CompTIA
Free Security+ Practice Test & Questions
The CompTIA Security+ exam is up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, and the voucher costs $392. CertCrush provides 1,020 syllabus-aligned practice questions and 20 performance-based questions across all 5 exam domains, each with a full explanation. Free to try, no account required.
The CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) is the world's most recognised entry-level cybersecurity certification, trusted by employers, government agencies, and the US Department of Defense (DoD 8140 approved). It validates the core skills every security professional needs: identifying threats and vulnerabilities, securing hybrid environments, responding to incidents, and applying governance, risk, and compliance principles.The exam covers five domains: General Security Concepts, Threats Vulnerabilities and Mitigations, Security Architecture, Security Operations, and Security Program Management and Oversight. You'll face up to 90 questions (multiple choice plus performance-based) in 90 minutes, with a passing score of 750 out of 900.Security+ is the launchpad for SOC analyst, security engineer, and GRC roles, and it's the foundation for every advanced cert that follows.
Practice content last updated · Independently written and aligned to CompTIA’s published exam objectives.
10
Sample questions
90 min
Exam time limit
70%
Practice pass mark
$392
Exam voucher
About the CompTIA Security+ Exam
CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) is the most widely held entry-level cybersecurity certification in the world, and the baseline standard for IT security roles across both the private sector and US federal government. It is approved under DoD 8570/8140, making it a mandatory requirement for many defence and government contractor positions. Security+ validates that you can assess the security posture of an enterprise environment, recommend and implement appropriate security solutions, monitor and secure hybrid environments, and respond to security incidents. The exam covers five domains: Security Program Management and Oversight; Security Operations; Security Architecture; Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations; and General Security Concepts. Security+ is vendor-neutral, meaning the skills it certifies apply across all technology platforms and cloud providers. It is the ideal next step after CompTIA Network+ or for IT professionals moving into a dedicated security role. CertCrush gets you exam-ready with a free Security+ practice test experience: realistic practice questions, timed mock exams that mirror the SY0-701 format, and PBQ practice with a clear explanation for every answer.
Exam Domains Covered
Exam Format & Details
The CompTIA Security+ exam (SY0-701) consists of a maximum of 90 questions, including multiple-choice and performance-based questions (PBQs). The time limit is 90 minutes. The passing score is 750 on a scale of 100–900. The exam is available at Pearson VUE test centres worldwide or via online proctoring. The exam voucher costs $392 USD. CompTIA recommends (but does not require) CompTIA Network+ certification and two years of IT experience with a security focus before sitting Security+. Results are available immediately for computer-based testing.
Why Practice Questions Matter
Security+ uses performance-based questions (PBQs) alongside multiple-choice, which means some questions require you to interact with simulated environments, configuring firewalls, analysing logs, or identifying vulnerabilities in a network diagram. You cannot pass Security+ through memorisation alone. Timed practice builds the fluency you need to move through scenario questions quickly and confidently. CertCrush questions are written to match the SY0-701 domain weighting, so your practice time targets the areas that actually appear on the exam.
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Drag-and-drop, sequencing and configuration tasks that mirror the interactive questions on the real CompTIA Security+ exam — marked with partial credit.
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 Security+ exam — not actual exam content.
Q1.A banking web application lets a signed-in user change their account password by submitting a form. An attacker builds a malicious web page that, when opened by a victim who is currently authenticated to the bank in another tab, silently submits a password-change request to the bank on the victim's behalf — without the victim realising it. Which control would BEST prevent this cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attack?
- A.Input validation to sanitize the new password value submitted in the reset form
- B.Server-side request filtering to block requests from internal IP addresses
- C.Anti-CSRF tokens embedded in forms that tie each request to the user's authenticated session
- D.Rate limiting on the password reset endpoint to prevent rapid submission
Domain: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations
Q2.A healthcare organization's security team conducts a penetration test specifically targeting the physical access controls at its data center, including attempting to tailgate employees through secure doors and testing whether security guards can be socially engineered. What type of testing is this?
- A.Unknown environment testing
- B.Red team social engineering
- C.Physical penetration testing
- D.Blue team defensive exercise
Domain: Security Program Management and Oversight
Q3.A penetration test reveals that developers have been testing applications using a copy of the live customer database containing real Social Security numbers. Which data security method should have been applied before creating the test copy?
- A.Masking
- B.Encryption
- C.Tokenization
- D.Hashing
Domain: Security Architecture
Q4.A security analyst reviews logs showing that a web application returned HTTP 500 errors immediately after unusual input strings were submitted. Which data source would provide the MOST useful information for investigating a possible injection attack?
