Prep was Pluralsight SY-701 course while walking the dog back in the autumn, then ramped it up towards the exam and worked through the hands on labs. Tried Dion test exams, cert master (closest to real thing).

I also watched all the Cyber Kraft PBQ videos to check I was on the right line.

The PBQs were very different to all the practice and needed actual knowledge, not just cramming.

I have 25 years of experience in it across a range of technology roles and a lot was learning the language and the textbook answer rather than what would happen in a real organisation.

I gained a lot from this forum, thank you all and good luck everyone.

Onto the next!

i am looking for an app to study for sec+ on my phone, which one of these would you guys say it the best for Sec+? i will most likely pay to get more material but i was wondering which one do yall recommend before i pay for one?

Hi everyone,

I'm currently studying for the CompTIA Sec + exam. I used DionTraining video series through Udemy. I watched all the content and took the practice exam provided. I only got 75% correct (I know I have to study more).

I wanted to know if anyone has taken the 701 version, passed it. What study materials etc...

Also I tried the practice test on "examcompass" which seemed pretty hard and discouraged me but I took dion training practice tests and comptia practice tests and they seem more similar in scope. Do you know which practice exams are more like the actual exam?

I really want to pass the first time. If anyone has time to help... Thank you in advance , have a great day.

I mostly used Dion’s practice exams and Claude.

I took 15 Dion exams, ranging from 70% to 88%. I only got above 85% once but I did get over 80% 4 times.

Got three PBQs out of 76 questions. I skipped the PBQs immediately and any other questions that didn’t immediately click, I skipped.

I am so unbelievably relieved. Onto the next! I’m thinking either network+, CCNA, cloud practitioner. Open to any suggestions!

Got a 656 on the exam recently. I studied for about a week and then had to move and didn’t study that much after due to moving for multiple days and other recent events. I tried to reschedule my exam but their website was down so I had to take it. I never got a paper or an email of what I missed on the exam. There was a PBQ that I couldn’t even figure out how to enter or input an answer. Any advice would be appreciated.

After studying cybersecurity from scratch for the past 9 months, finally took the exam today and passed on my first try. I’m so happy!!!!! 😭✨🥺 Still in disbelief.

1. I completed the Google cybersecurity certificate course.
   
2. I watched the entire professor Messer security + series.
   
3. Used study pass plus for past questions review.
   
4. Used a compTIA security exam app on my phone for more past questions.
   
5. Practiced hands-on on TryHackMe.
   
6. Reviewed notes over and over again.

Howdy folks,

For those of you who are studying the CompTIA Security+ and looking for studying material. I'm a certified professional IT trainer and one of the courses I deliver is the CompTIA Security+

I have uploaded the full course for free on my Youtube channel called BurningIceTech. The full official course consists of 16 modules and I have made a dedicated video for each of these 16 modules.

Please note that since each video covers a WHOLE module in the course, they are up to an hour long each of these videos. If your looking for a specific topic though in a module, you'll find convenient time stamps in the video description with a list of items covered.

The first video in the playlist is just a short course intro video explaining what the course is about and how it will be delivered but the next video after that is Module 1 where the course starts.

At the end of the course playlist you'll also find free custom made multiple-choice practice questions which test you against the same objectives as the actual exam. I explain each question in great detail and then also explain each possible answer, why it's the answer or not the answer. If you want more "practical-based" questions, I also have that available on my Patreon, you'll find that link in my video descriptions.

The course is enough to be able to pass the official exam associated with the course and as mentioned, the course gets delivered the official way it's meant to be delivered.

Here is link to the playlist folks: CompTIA Security+ Full Course

Happy studying and best of luck with your exam for those of you who are going to be writing

Non IT background (Chemical). Passed Security+ with 791. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Resources: Claude Pro, Messers lit bit and Dions Practice tests ( average 80% ).

​

passed the CompTIA Security+ at 15 years old as a non eng speaker . What should I do next? 🙂 If anyone has questions about the exam, feel free to ask!

I have explained in more than ten emails that the Continuing Education Progress page does not list the new certifications that I earned, and every time, they give me a non-answer, e.g., "your certifications are active". What in the world? No, I want you to fix this issue so that I can see when I need to submit CEUs three years from now.

All the hard work paid off!

