Security+ (SY0-701) Passing Score
You need 750 out of 900 to pass — but that is a scaled score, not 83% of questions correct. Here is how CompTIA scoring actually works, the five domain weights, what practice score means you are ready, and the retake policy.
01 The short answer
02 How CompTIA scoring actually works
One design choice in the CompTIA scoring model explains almost every confusion about the 750 number: it is a scaled score, not a raw percentage. Before getting into the mechanics, it helps to picture the exam itself. SY0-701 delivers a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing standard multiple-choice items with performance-based questions. That is a minute per question on average, but the PBQs eat far more than a minute each, so the multiple-choice items have to be quick. Knowing that shapes how you read the 750 figure: it is not 750 raw points out of 90 questions, it is a converted score on a fixed 100–900 ladder.
1. It is a scaled score, not a raw percentage
CompTIA converts your raw result — how many points your correct answers earn — into a scaled score from 100 to 900. Scaling equates results across different versions of the exam that may be slightly harder or easier, so everyone is held to the same standard. The practical effect: 750 does not mean 83% correct. People quote “about 83%” because 750 of 900 works out to roughly that fraction, but CompTIA does not publish the raw-to-scaled formula, and the actual percentage of items you must get right shifts with your particular form. Aim well clear of the line so form difficulty never decides your result.
It also means you cannot reverse-engineer your standing mid-exam. There is no running tally and no way to count “I have 60 right, I am safe” — because items are not worth equal points and the scaling is applied at the end. Candidates who try to track a percentage in their head usually just rattle themselves. Answer every question to the best of your ability, use the review screen to revisit anything you flagged, and let the scaled score sort itself out. The bottom of the 100–900 range is 100, not 0, so even a blank exam does not read as zero — do not be reassured by a three-digit number that looks “not that far” from 750.
2. There is no per-domain minimum
Security+ is scored as a single whole-exam scaled score. CompTIA does not publish a minimum score for any individual domain, so a strong area can help offset a weaker one as long as your total reaches 750. Your score report does break your performance down by domain so you can see where you were weak, but that breakdown is feedback — it is not a second hurdle you have to clear domain by domain. This is good news for most candidates: if cryptography or governance is your soft spot, you do not have to nail those specific questions to pass, provided your overall total clears the bar.
The flip side is a planning trap. Because there is no domain floor, it is tempting to write off the smallest domain entirely. Do not. With 90 questions and the pass mark sitting around 83%, you have very little margin to give away — missing a whole 12% slice because you skipped General Security Concepts can be the difference between 760 and 740. Aim to be competent everywhere and strong in the heavy domains, rather than betting your pass on a couple of areas carrying the rest.
03 The five domains and their weights
Because there is no per-domain minimum, the smart move is to weight your study toward the heaviest domains. Security Operations alone is more than a quarter of the exam, and the top two domains together are half of it. These weights are set in CompTIA’s published SY0-701 exam objectives and are the closest thing to a blueprint you get — treat them as a budget for how to split your revision hours.
04 What practice score means you are ready
Because the real exam is scaled and PBQ-weighted, the best readiness signal is a repeatable score on fresh, full-length, timed practice exams — not one lucky run. The word that matters is fresh: a 95% on a question bank you have already memorised tells you nothing, because you are recalling answers rather than reasoning about scenarios. Reserve at least one full-length set you have never seen, sit it under exam conditions with the clock running, and use that number as your real gauge. Use this scale.
05 If you fail: the retake policy
Falling short of 750 is not the end — and CompTIA is more forgiving than most on the first retake — but you pay again every time, so it is worth being ready first. The headline rule is that your first retake has no waiting period: if you fail attempt one, you can rebook the moment you feel ready. The wait only kicks in from the third attempt onward, where a 14-day cooldown sits between each further try.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| First retake | No mandatory waiting period — you can rebook as soon as you are ready |
| Third attempt onward | You must wait at least 14 calendar days from your last attempt before each further retake |
| Attempt limit | No cap on total attempts (the 14-day wait applies from the third try) |
| Cost per attempt | The full exam fee every time — no free re-test or discounted retake |
The temptation after a near miss is to rebook immediately while the material is fresh — and because the first retake has no wait, you can. That works if you genuinely just ran out of time or fumbled the PBQs; it backfires if you were short on knowledge, because resitting the same gaps a day later usually produces the same result minus another exam fee. Be honest about which one you were. A score of 740 after good preparation is a timing or nerves problem you can fix in days; a score of 690 is a content problem that needs another week or two of focused work on your weak domains.
06 FAQ
What is the passing score for CompTIA Security+ SY0-701?
You need 750 out of 900 to pass the CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) exam. Scores are reported on a scaled range of 100 to 900, and 750 is the minimum passing mark set by CompTIA.
Is 750 the same as getting 83% of questions correct?
Not exactly. CompTIA uses a scaled scoring model, so 750 on the 100 to 900 scale does not map directly to 83% of questions answered correctly. The 83% figure is only an approximation, and performance-based questions are weighted more heavily than standard multiple-choice items, so the raw percentage you need can shift depending on your particular exam form.
Does CompTIA set a minimum score per domain on Security+?
No. CompTIA scores Security+ as a single whole-exam scaled score. There is no published minimum for any individual domain, so a strong area can help offset a weaker one as long as your total reaches 750.
How long do I wait to retake Security+ if I fail?
CompTIA lets you take your first retake with no mandatory waiting period, so you can rebook as soon as you are ready. From the third attempt onward you must wait at least 14 calendar days from your last attempt. There is no cap on total attempts, but you pay the full exam fee each time.
