Security Analyst Training

# Certifications

Security+ V7 vs V8: which exam should you take?

Published Published by Security Analyst Training

CompTIA runs two Security+ versions side by side for several months. V7 (exam code SY0-701) is available now, and V8 (SY0-801) is scheduled to launch on or around November 17, 2026[CompTIA]. If you are planning your study now, the version question decides which objectives you learn and which study materials still apply.

When do the two versions overlap?

V7 (SY0-701) V8 (SY0-801)
Launch November 7, 2023 November 17, 2026
Retirement English: June 11, 2027. Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai: August 13, 2027 Estimated 3 years after launch
Languages English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai English

Sources: V7 page[CompTIA], V8 page[CompTIA].

That gives English-language candidates roughly seven months — November 17, 2026 to June 11, 2027 — when either version can be booked.

Does the exam format change?

No, based on what CompTIA publishes. Both versions list a maximum of 90 questions mixing multiple-choice and performance-based items, a 90-minute duration and a passing score of 750 on a 100–900 scale[CompTIA][CompTIA].

The recommended experience is worded slightly differently. For V7, CompTIA recommends Network+ and two years in a security or systems administrator role; for V8 it recommends a security administrator with two years of hands-on experience. Neither is a formal requirement.

How do the domains change?

Domain V7 weight V8 weight
General security concepts 12% 16%
Threats, vulnerabilities and mitigations (V7) / attacks (V8) 22% 24%
Security architecture 18% 19%
Security operations 28% 27%
Security program management and oversight 20% 14%

The five-domain structure is kept. The biggest shift is weight moving away from governance and oversight (down six points) towards general concepts and threats. Security operations remains the largest domain in both versions.

What is new in V8?

Comparing the two objective summaries on CompTIA’s pages[CompTIA][CompTIA], most objectives carry over — change management, asset management, vulnerability management, incident response and using data sources for investigations are in both. The clearest additions in V8 are:

  • AI risks. A dedicated objective asks candidates to explain security risks associated with AI systems, models, prompts, privacy and data exposure. V7’s summary has no AI objective.
  • AI-assisted workflows are named within the automation and orchestration objective in security operations.
  • The threats domain is renamed from “mitigations” to “attacks”, with mitigation techniques no longer listed as a separate objective in that domain; V8 instead asks you to examine vulnerabilities and help determine mitigation priorities.

Which version should you take?

This is our editorial judgment, based on the dates and objectives above:

  • Take V7 if you have already started with V7 materials and can sit the exam before June 11, 2027 (English). The format and passing score are the same, and V7 study resources are mature.
  • Take V8 if you are starting from zero after mid-November 2026, or your study would run past spring 2027. Learning objectives that are about to retire is wasted effort if your exam date slips.
  • Either way, check the exam price on the official CompTIA store before buying. We could not capture an official voucher price on our check date, so it is marked as not verified in our Security+ record.

Security+ is a knowledge exam. If you also want evidence that you can run an investigation, see our comparison of practical SOC certifications.

Certification records used here

Sources

  1. CompTIA: www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/security/ — checked 2026-10-22, direct HTTP fetch
  2. CompTIA: www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/security/v7/ — checked 2026-10-22, direct HTTP fetch
  3. CompTIA: www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/security/v8/ — checked 2026-10-22, direct HTTP fetch

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