Security+ · SY0-701
CompTIA Security+ is the baseline cybersecurity certification most employers screen for, and it is DoD 8570 / 8140 approved — which means for many defense, federal-contractor, and government IT roles, passing it is a hard hiring gate, not a nice-to-have. The vendor-neutral SY0-701 exam blends multiple-choice questions with hands-on performance-based simulations, so cramming definitions alone rarely clears the 750 cut score. This page breaks down exactly what's tested, how it's delivered through OnVUE, and how to get it done right the first time.
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How the SY0-701 exam is built — at a glance
90
A maximum of 90 items answered in 90 minutes — roughly a minute each. The mix is mostly multiple-choice plus a handful of interactive performance-based questions.
PBQ
Hands-on simulations — configure a firewall rule, classify attacks, or harden a host — usually shown first. They carry heavy weight, so many candidates flag and return to them.
750
Scored 100–900 with a 750 pass mark. Because it's scaled to question difficulty, 750 is not a flat 83% — your result is shown immediately as Pass or Fail.
Most items are single- and multiple-response multiple choice, with a few drag-and-drop and simulation PBQs. There is no on-screen calculator and the exam is linear, not adaptive — you can flag questions and review them before submitting, as long as time remains.
CompTIA reports a single scaled score from 100 to 900; 750 passes. Unanswered questions count as wrong, so guessing on anything left blank is to your advantage. SY0-701 launched in November 2023 and replaced the retired SY0-601 version.
Five official SY0-701 domains — bars show each domain's share of the exam
Security controls, the CIA triad, zero trust, cryptographic solutions (PKI, hashing, certificates), and change-management fundamentals.
Threat actors, attack surfaces, malware and social-engineering techniques, vulnerability types, and the mitigation strategies that counter them.
Securing cloud, on-prem, and hybrid architectures; data protection, resilience and recovery design, and secure network and infrastructure concepts.
The largest domain: hardening, identity and access management, automation, vulnerability management, monitoring, incident response, and digital forensics.
Governance, risk management, third-party and vendor risk, security compliance, audits and assessments, and security awareness — the policy and oversight side that newer candidates often underestimate.
Security Operations alone is more than a quarter of the exam, and combined with Threats, Vulnerabilities & Mitigations it covers half of everything you'll be asked. Weights reflect the official SY0-701 exam objectives published by CompTIA.
Two ways to sit the exam — and what to expect on test day
You sit the exam in a quiet, monitored room at a Pearson VUE center. Staff verify your government-issued ID, store your belongings, and watch the room on camera. You're given an erasable noteboard — no personal items are allowed at the desk.
You take the exam from a private room at home through Pearson VUE's OnVUE platform, monitored by a live proctor. You'll run a system test, an ID check, and a 360° room scan beforehand. No physical scratch paper — only the built-in online whiteboard.
A valid, unexpired government photo ID with your name matching your CompTIA / Pearson VUE profile exactly. The proctor captures a photo before the exam unlocks.
A clear desk, no second monitor, no phone or notes within reach, and a webcam scan of the room. No one else may enter while the exam is in progress.
Stay in frame and on-camera the whole time. There are no scheduled breaks on the online exam. Talking aloud, leaving the seat, or losing connection can flag or void the session.
Security+ is the standard entry-level cybersecurity credential
No mandatory prerequisite — but it's not a memorization test
Difficulty: SY0-701 is broad rather than deep — its challenge is the sheer span of acronyms, controls, and scenario wording across five domains, plus performance-based questions that demand you actually apply concepts. Most candidates invest 80–120 hours of prep, which is exactly the pressure point our help is designed to remove.
Security+ is often the certification standing between you and a security job offer, a clearance-eligible role, or a DoD contract start date. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted Security+ specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model — so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.
Tell us your delivery method (OnVUE or test center), your test date, and your deadline — a clearance start, a job offer, or a DoD requirement. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.
We review your timeline and target and tell you plainly whether it's realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.
Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with a Security+ specialist who maps the work around the five domains, the performance-based questions, and the OnVUE environment — discreetly and confidentially.
You only pay once your passing result is confirmed. No verified result, nothing owed.
See the full pay-after-you-pass CompTIA service, pricing model, and how matching works.
Straight answers about CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701)
Service, guides, and sibling exams
Pair with a vetted Security+ specialist on a results-first arrangement. No upfront fee — settle only after a verified passing result.
Explore the service GuideA full prep playbook for SY0-701: domain-by-domain strategy, how to attack PBQs, and a realistic study timeline.
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Start nowGet expert Security+ help with no upfront fee — you settle only after your verified passing result. Honest feasibility answer first, results-first arrangement always.