How Hard Is Security+

CompTIA Security+ is moderately hard. It sits at an early-intermediate level, so it’s beyond a basic entry-level exam but well below the difficulty and experience level associated with advanced certifications such as CISSP.

That makes Security+ manageable for a prepared candidate, but not something you should treat like a quick quiz. The exam rewards proper preparation and punishes shortcuts. If you’re searching for how hard is Security+ 701, the most honest answer is this: expect a serious step up from a beginner certification, but not an unusually advanced security exam.

Your background matters. So does how you study. The available research supports a difficulty rating and a passing score, but it does not support a precise failure rate, a firm exam cost, or a guaranteed career payoff in 2026.

How difficult is the CompTIA Security+ exam?

Security+ is best described as moderately difficult and early-intermediate.

That rating puts it in the middle. It isn’t presented as an easy first exam that you can pass with little study. At the same time, it isn’t grouped with the most advanced cybersecurity certifications. You’re expected to understand security ideas well enough to apply them, rather than simply recognize a few basic terms.

A useful way to think about the difficulty:

• Too advanced to wing it
• Accessible enough for a well-prepared learner
• More complex than a basic entry-level certification
• Less advanced than CISSP or CEH, based on the comparisons in the available results

That middle position explains why people give very different reports about the exam. Someone with networking knowledge or hands-on IT experience may see it as a reasonable next step. Someone starting with no technical background may find the same material much harder.

The exam is not “impossible,” but easy-pass claims are just as unhelpful as scare stories. A realistic expectation is that you’ll need focused study and a clear understanding of the material before sitting for it.

Why Security+ can feel harder than an entry-level certification

Entry-level exams usually focus on basic ideas and vocabulary. Security+ asks you to think more carefully about how security problems work and how different security choices fit together.

That creates a few common sources of difficulty.

First, security covers a wide range of topics. You may need to move between different kinds of problems instead of staying in one narrow area. A question can test whether you understand a security idea, recognize the risk involved, and choose the most sensible response.

Second, knowing a definition may not be enough. You might recognize a term when you see it in a study guide, but still struggle when the exam places that term in a practical situation. That gap between “I’ve seen this word” and “I can use this idea” is where much of the difficulty comes from.

Third, the exam expects more care than a casual review provides. Reading a few summaries, memorizing a list, or relying on guesses may leave large gaps in your understanding. That is why the research describes Security+ as an exam that rewards preparation and punishes shortcuts.

This doesn’t mean you need to know every security topic at an expert level. It does mean you should be able to explain the main ideas in your own words and tell them apart when a question gives you a realistic situation.

How Security+ compares with CISSP, CEH, and Network+

Comparisons are useful, but only if you keep them in the right frame. “Harder” can mean more advanced content, more experience expected, or simply more study time for a particular person.

Is Security+ harder than Network+?

The available results do not give enough detail to make a precise, universal ranking between Security+ and Network+. They do support the broader point that Security+ is more complex than basic entry-level certifications.

Your own background can change the comparison. Someone comfortable with networking may find parts of Security+ easier than someone who has never worked with technical systems. Another learner might find the security concepts less familiar and need more time.

So, is Security+ harder than Network+? There isn’t enough evidence in the provided research to give a firm yes or no for every candidate. The safer answer is that Security+ is an early-intermediate exam, and its difficulty depends partly on how familiar you already are with the ideas it tests.

Security+ versus CISSP

Security+ is described as less advanced than CISSP. That does not mean Security+ is trivial. It means the two certifications sit at different points in a learner’s path.

Security+ is commonly framed as an early-intermediate security exam. CISSP is treated as a more advanced certification. Comparing the two directly can make Security+ sound easier than it feels, but a lower level does not remove the need for preparation.

If CISSP is an advanced target, Security+ is closer to building a working security foundation.

Security+ versus CEH

The research also places Security+ below CEH in difficulty or advancement. Again, that is a broad comparison rather than a promise about your personal experience.

A candidate with security experience may find Security+ comfortable. A complete newcomer may still need significant study. The important point is that Security+ is not being described as the most advanced certification in this group. It is positioned as a more approachable early-intermediate step.

What the Security+ passing score means

The passing score for Security+ is 750 on a scale from 100 to 900.

