Security+ practice test (CompTIA SY0-701): free questions with explanations

Practise for the CompTIA Security+ exam with original multiple-choice questions on the five SY0-701 domains: security concepts, threats and attacks, architecture, operations, and risk and governance. Start with 5 free questions, then take two full tests of 60 questions in 60 minutes, with an explanation for every answer and your score per domain.

• 5 free questions
• 2 full tests, 120 questions
• 60 questions in 60 minutes
• An explanation for every answer
• Practice certificate PDF

What is on the Security+ exam (SY0-701)?

Security+ is CompTIA's entry-level cybersecurity certification. The current exam, SY0-701, launched on 7 November 2023 and spreads its questions over five domains:

• General security concepts: 12%. Control types, CIA, zero trust, PKI, hashing and encryption.
• Threats, vulnerabilities and mitigations: 22%. Threat actors, phishing, malware, injection, DDoS and hardening.
• Security architecture: 18%. Cloud responsibility, network appliances, data protection and resilience.
• Security operations: 28%. Hardening, vulnerability management, monitoring, IAM, incident response and forensics.
• Security program management and oversight: 20%. Governance, risk (SLE, ALE, RTO, RPO), vendors, compliance, audits and awareness.

CompTIA recommends Network+ and about two years in a security or systems administrator role first. Source: comptia.org, Security+ V7 certification page, checked 19 October 2026.

How many questions are on the Security+ exam, and what is the passing score?

Source: comptia.org (Security+ V7 page), checked 19 October 2026. CompTIA does not publish a percentage pass mark: the 750 is a scaled score, so a MyLevel percentage does not convert to it. The performance-based questions (simulations where you configure or drag items) are not simulated here; our tests cover the same knowledge as single-answer questions. New version: CompTIA plans to launch Security+ V8 (SY0-801) on or around 17 November 2026, with the same 90 questions, 90 minutes and 750 pass score but new domain weights. SY0-701 stays available in English until 11 June 2027.

What you practise on MyLevel

Each practice test has 60 original questions in the SY0-701 proportions: 7 on general security concepts, 13 on threats, 11 on architecture, 17 on operations and 12 on program management.

• Attacks by name: password spraying versus brute force, watering hole, typosquatting, DNS amplification, replay, downgrade, TOCTOU and VM escape.
• Which tool fits: WAF, IPS, SIEM, SOAR, EDR, DLP, FIM, jump server, load balancer and DNS filtering.
• Email and identity: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, SAML, OAuth, passkeys, just-in-time access and access control models.
• Incident response order, order of volatility, chain of custody and legal hold.
• Risk maths with worked answers: SLE = asset value x exposure factor, ALE = SLE x ARO, plus RTO and RPO.

Security+ is approved for 20 work roles under the US Department of Defense manual DoDM 8140.03 (comptia.org, CompTIA and DoDM 8140). Start with 5 free questions. The full pack costs $9.99, a one-time payment with no subscription, and also unlocks every other MyLevel job test.

How to pass Security+

• Study by weight: security operations (28%) and threats (22%) together are half the exam. Use your score per domain to decide where your next hour goes.
• Learn the look-alikes: many questions hinge on one word. IDS alerts, IPS blocks; RPO is data loss, RTO is downtime; SPF lists servers, DKIM signs, DMARC sets the policy; spraying is one password on many accounts.
• Do the risk maths by hand: work out SLE and ALE on paper until it is automatic.
• Skip performance-based questions first: they often come at the start of the real exam and take time. Many candidates flag them, answer the multiple-choice questions, then return.
• Practise under time: take a full 60-question test in one sitting at one minute per question, then read every explanation and retake your weakest domain.

MyLevel is independent and not affiliated with, or endorsed by, CompTIA. CompTIA and Security+ are trademarks of CompTIA, Inc. All questions are original practice questions written by MyLevel from the published SY0-701 domain list, not real exam questions, and a practice score is not a CompTIA result or certification. Performance-based questions are not simulated.

Sample question with explanation

Frequently asked questions

More practice tests