CompTIA Security+ guideExam day and scoring
Security+ SY0-701 and SY0-801: Should You Wait?
SY0-701 is the exam you can book. CompTIA has published SY0-801 as Security+ V8, expected on or around November 17, 2026. Waiting is a date decision, not a rule.
Short answer
Book and study SY0-701 if that is the exam you can sit while it is still offered. CompTIA’s Security+ page says V8 is expected on or around November 17, 2026, and the V8 page lists the series code SY0-801. English SY0-701 retirement is June 11, 2027. Retiring the exam does not expire a certification you already hold. There is no universal reason to wait, and no universal reason to rush.
Current official facts
Checked October 3, 2026.
The exam you can book is Security+ V7, series SY0-701. CompTIA’s parent Security+ page says V7 is available today. It lists a maximum of 90 questions, multiple-choice and performance-based, 90 minutes, and a passing score of 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. Domain weights on the V7 page are 12%, 22%, 18%, 28%, and 20% across the five current domains. English retirement is June 11, 2027. Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai retire August 13, 2027.
Passing SY0-701 earns the certification. CompTIA’s renewal materials for Security+ V7 are titled around a 50 CEU requirement, and the credential is kept current through CompTIA’s continuing education process. The June 11, 2027 date is when that exam version retires. It is not the day your certification expires. People who already hold Security+ do not lose it because a later series is announced.
What CompTIA has published about the next version
The parent page says Security+ V8 is expected to launch on or around November 17, 2026. The V8 page repeats that “on or around” sentence, titles the page as coming in November 2026, and also lists exam details that name series SY0-801, a launch date of November 17, 2026, a maximum of 90 questions, 90 minutes, and 750 on a 100–900 scale. Recommended experience on that page is a security administrator with two years of hands-on experience. The listed retirement is “estimated 3 years after launch.” Languages on the V8 details are English.
The same V8 page publishes a different blueprint mix: General Security Concepts 16%, Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks 24%, Security Architecture 19%, Security Operations 27%, and Security Program Management and Oversight 14%. The threats domain name itself changes, and the page describes AI-related risk as part of that domain. CompTIA labels the full objectives link as a preview.
Passy’s practice questions and study outline use the SY0-701 weights. They will not silently switch to the V8 preview.
Not yet confirmed
| Topic | Status on October 3, 2026 |
|---|---|
| You can book SY0-801 today | No. The page says it is coming. |
| November 17, 2026 cannot move | No. CompTIA also says “on or around.” |
| The preview objectives are the final item set | Not established. They are published as a preview. |
| The V8 price | Not stated on the V8 exam details checked for this page. The $404 figure on CompTIA’s FAQ is the V7 retail price as of January 2025. |
| A Passy score predicts either exam | No. |
Do not treat a forum post, a trainer’s slide, or a third-party article as a newer CompTIA fact. If the date or the code changes, this page should change with the official page, not with a rumor. The URL can stay. The facts should not.
A decision you can actually use
There is no correct answer for every candidate. Walk the four questions in order.
- What date can you test? Until SY0-801 is actually bookable, SY0-701 is the only Security+ exam. CompTIA says V8 is expected on or around November 17, 2026, and English SY0-701 retires June 11, 2027. If both of those dates hold, there is an overlap when two English exams could be offered. That overlap is not guaranteed, because the V8 date is still “on or around.” A date after June 11, 2027 cannot be an English SY0-701 sitting.
- What have you already studied? If your notes, course, and practice follow the five V7 domains, switching to a preview blueprint throws away work. If you have not started, the V8 preview is worth reading so you are not surprised, and it is still not the exam you can book this week.
- How ready are you for SY0-701? Readiness here means you can explain the current domains and finish original practice without confusing a percentage with 750. It does not mean a predicted score. If you are close, waiting for a new blueprint is a way to restart, not a way to finish.
- Can you honestly sit before retirement? Count backward from June 11, 2027, including a possible retake. A second attempt has no required wait. A third or later attempt needs 14 calendar days. A voucher does not pause the retirement date.
CompTIA’s own page says that if you are ready to certify now, V7 remains a strong option. That is their sentence, not a rule this site is imposing. Someone whose job, contract, or school date requires a certification this year has a different calendar from someone who will not be ready until 2027.
What Passy will do
The free practice set and the study outline stay on SY0-701 until that exam is no longer the one they claim to serve. Build an outline for a SY0-701 date only if that is the exam you are sitting. The outline does not transfer into a V8 plan by itself, and it does not tell you to wait.
Trust the source
Official sources
Exam policies can change. Use these primary sources for the most current details.