CompTIA Security+ guideExam day and scoring
How Many Questions Are on Security+?
SY0-701 has a maximum of 90 questions, multiple-choice and performance-based, in 90 minutes. Maximum does not mean every form has 90.
Short answer
CompTIA lists a maximum of 90 questions on SY0-701, mixing multiple-choice and performance-based questions, with a 90-minute limit. You should not expect a promise of exactly 90 items, or a published count of performance-based questions. This page does not describe recalled exam items.
Maximum of 90, not “you will see 90”
CompTIA’s V7 exam details say the number of questions is a maximum of 90, and that the mix includes multiple-choice and performance-based questions. The duration is 90 minutes. “Maximum” means a form can contain fewer. Anyone who tells you the exam always opens with a fixed number of performance-based questions is going beyond what CompTIA publishes. This page will not repeat those claims.
The passing score is a separate fact: 750 on a 100–900 scale. Question count does not convert into that score. See what 750 means.
What the two item types ask of you
Multiple-choice items ask you to pick the best stated answer. The trap is usually a nearby control that would be right for a different problem.
Performance-based questions ask you to do something in a simulated environment: order steps, choose a rule, or interpret a display. CompTIA does not publish a practice copy of those items, and candidate recollections are not a safe or allowed source. The PBQ guide teaches a way to reason. It does not recreate a prompt.
Passy’s free set on the web is multiple choice only. It is not the exam interface.
A way to budget 90 minutes
This is a pacing sketch. It is not a claim about item order.
| Slice of the clock | Use it for |
|---|---|
| First look, about 5 minutes | Notice how many items the form actually shows. Do not assume 90. |
| Performance-based work | Give them a bounded block. If you are stuck, mark what you can defend and move. Guessing a whole simulation at the end is worse than a partial, careful attempt. |
| Multiple choice | About a minute each is a rough average, not a rule. A short definition can take less. A log can take more. |
| Last 5 minutes | Return only to items you marked. Do not reopen a finished simulation unless you have a specific change in mind. |
If you test online, the same exam length still applies. The extra time is check-in, which is covered in the online testing guide.
Practice a timed-feeling multiple-choice item when you want to see whether you can commit to one best answer. Twenty questions are not a dress rehearsal of a 90-minute form.
Trust the source
Official sources
Exam policies can change. Use these primary sources for the most current details.