CompTIA
Free CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 Practice Questions
CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 is an intermediate-level cybersecurity analyst certification launching in mid-2026 that validates skills across threat detection, vulnerability management, incident response, and cloud/AI-driven security operations, targeting professionals with 3-4 years of experience and sitting between Security+ and SecurityX in the CompTIA pathway.
10
Sample questions
165 min
Exam time limit
80%
Passing score
$392
Exam voucher
About the CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 Exam
The CompTIA CySA+ (CS0-004) certifies your ability to apply behavioural analytics to detect, prevent, and respond to cybersecurity threats. Sitting between Security+ and CASP+ in CompTIA's pathway, it targets analysts who work daily with SIEM platforms, vulnerability scanners, and incident response workflows. CySA+ is approved by the US DoD under Directive 8140 and maps directly to NICE Framework roles including Cyber Defense Analyst and Vulnerability Assessment Analyst. Employers across government, finance, and healthcare use it as the benchmark for mid-level analyst positions. The CS0-004 revision places greater weight on proactive threat hunting, cloud security, and communicating risk to non-technical stakeholders — reflecting how the modern SOC has evolved beyond reactive alert triage. Candidates are expected to not only identify threats but prioritise them intelligently and drive remediation across teams.
Exam Domains Covered
Exam Format & Details
The CySA+ CS0-004 exam contains up to 85 questions — multiple-choice and performance-based questions (PBQs) — with a 165-minute time limit. The passing score is 750 on a 100–900 scale. Domain breakdown: - Security Operations (33%) - Vulnerability Management (30%) - Incident Response and Management (20%) - Reporting and Communication (17%) Performance-based questions simulate realistic analyst tasks: configuring SIEM correlation rules, triaging a vulnerability report by business impact, or analysing packet captures for indicators of compromise. PBQs are weighted heavily and appear early in the exam — work through them methodically rather than skipping to multiple-choice.
Why Practice Questions Matter
CySA+ questions are scenario-heavy by design. Rather than testing definitions, they present SOC situations and ask you to identify the correct analyst response, select the right tool, or interpret ambiguous data under time pressure. Practice questions build the pattern recognition to: - Map attack symptoms to threat categories quickly (ransomware pre-staging vs. lateral movement vs. exfiltration) - Choose the correct vulnerability prioritisation approach given CVSS score, asset criticality, and business context - Distinguish between threat hunting, threat intelligence consumption, and incident response workflows - Interpret log output and network captures for signs of compromise The gap between Security+ and CySA+ is largely analytical depth. Candidates who pass Security+ but struggle with CySA+ typically under-prepare on the "what would you do next" style questions — exactly what practice mode targets.
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Sample Practice Questions
The following questions are a preview of the type of syllabus-aligned questions you will practise in CertCrush. They reflect the format and reasoning style of the CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 exam — not actual exam content.
Q1.A vulnerability scan identifies a critical finding on a production server running a legacy application. The vendor will release a patch in 45 days but the SLA requires critical remediation within 15 days. How should the team handle this gap?
- A.Mark the vulnerability as resolved with a note about the upcoming patch
- B.File a vulnerability exception with documented compensating controls and the vendor's 45-day patch commitment
- C.Ignore the SLA for vendor-dependent vulnerabilities
- D.Shut down the legacy application until the vendor releases the patch
Domain: Vulnerability Management
Q2.A security analyst notices that logs from several Linux web servers are arriving at the SIEM with timestamps that differ by up to 15 minutes from the SIEM's clock. Correlation rules are failing to link related events across systems. Which action should the analyst prioritize to resolve this issue?
- A.Increase the SIEM correlation time window to 20 minutes
- B.Configure all servers to synchronize with a centralized NTP server
- C.Switch the SIEM display to UTC timezone
- D.Restart the syslog service on each web server
Domain: Security Operations
Q3.An organization stores logs in a central repository and must prove to auditors that no log entries have been modified since collection. The security team hashes each log file daily and stores the hash values in a separate, access-controlled database. An auditor asks how the team would detect if an attacker modified a log entry and then recalculated the hash. Which improvement would best address this concern?
- A.Increase hashing frequency to hourly
- B.Implement a hash chain linking each daily hash to the previous day's hash
- C.Switch from SHA-256 to SHA-512 hashing
- D.Store hashes on the same server as logs for faster verification
Domain: Security Operations
Q4.A systems administrator is hardening Windows servers using CIS Benchmark recommendations. Management requires all servers to meet Level 1 compliance but has not approved Level 2 due to concerns about application compatibility. A Level 2 recommendation suggests disabling the Windows Remote Management (WinRM) service. The admin discovers that their configuration management tool depends on WinRM. Which action aligns with the approved hardening policy?
- A.Skip the Level 2 WinRM control since only Level 1 was approved and document the rationale
- B.Disable WinRM as recommended and replace the configuration management tool
- C.Request a formal exception for the WinRM control from the change advisory board
- D.Disable WinRM temporarily during audit periods and re-enable it afterward
Domain: Security Operations
Q5.A SOC analyst observes a process named svchost.exe running on a Windows 10 workstation. The process is spawned directly by explorer.exe, is running from the C:\Users\Public\Downloads directory, and has established an outbound connection on port 443. Which characteristic is the strongest indicator that this process is malicious?
- A.The process has an outbound connection on port 443
- B.It is spawned by explorer.exe and running from C:\Users\Public\Downloads
- C.The process is named svchost.exe
- D.The process is running on a Windows 10 workstation
Domain: Security Operations
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the free CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 sample?
The free sample includes 10 syllabus-aligned practice questions, sample flashcards, and a preview chapter from the study guide. No account or payment is required to try the sample.
How many questions are in the full CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 course?
The full course includes a comprehensive question bank covering all exam domains. You can see the total question count on the CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 course page.
Are these official CompTIA exam questions?
No. CertCrush questions are independently written and syllabus-aligned — they mirror the format, difficulty, and reasoning style of the official exam. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA.
Which domains does the CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 course cover?
The course covers 4 exam domains: Security Operations, Vulnerability Management, Incident Response, Reporting and Communication.
Can I study on mobile?
Yes. CertCrush is fully responsive and works on phones, tablets, and desktops. The timed exam, flashcards, and study guide all work on mobile without installing an app.
What happens when I create an account?
Creating a free account lets you access full courses, track your weak areas by domain, and resume practice sessions across devices. No credit card is required to register.