Quick Answer: SY0-701, launched November 7, 2023, is the current and only active version of CompTIA Security+. Compared to SY0-601 (retired July 31, 2024), it reduced objectives from 35 to 28, cut domain count from 6 to 5, eliminated the standalone “Implementation” domain, elevated Security Operations to 28% (the largest domain), and added significant new content covering zero trust, AI-driven threats, supply chain attacks, SOAR, EDR/XDR, and expanded cloud security. Any study material referencing SY0-601 is outdated and will leave gaps in your preparation.
Why This Post Matters: The Risk of Using Outdated Materials
Every year, candidates fail the Security+ exam not because they studied too little but because they studied the wrong version. SY0-601 materials are still widely available online, still sold on some platforms, and still recommended by outdated forum posts. Using them creates specific, measurable gaps in your preparation.
The objective count dropped from 35 to 28 but the remaining objectives are tested at greater depth. An entire domain was eliminated and its content redistributed. Two domains received major weight increases. Entirely new topics were added that simply do not appear in any SY0-601 material.
This guide covers every significant change, why each change was made, what it means for your preparation, and which specific topics you need to add or remove from your study materials.
For the full domain-by-domain objective breakdown see our SY0-701 exam objectives guide.
Change 1: Domain Count Reduced from 6 to 5
This is the most immediately visible structural change.
SY0-601 had six domains:
- Threats, Attacks and Vulnerabilities (24%)
- Architecture and Design (21%)
- Implementation (25%)
- Operations and Incident Response (16%)
- Governance, Risk and Compliance (14%)
SY0-701 has five domains:
- General Security Concepts (12%)
- Threats, Vulnerabilities and Mitigations (22%)
- Security Architecture (18%)
- Security Operations (28%)
- Security Program Management and Oversight (20%)
The “Implementation” domain from SY0-601 does not exist in SY0-701. Its content was not dropped. It was redistributed. Configuration and implementation topics that were in SY0-601 Domain 3 moved into Security Architecture (Domain 3 in SY0-701) and Security Operations (Domain 4 in SY0-701). If you are using any study material that still lists an “Implementation” domain, it was written for SY0-601.
Change 2: Domain Weight Shifts (Critical for Study Time Allocation)
The weight redistribution between versions is significant and directly affects how you should allocate your preparation time.
| Domain | SY0-601 Weight | SY0-701 Weight | Change |
| General Security Concepts (formerly split across domains) | Various | 12% | Consolidated |
| Threats, Vulnerabilities and Mitigations | 24% | 22% | Slight decrease |
| Security Architecture (formerly Architecture and Design) | 21% | 18% | Decrease |
| Security Operations (formerly Operations and Incident Response) | 16% | 28% | Major increase (+12%) |
| Security Program Management and Oversight (formerly GRC) | 14% | 20% | Increase (+6%) |
| Implementation | 25% | Eliminated | Removed as standalone domain |
The two biggest shifts to understand:
Security Operations jumped from 16% to 28%. This is now the largest domain by a significant margin. The increase reflects employer demand for staff who can actually operate in a SOC, respond to incidents, work with SIEM tools, and perform hands-on security tasks rather than just understanding security conceptually. If you are coming from SY0-601 study materials, you almost certainly underprepared for this domain under the old weighting.
Governance, Risk and Compliance (now Security Program Management and Oversight) increased from 14% to 20%. This reflects growing regulatory complexity and employer demand for professionals who understand compliance frameworks beyond just naming them. Third-party risk management, vendor security, supply chain governance, and privacy regulation coverage all expanded.
Change 3: Objective Count Reduced from 35 to 28
CompTIA reduced the total number of exam objectives from 35 in SY0-601 to 28 in SY0-701. This sounds like less to study. It is not.
Fewer objectives means more focused depth. The remaining 28 objectives are tested at a greater level of applied, scenario-based depth than the broader 35 objectives were in SY0-601. CompTIA explicitly stated that the update reflects the maturation of the cybersecurity industry and the shift from breadth to depth in what employers need from entry-level professionals.
The practical implication: you cannot study SY0-701 objectives at a surface definition level and expect to pass. The performance-based questions test whether you can apply each objective in a real scenario, not just define it.
Change 4: New Topics Added in SY0-701
These are topics that appear in the SY0-701 exam objectives but were not meaningfully covered in SY0-601. Any SY0-601 study material will have no content on these.
Zero trust architecture (Domain 1 and Domain 3): Zero trust was mentioned in passing in SY0-601 but was not a substantive exam topic. In SY0-701, zero trust receives coverage in both General Security Concepts (conceptual framework: verify explicitly, least privilege, assume breach) and Security Architecture (practical implementation: identity-based access, continuous verification, microsegmentation, contrast with traditional perimeter security). For a full explanation see our zero trust security guide.
