The CompTIA Security+ exam pattern is a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing multiple-choice and performance-based questions across five domains. You need a scaled score of 750 on a 100-900 scale to pass. CompTIA does not publish how performance-based questions are weighted against multiple-choice, so treat every question on the exam as equally important while you study.
If you are wondering what actually happens on screen during the CompTIA Security+ exam, this page covers the mechanics: how many questions, how much time, what question types appear, and how CompTIA scores the attempt. Knowing the exam pattern before exam day removes one source of stress you do not need.
How many questions are on the CompTIA Security+ exam?
CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 has a maximum of 90 questions. You get 90 minutes to complete them, which works out to roughly a minute per question if the exam gives you the full count, though performance-based questions typically take longer than multiple-choice ones.
What question types appear?
CompTIA lists two question types for SY0-701: multiple-choice and performance-based questions. Performance-based questions are interactive simulations, for example configuring a firewall rule, reviewing a log, or laying out a network diagram, rather than picking from a list of options. They are usually presented first in the exam.
How is the exam scored?
CompTIA scores Security+ on a 100-900 scale, and the passing score is 750. CompTIA does not publish the exact weighting between performance-based and multiple-choice questions, so there is no official way to calculate how many multiple-choice questions you can miss and still pass.
Where is the exam delivered?
Security+ is delivered through Pearson VUE, either at a Pearson VUE test centre or online through Pearson VUE OnVUE proctoring. Both options use the same question pool and time limit; the choice affects where and how you sit the exam, not what is tested. Details on booking either option are on the cost and booking page, and the check-in steps for the online option are on the exam-day guide.
What languages is the exam available in?
CompTIA offers Security+ SY0-701 in English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.
What does our mock reproduce, and what does it not?
Our mock matches the real exam's structure: it draws from the same five domains at their official weightings and runs to the same question count and time limit. What it does not reproduce is the performance-based question format. Our mock is built from multiple-choice and multiple-response questions only, because interactive simulations cannot be replicated outside CompTIA's own testing software. That means your scaled score on our mock is an estimate, and since CompTIA weights performance-based questions more heavily than multiple-choice without publishing the exact formula, your real exam score could differ from your mock score in either direction.
This is a meaningful gap to be honest about: the real exam usually opens with performance-based questions before moving into multiple-choice, so the pacing you feel in the first few minutes of the real exam will differ from what a mock can simulate. Use our mock to check domain-level recall and timing under pressure, not as a literal prediction of your scaled score.
Exam pattern at a glance
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Question count | Maximum of 90 |
| Time limit | 90 minutes |
| Question types | Multiple-choice, performance-based |
| Passing score | 750 on a 100-900 scale |
| Domains tested | 5 |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test centre or Pearson VUE OnVUE online proctoring |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai |
For what each domain actually covers, see the exam objectives page, and for who should be attempting this exam at all, see prerequisites.
Exam facts on this page come from CompTIA’s own pages (official exam page). Prices, versions and policies change — confirm there before you book.