CompTIA Security+ study plan: an 8-week plan for 2026–2027

CompTIA Security+ is one of the most requested entry-level security certifications. It shows employers you understand core security ideas: threats, controls, architecture, operations and governance. This plan assumes about an hour a day on weekdays and a longer session at weekends.

Which version should you take?

The current exam is SY0-701. CompTIA has published draft objectives for the next version, SY0-801, with a tentative launch date of 17 November 2026; launch dates can move. Training providers report that SY0-701 is planned to retire in June 2027 for the English exam. Always check the dates on CompTIA's own website before you book.

• Already studying for SY0-701? Finish and book it. Study materials are mature and both versions lead to the same certification.
• Starting from zero in late 2026? Either is fine. If you start after SY0-801 launches, choose it, as it will stay current for longer.

The draft SY0-801 domains are: General Security Concepts, Threats, Vulnerabilities and Attacks, Security Architecture, Security Operations (the largest domain), and Security Program Management and Oversight. They are close to SY0-701, so the plan below works for both.

The 8-week plan

1. Week 1: foundations. CIA triad, authentication vs authorisation, security controls (technical, managerial, operational, physical), zero trust and change management. Read our CIA triad note.
2. Week 2: threats and attacks. Malware types, social engineering, password attacks, network and application attacks, threat actors and their motives.
3. Week 3: cryptography and identity. Hashing vs encryption, symmetric vs asymmetric, certificates and PKI, MFA, SSO and federation. Try our hash calculator.
4. Week 4: architecture. Network segmentation, firewalls, VPNs, cloud models and shared responsibility, secure network design.
5. Week 5: operations. Hardening, vulnerability management, logging and SIEM, incident response steps, digital forensics basics.
6. Week 6: governance. Risk management, policies, compliance, third-party risk, business continuity and disaster recovery.
7. Week 7: practice exams. Take full timed practice tests. For every wrong answer, write down why the right answer is right.
8. Week 8: performance-based questions and review. Practise drag-and-drop and simulation questions (for example placing firewall rules or matching attacks to controls), then revise your weak areas.

Exam-day tips

• Performance-based questions usually appear first and take longer. Flag them and come back if you are stuck.
• Read the last line of each question first: it tells you what is really being asked.
• Watch for words such as best, first and most likely; several answers may be true, but only one fits.
• The passing score has been 750 on a scale of 100 to 900 for recent versions; confirm the current figure on CompTIA's site.

After you pass

Add the certification to your CV and LinkedIn, and build something that shows your skills, such as a small home lab with a firewall and logging. Our post on building an IT portfolio shows how.

Sources

• Training Camp: CompTIA Security+ SY0-801 release date and what we know
• CompTIA: Security+ certification