That gives you a clear target, but it doesn’t tell you exactly how many questions you can miss. A scaled score is not the same thing as a simple percentage. You should avoid treating 750 as though it automatically means 75% correct.

The score also shouldn’t be read as proof that every candidate needs the same amount of preparation. Two people can earn the same score after very different study experiences. One may already understand much of the material. Another may need to build that knowledge from the ground up.

The practical takeaway is simple: aim to understand the material well enough to reach the passing standard, not to memorize one number and hope for the best. If you only study until the content looks familiar, you may feel ready before you actually are.

Can you pass Security+ without prior experience?

The available research does not establish a detailed set of prerequisites or say that prior work experience is required. It also doesn’t provide enough information to promise that a person with no experience will pass.

That leaves a useful middle ground.

Prior experience is relevant to your preparation needs, but the research does not support treating it as an automatic requirement. A person with no IT or security background may need more time to learn the basic ideas first. Someone who already understands related technical concepts may spend more of that time on exam-specific review.

If you’re deciding whether to pursue Security+ without experience, ask yourself:

• Can you give yourself enough time to learn unfamiliar terms?
• Are you willing to study beyond quick memorization?
• Can you explain the main ideas without looking at your notes?
• Are you prepared to treat the exam as an early-intermediate challenge rather than a basic starter test?

If the answer is yes, a lack of experience does not automatically settle the question. But it should affect your study plan. Starting from scratch usually makes the path feel longer than it does for someone who already has a technical base.

The research also does not establish whether you should complete another specific certification first. So it would be too strong to claim that you must take A+ or Network+ before Security+. Those choices depend on your background, and the supplied results don’t provide a firm prerequisite rule.

How preparation affects your chances of passing

Preparation is the biggest factor the available material emphasizes. Security+ is described as manageable with proper preparation, while shortcuts are likely to leave you exposed.

That doesn’t mean studying has to become complicated. It means your study should go further than reading terms once and hoping they stick.

A practical approach looks like this:

1. Learn the ideas, not only the labels.

If you can repeat a definition but can’t explain what it means in a real situation, keep studying that topic.

1. Find your weak areas early.

Don’t spend all your time reviewing topics you already recognize. The difficult subjects are usually the ones that need the most attention.

1. Use active recall.

Close your notes and try to explain the concept from memory. This quickly shows whether you really understand it.

1. Review your mistakes.

If you miss a practice question, don’t only mark the right answer. Work out why your choice was wrong and what clue you missed.

1. Avoid last-minute confidence.

Familiar words can create a false sense of readiness. Being able to apply an idea matters more than having seen it before.

A candidate who studies steadily can make a moderately hard exam feel manageable. A candidate who rushes, skips weak areas, or depends on memorization may find it much harder than expected.

What the search results do—and do not—say about Security+ failure rates

This is where a careful answer matters.

The available results do not provide a reliable percentage for the Security+ failure rate. They also do not say how many people fail the exam in a given period. There is no supported figure here for answering, “How many people fail SEC+?”

So don’t trust anyone who presents a specific failure number as though it came from the supplied research. It would be an estimate, not an established fact from these results.

What the results do support is more limited:

• Security+ is commonly described as moderately hard.
• It is placed at an early-intermediate level.
• It is more complex than entry-level certifications.
• Preparation has a strong effect on how manageable it feels.
• The passing score is 750 on a 100–900 scale.

That is enough to set expectations. It is not enough to predict your exact odds of passing.

Is Security+ worth pursuing in 2026?

The research provided for this question does not establish a firm answer about Security+’s career value in 2026. It doesn’t give enough evidence to promise a particular job outcome, salary result, or return on the exam cost.

The same limit applies to how much the Security+ exam costs. The available material does not provide a reliable price, so any exact figure would be guesswork. Check the current official exam information before budgeting for it.

A fair way to judge the certification is to separate two questions:

1. Can you handle the difficulty?

The answer appears to be yes for a prepared learner. Security+ is moderately hard, not exceptionally advanced.

1. Is it worth your time and money?

The supplied research cannot answer that for your specific career plan in 2026.

If you want an early-intermediate security certification and are willing to prepare properly, Security+ may fit what you’re looking for. Just make the decision based on your goals, available study time, and current certification details—not on claims that it is either an effortless pass or a guaranteed career shortcut.