AI-driven and deepfake social engineering (Domain 2): SY0-601 covered phishing and social engineering but did not address AI-powered attack variations. SY0-701 specifically includes AI-driven phishing that personalizes attacks at scale using scraped personal data, and deepfake voice social engineering where attackers impersonate executives or IT staff using synthesized audio. These are documented in real-world breach reports and are now explicitly tested.
Supply chain attacks at depth (Domain 2): Supply chain attacks were not a substantive SY0-601 topic. SY0-701 covers them with specific detail including the software bill of materials (SBOM) as a mitigation, code signing verification, vendor risk assessment processes, and hardware supply chain tampering. The SolarWinds attack is the canonical example in prep materials.
SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation and Response) (Domain 4): SOAR tools that automatically execute response playbooks when SIEM alerts trigger were not covered in SY0-601. SY0-701 includes SOAR as a meaningful part of modern SOC operations, covering how automated playbooks reduce analyst workload and response time.
EDR and XDR (Domain 4): Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Extended Detection and Response (XDR) tools represent the evolution beyond traditional antivirus. SY0-601 covered antivirus and IDS/IPS. SY0-701 adds EDR (real-time endpoint monitoring, threat detection, and response capability) and XDR (cross-layer detection spanning endpoint, network, email, and cloud) as distinct topics.
Cloud-native security tools (Domain 3): SY0-601 covered basic cloud security concepts. SY0-701 adds Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM, which continuously audits cloud configurations against security benchmarks) and Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASB, which enforce security policies between users and cloud services). These are standard tools in enterprise cloud security and widely referenced in current job descriptions.
Infrastructure as Code security (Domain 3): The security implications of managing infrastructure through code (Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation) were not in SY0-601. SY0-701 includes IaC security considerations as organizations increasingly use automated provisioning.
Expanded compliance and third-party risk (Domain 5): SY0-601 covered GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS at a surface level. SY0-701 goes deeper on third-party risk management programs, vendor due diligence processes, right-to-audit clauses, data processing agreements under GDPR, and supply chain security governance within the compliance framework.
Change 5: Topics Reduced or Removed from SY0-701
Understanding what was removed helps you avoid spending study time on content that will not appear on your exam.
Cryptographic algorithm depth was reduced. SY0-601 tested specific algorithm details including key length recommendations and algorithm-specific vulnerabilities in greater detail. SY0-701 tests cryptography at a conceptual level (symmetric vs asymmetric vs hashing, appropriate use cases, which protocols are deprecated) without the same depth of algorithm-specific knowledge.
Legacy protocol coverage was reduced. SY0-601 dedicated more attention to older protocols that are simply no longer in active use. SY0-701 still covers insecure protocols (Telnet, HTTP, FTP, plain LDAP) in the context of “these should be replaced by their secure equivalents” but does not test legacy protocol details for their own sake.
Dedicated implementation tasks were removed as a domain. The hands-on configuration tasks that formed SY0-601’s Implementation domain (25%) are now distributed into Security Architecture and Security Operations at a higher level of integration rather than as isolated configuration exercises.
Some niche application security topics were streamlined. SY0-601 covered certain application security concepts in separate detail that SY0-701 integrates more concisely into the secure software development coverage within Security Architecture.
Change 6: Performance-Based Question Volume and Style
SY0-601 included performance-based questions but they were a less dominant part of the exam experience. SY0-701 increased PBQ content and changed the style of those questions.
In SY0-601, PBQs were primarily configuration-based: drag and drop to place security controls, fill in a firewall rule, match terms to definitions.
In SY0-701, PBQs are more operationally complex: analyze a provided log file and identify the attack type, order the steps of an incident response procedure, review a network diagram and identify the security vulnerability, interpret a SIEM alert and select the correct triage action.
This shift reflects the employer demand driving the update. Organizations want security staff who can make real-time decisions from real data, not just configure isolated settings. The implication for preparation is clear: you cannot pass SY0-701 PBQs from reading alone. Hands-on practice with log analysis, SIEM tools, and incident response scenarios is required.
