CompTIA A+ guideStart here
A+ or Security+ First? Do You Need A+ Before Security+?
You don't need A+ to sit Security+. Decide which to take first from your background and the job you want, with both exams' current facts side by side.
Short answer
You do not need A+ before Security+. CompTIA's Security+ pages list recommended experience, not prerequisites: the V7 page for SY0-701 recommends Network+ and two years in a security or systems administrator role, and the V8 page for SY0-801, which CompTIA expects on or around November 17, 2026, recommends two years of hands-on experience as a security administrator. Take A+ first if you are new to IT and aiming at help desk or desktop support work. Go straight to Security+ if you already support systems and the security or federal role you want names it.
The short version for an A+ candidate
Neither credential is a gate for the other. You can book Security+ without A+, and you can earn A+ without ever taking Security+. The decision is about readiness and about what the job you want asks for. CompTIA's A+ pages describe A+ as building the knowledge needed to pursue advanced certifications like Network+ and Security+. That is a suggested path, not a requirement.
A+ and Security+ facts, side by side
Facts as listed on CompTIA's pages on October 17, 2026.
| CompTIA A+ | CompTIA Security+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Exams you must pass | Two: Core 1 (220-1201) and Core 2 (220-1202), from the same version | One |
| Current version | V15, launched March 25, 2025. Retirement estimated 2028 | V7 (SY0-701). English SY0-701 retires June 11, 2027. V8 (SY0-801) is expected on or around November 17, 2026 |
| Questions and time | Maximum of 90 per exam, 90 minutes each | Maximum of 90, 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 675 (Core 1) and 700 (Core 2) on 100–900 | 750 on 100–900 |
| Recommended experience | 12 months of hands-on work in an IT support specialist role | V7: Network+ and two years in a security or systems administrator role. V8: two years of hands-on experience as a security administrator |
| Roles CompTIA names | IT support specialist and help desk technician. DoD 8140 work roles: technical support specialist, system administrator, cyber defense infrastructure support specialist | DoD 8140 work roles on the V7 page include cyber defense analyst, incident responder, vulnerability analyst, security control assessor, and system administrator |
Notice that the recommended experience for Security+ changes with the version. The V7 page names Network+. The V8 page names two years as a security administrator and does not mention Network+ or A+.
What A+ covers that Security+ assumes
A+ Core 2 has a Security domain worth 28% of that exam, but it stays at help desk depth: pick WPA3 over TKIP, follow the malware removal steps, set NTFS permissions, harden a SOHO router. The Core 2 security guide maps it. Security+ starts from the assumption that you already know how a network, an operating system, and an account work, and then asks you to choose controls, read logs, and reason about risk.
The rest of A+ is what Security+ quietly assumes. Ports and protocols, IP addressing, DNS, Windows and Linux commands, and how permissions combine all show up in Security+ scenarios without being taught again. If those are new to you, the security layer will feel arbitrary.
Decide from your situation
| Your situation | The role you want | Take first | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| New to IT, no support job yet | Help desk or desktop support | A+ | It matches the role and the fundamentals Security+ assumes |
| New to IT, aiming at security eventually | Security analyst, some years from now | A+ | You need the fundamentals first, and a support job is one way to build the hands-on experience Security+ recommends |
| A year or more of IT support | Systems administration or security | Security+ | Your experience likely covers what A+ would prove |
| A posting you want requires Security+ | That posting's role | Security+ | Read the posting's requirement and meet it |
| A posting you want requires A+ | That posting's role | A+ | Same logic |
| Unsure whether you know the basics | Any | Take the A+ self-check | See below |
If the gap is networking specifically, Passy's Security+ guide on whether you need Network+ before Security+ covers that middle step. CompTIA's Network+ page recommends A+ plus 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience in a junior network administrator or network support role, again as a recommendation.
A quick readiness check
If you cannot do most of these yet, start with A+, even if Security+ is your goal:
- Explain why a user can reach a site by its IP address but not by its name, and which service you would check.
- Tell LDAP on 389 from RDP on 3389, and say which one opens a remote desktop.
- Name the Windows command that lists active connections and listening ports.
- Say what happens to a file's NTFS permissions when it is copied into a different folder.
- Say why WPA2 with TKIP is a weak setting and what you would choose instead.
These are the fundamentals Security+ builds on without reteaching. For a self-check with answers that also tells you which A+ core needs the most work, use the ten items in the how hard is A+ guide.
Timing in late 2026
If you are leaning toward Security+ now, the version change matters. As of October 17, 2026, SY0-701 is the version you can book, V8 is expected on or around November 17, 2026, and English SY0-701 is offered until June 11, 2027. Passy's Security+ guide to SY0-701 and the next version explains how to choose. CompTIA's A+ pages list no date for a next version. V15's retirement is shown only as "usually three years after launch (estimated 2028)."
If you earn both
Taking A+ first does not waste the effort when you later earn Security+. CompTIA's renewal rules say Security+ fully renews Network+ and A+, and that the lower certification's expiration date is aligned with the higher-level one. You keep one renewal cycle instead of two.
For a start on Security+ itself, see the Security+ exam hub and the Security+ study guide. If A+ is your first step, the A+ worth-it guide helps you check it against real postings, and you can plan both A+ exams on one calendar with Passy.
Trust the source
Official sources
Exam policies can change. Use these primary sources for the most current details.