already Studied SY0-701: A Gap Plan
Most SY0-701 preparation carries over. The objective list is the same size give or take one, and the five domain names are the same except for one rename. If you decide to move to SY0-801, spend your time on the changes, not on a full restart.
Learn objective 2.6 from scratch
Work through all 13 AI topics as threat and control pairs. This is the one area with no SY0-701 equivalent, so it is where prior study helps least.
Re-file mitigation topics under objective 4.1
Segmentation, hardening, application control, monitoring and similar topics now sit in one objective. Rebuild your notes around it so you can pick the right control for a scenario instead of recalling a list.
Switch from definitions to scenarios in three objectives
Change management (1.2), vulnerability management (4.3) and automation (4.6) are now "given a scenario" objectives. Practice choosing an action in context, not just defining the term.
Rebalance time using the new weights
Give General Security Concepts more time because it grows to 16%, and trim governance memorization because Domain 5 falls to 14%. Do not skip it: 14% is still about one question in seven.
Rebuild your checklist from the V8 objectives
Download the SY0-801 objectives from CompTIA's V8 page and tick off topics against it. Anything in your SY0-701 notes that does not appear there is low priority for V8.
How to Study for Either Version
The study method matters as much as the version. A widely cited review of ten learning techniques (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013) rated practice testing and distributed practice as high utility and rated rereading and highlighting low. In practice that means doing practice questions early and often, not saving them for the last week, and spacing review over days instead of cramming. Our Security+ study plan turns that into 30, 60 and 90 day schedules for both versions, and the SY0-701 objectives explained guide lists every objective in plain English.
CompTIA says performance-based questions usually appear at the start of the exam and that no clock is visible while you work on them, so practice working through a scenario step by step and plan to check the timer when you reach the multiple-choice items.
DD Academy is our iPhone and web app for exactly this: flashcards, timed practice exams and an AI tutor tied to the published exam objectives, free to start. It covers Security+ SY0-701 today, and SY0-801 support is in development. You can also try ten free Security+ practice questions with answers. For exam logistics, see how Security+ is scored, the retake policy and how renewal works. Whichever tool you use, avoid brain dumps: CompTIA's objectives document warns that unauthorized exam content can lead to certification revocation.
The bottom line
SY0-801 keeps the same 90 minute, 90 question format, so the change is in what you study, not how you test. Expect a new AI objective, mitigation topics consolidated under 4.1, and more scenario-based objectives, with governance counting for less. If your test date is before June 11, 2027 and you are already studying SY0-701, finish it. If you are starting fresh or testing later, plan for SY0-801 and check CompTIA's V8 page for the confirmed launch date.
Frequently asked questions
When does Security+ SY0-801 come out?
CompTIA says SY0-801 (V8) is expected on or around November 17, 2026, and its V8 page shows the listing as coming in November 2026. Check CompTIA's V8 page for the confirmed date before you schedule a test, since launch dates can shift.
When does SY0-701 retire?
According to CompTIA's V7 page, SY0-701 retires on June 11, 2027 in English, and on August 13, 2027 in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai. After that date you can no longer schedule the exam in that language.
What is new in Security+ SY0-801?
SY0-801 adds a new objective, 2.6, on threats and vulnerabilities associated with AI usage, consolidates mitigation topics into objective 4.1, and shifts the weights toward General Security Concepts (16%) and away from Security Program Management and Oversight (14%). It has 27 objectives compared with 28 in SY0-701.
Is SY0-801 harder than SY0-701?
CompTIA has not published a difficulty comparison, and the format is the same: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes with a 750 passing score. The new AI content and the objectives that now ask you to work through scenarios may feel different, but any judgment on difficulty is opinion until candidates report real results.
Can I still take SY0-701 after SY0-801 launches?
Yes. CompTIA lists June 11, 2027 as the English retirement date for SY0-701, so both versions should be available at the same time for roughly seven months after the V8 launch. Confirm the dates on CompTIA's pages when you book.
What are the SY0-801 domain weights?
General Security Concepts 16%, Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks 24%, Security Architecture 19%, Security Operations 27%, and Security Program Management and Oversight 14%. For comparison, SY0-701 weights are 12%, 22%, 18%, 28% and 20%.
How many questions are on SY0-801 and what is the passing score?
SY0-801 has a maximum of 90 questions, a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based, in 90 minutes. The passing score is 750 on a scale of 100 to 900, the same as SY0-701. CompTIA's V8 page lists English as the only language at launch.
Is Security+ SY0-801 an entry-level exam?
CompTIA positions Security+ as a foundational security certification, and its V8 page recommends two years of hands-on experience as a security administrator. That is a recommendation, not a prerequisite, and many candidates sit the exam with less experience.
Sources & references
- CompTIA Security+ V8 (SY0-801) certification page
- CompTIA Security+ V7 (SY0-701) certification page, including retirement dates
- CompTIA: What Is on the Security+ Exam
- CompTIA Help Center: What Are Performance-Based Questions (PBQs)
- Dunlosky et al. (2013), Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques, Psychological Science in the Public Interest
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