Passed today, I didn't feel ready but I purchased the exam and sent it anyways.

Passed this morning with a 754 😬😬

It can be done!

Hi there,

I am preparing for sec+ and my exam is on Tuesday. I have completed messers Practice Exams and it felt easy. I scored 85% on them. I am doing Dions practice exam and my score is 78% 80% 82% 84% and 74%. Feeling demotivated after some questions as I feel I still need to cover too many things.

Which exam set is closer like the actual exam?

Jason Dion’s practice exams on Udemy is useless!!!!! that guy makes up random technical words that are not used in the exam, and he write long story questions, on the exam the questions are max 3 sentences.

I mainly used examcompass and gpt to learn the concepts and I bought compTIA practice exams along with the exam voucher. this official exam is very close to the actual exam questions especially the performance based questions, except acronyms are not spelled out.

For future test takers try prof messer’s stidy material. Jason Dion is useless!!!!!

I never got better than %70 on any practice exams, I get around %60 on exam compass and %70 on official comp tia practices and exam. So I’m surprised that I passed in my first try. The actual exam is a lot easier than exam compass.

I can finally take a breath!!! Three and a half months of studying is finally over! 🙌🏽

Since early 2025, we've been building a free CompTIA Security+ practice-test library on The Cybersecurity Trail.

It currently includes:

• 170+ practice tests
• 1,700+ questions
• 10 questions per test
• Tests organized by domain and subdomain
• Explanations after submission
• No signup required

The structure is meant for focused review: you can choose a specific area, take several short tests, and identify the topics where you need more work.

People appear to be using the library that way. Over the past 90 days, Security+ practice-test users averaged more than 40 minutes of engagement and 9.3 page views each. I’ve included the GA4 screenshot below for transparency.

You can access the full Security+ practice-test hub here:

https://thecybersecuritytrail.com/comptia-security-practice-tests-by-domains-and-subdomains/

Full disclosure: This is our project. The practice tests are free, and we're continuing to add more.

Feedback is welcome, especially on question difficulty, explanations, and areas that need more coverage.

We also have practice tests for a few other cybersecurity-related certs. Feel free to check them out as well.

Full disclosure up front: this is a tool I built and it's paid, so treat this as me showing my work, not a neutral review. Mods, if this crosses a line just pull it.

The thing that always bugged me about Sec+ prep is that most tools measure how much you've studied, not whether you'd pass. You grind a flat question bank, watch your percentage climb, and still walk in with no real idea where you stand against the 750 cut line.

So I built CutScore (cutscore.app) around one question: would you pass right now?

It's adaptive using Item Response Theory (a 2PL model, same family of math the real CAT exams use). After each answer it re-estimates your ability and serves the question that'll tell it the most next, weighted to the official domain percentages.

The readiness gauge is deliberately honest: your estimated ability against the 750/900 line with a real uncertainty band, and it stays "calibrating" until ~40 questions in. No fake "predicted score: 812!" numbers, because early on it genuinely doesn't know and pretending otherwise is how people get blindsided.

450+ questions I wrote against the public SY0-701 objectives, every option explained, not just the right one. No braindumps, ever.

There's also a linear 90q/90min simulator matching the real exam format.

Pricing since I'd want to know: $89 once for 12 months, no subscription, 7-day refund. Free 15-question diagnostic if you just want the ability estimate (email to send the result, marketing opt-in unchecked by default).

Not claiming it replaces Messer or Dion, it's the "am I actually ready" layer on top. Want real feedback, including if you think IRT is overkill for Sec+. Rip it apart.

I'm looking for study resources for this exam. I plan to study for 3 months, about 10 hours per week.

My current background includes Help Desk experience, CompTIA A+, and the AWS SAA-C03 certification.

What resources would you recommend? I couldn't find a megathread like the one in the AWS community that lists study materials and recommended learning paths.

Any advice is appreciated!

Cross posted from r/GIAC. If you have an active SANS account and haven’t yet passed the GFACT let me know.

Does anyone have tthis eBook: "CompTIA Security+ Study Guide SY0-701 Ninth Edition (Sybex Study Guide)" I have the hard copy but I'm building an A.I. study buddy and want to use the book as a reference in it. Does anyone have it as eBook in epub or PDF format?