- A.Network logs
- B.Firewall logs
- C.Application logs
- D.IPS logs
Domain: Security Operations
Q5.A pharmaceutical company shares clinical trial data with a research partner but replaces patient names and birth dates with realistic fictitious values. The partner receives structurally accurate but non-sensitive data. Which technique is being used?
- A.Tokenization
- B.Encryption
- C.Steganography
- D.Data masking
Domain: General Security Concepts
Q6.An organization's security policy requires all third-party software libraries to be reviewed before inclusion in production applications. A developer bypasses this policy and adds an open-source library with an unpatched remote code execution vulnerability. Which vulnerability type BEST describes the risk introduced?
- A.OS-based vulnerability because the library runs at the operating system level
- B.Supply chain vulnerability through inclusion of software from an unvetted provider
- C.Zero-day vulnerability because the library vulnerability has no public CVE number
- D.Misconfiguration of the application's dependency management settings
Domain: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations
Q7.A penetration tester discovers a vulnerability in an in-scope web application that appears to provide a path to the organization's financial database, which is explicitly listed as out of scope in the rules of engagement. What is the CORRECT action?
- A.Exploit the vulnerability to demonstrate the risk to the financial database
- B.Document the finding and notify the client without exploiting the out-of-scope system
- C.Expand the scope unilaterally to include the financial database given the severity
- D.Continue the test and include the database access in the final report as a bonus finding
Domain: Security Program Management and Oversight
Q8.A company takes daily full backups of its critical database. A security analyst suggests this consumes excessive storage and recommends a strategy that balances storage efficiency with manageable restore complexity using only two backup sets for restoration. Which strategy BEST meets this recommendation?
- A.Switch to incremental backups only with no full backups
- B.Weekly full backups with daily incremental backups and accept complex multi-set restores
- C.Replace all backups with real-time replication only
- D.Weekly full backups with daily differential backups
Domain: Security Architecture
Q9.A security orchestration platform automatically disables a compromised user account, notifies the user's manager, creates an incident ticket, and initiates a forensic collection job, all from a single alert. This demonstrates automation's role as a:
- A.Guard rail for policy enforcement
- B.Workforce multiplier through orchestrated actions
- C.Baseline for normal user behavior
- D.Technical debt reducer
Domain: Security Operations
Q10.An organization cannot implement MFA on a legacy system. As a compensating control, the team restricts access to the system to a dedicated jump server with enhanced logging. Which Zero Trust concept does the access restriction MOST reflect?
- A.Adaptive identity
- B.Implicit trust zone creation
- C.Threat scope reduction
- D.Policy-driven access control
Domain: General Security Concepts
CompTIA Security+ guides & exam news
Cisco CCST Cybersecurity (100-160) Explained: Domains, Cost and How It Compares to Security+ in 2026
CCST Cybersecurity costs $125 and runs 50 minutes, against $439 and 90 minutes for Security+. Here are the five exam domains, the renewal rules that changed in July 2025, and who should sit Cisco's entry-level security exam first.
How to Pass the CompTIA Security+ SY0-801 Exam: An 8-Week Study Plan for the New 2026 Objectives
A week-by-week SY0-801 study plan built on CompTIA's draft objectives, including the new AI content in Domain 2. Covers what is confirmed, what is still tentative, and whether you should sit SY0-701 now instead of waiting.
CompTIA Security+ SY0-801 vs SY0-701: What's Changing in 2026 (And Should You Wait?)
CompTIA Security+ SY0-801 is due in late 2026 with dedicated AI and LLM content. Here is exactly what changes from SY0-701, who should sit which version, and whether it is worth waiting for the new exam.
Is the CompTIA Trifecta Still Worth It in 2026? (A+, Network+, Security+ vs CCNA)
CompTIA has raised exam prices again, so is the trifecta (A+, Network+, Security+) still worth it in 2026, or should you take the cheaper CCNA plus Security+ route? Here is an honest cost and career breakdown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the CompTIA Security+ course include performance-based questions?
Yes. The CompTIA Security+ course includes 20 performance-based questions (PBQs) — hands-on tasks that mirror the interactive questions on the real exam, including drag-and-drop matching, sequencing and configuration screens. Each one is marked with partial credit, so you can see exactly which placements were wrong, and every task includes a full explanation. The first two are free to try.
What is included in the free CompTIA Security+ 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 Security+ course?
The full course includes a comprehensive question bank covering all exam domains. You can see the total question count on the CompTIA Security+ 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 Security+ course cover?
The course covers 5 exam domains: Security Program Management and Oversight, Security Operations, Security Architecture, Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations, General Security Concepts.
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.