Complete SY0-601 vs SY0-701 Comparison Table
| Feature | SY0-601 | SY0-701 |
| Launch date | July 12, 2021 | November 7, 2023 |
| Retirement date | July 31, 2024 | Estimated 2026 (check CompTIA.org) |
| Number of domains | 6 | 5 |
| Number of objectives | 35 | 28 |
| Largest domain | Implementation (25%) | Security Operations (28%) |
| Implementation domain | Yes (standalone, 25%) | No (content distributed) |
| Zero trust coverage | Minimal | Full (Domains 1 and 3) |
| AI-driven threats | Not covered | Included in Domain 2 |
| Supply chain attacks | Minimal | Expanded in Domain 2 |
| SOAR | Not covered | Included in Domain 4 |
| EDR and XDR | Not covered | Included in Domain 4 |
| CSPM and CASB | Not covered | Included in Domain 3 |
| IaC security | Not covered | Included in Domain 3 |
| GRC/Program Mgmt weight | 14% | 20% |
| Operations weight | 16% | 28% |
| PBQ style | Configuration-focused | Scenario and analysis-focused |
| Cryptography depth | Detailed algorithm-specific | Conceptual with use-case focus |
What This Means for Your Study Materials
If you have any SY0-601 study materials, here is exactly what to do with them.
Do not use as your primary resource. Any book, video course, or question bank written specifically for SY0-601 will misalign your preparation in three ways: it covers the wrong domain weights, it misses entirely new topics, and it includes detailed coverage of topics that are no longer tested at the same depth.
You can reference for foundational concepts only. Core security principles covered in both versions (CIA triad, cryptography basics, malware types, network protocols) are still valid. If you understand these concepts from SY0-601 study, that knowledge transfers. The gaps are in the new and expanded content.
Verify every resource explicitly states SY0-701. Before purchasing or committing to any study material, confirm it was written for SY0-701 specifically. This applies to books, video courses, practice questions, and exam dumps. CertEmpire’s SY0-701 exam questions and SY0-701 exam dumps are aligned to the current SY0-701 blueprint and include the new topic coverage. The free SY0-701 practice test lets you benchmark your readiness across all five current domains before starting your preparation.
Update your cheat sheets and reference materials. If you have notes or quick-reference sheets from SY0-601 preparation, add the following sections: zero trust implementation concepts, AI-driven phishing and deepfake social engineering, supply chain attack vectors and mitigations, SOAR and automated response playbooks, EDR vs XDR distinctions, CSPM and CASB, and the expanded compliance framework coverage including third-party risk management. Our SY0-701 cheat sheet already includes all of these sections.
Action Plan for Candidates Preparing in 2026
Whether you are starting fresh or updating from SY0-601 preparation, here are the specific steps to ensure your materials reflect the current exam.
Step 1: Download the official SY0-701 exam objectives PDF from CompTIA.org. This is free and is the definitive specification of everything the current exam can test. Compare it against any materials you already have.
Step 2: Take the free SY0-701 practice test at CertEmpire cold to identify which of the five current domains need the most preparation time. Pay particular attention to Domain 4 (Security Operations, 28%) and Domain 5 (Program Management, 20%) since these received the biggest weight increases.
Step 3: Follow a structured preparation plan that allocates study time proportional to domain weights. Our SY0-701 study plan is built around the current five-domain structure with specific weekly tasks for each domain.
Step 4: Add hands-on lab practice specifically for Domain 4. The PBQ style in SY0-701 requires you to analyze logs, interpret SIEM alerts, and execute incident response decisions. Reading about these skills is not sufficient preparation.
Step 5: Use the SY0-701 preparation guide for the complete preparation framework and refer to the SY0-701 domains guide for detailed coverage of what each domain tests and how questions are formatted.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did SY0-701 launch and when will it retire?
SY0-701 launched on November 7, 2023. CompTIA typically retires Security+ versions three years after launch, putting the estimated retirement in 2026. Always confirm the current active exam version at CompTIA.org before registering to ensure your study materials are aligned.
Was SY0-601 retired?
Yes. SY0-601 was officially retired on July 31, 2024. All candidates registering for the Security+ exam after that date take SY0-701. There is no option to sit SY0-601.
Is SY0-701 harder than SY0-601?
Most candidates find SY0-701 more challenging for two reasons. First, the PBQs are more operationally complex requiring log analysis and scenario-based decisions rather than configuration drag-and-drop. Second, Security Operations at 28% requires deeper applied skills than the equivalent domain in SY0-601. For a detailed comparison see our guide on is SY0-701 easier than SY0-601.
Can I still use SY0-601 study materials to prepare?
Not as your primary resource. SY0-601 materials are missing entirely new topics (zero trust, AI threats, SOAR, EDR/XDR, CSPM, CASB), have the wrong domain weights, and include detailed coverage of topics that are no longer tested at the same depth. They are only useful for foundational concept review of topics that appear in both versions.
What are the most important new topics added in SY0-701?
Zero trust architecture, AI-driven and deepfake social engineering attacks, supply chain attack vectors and mitigations, SOAR automated response playbooks, EDR and XDR tools, CSPM and CASB cloud security tools, and expanded third-party and vendor risk management in Domain 5.
How do I know if my practice questions are for SY0-701?
Check that the question bank explicitly states SY0-701 alignment and includes questions on the new topics listed above. CertEmpire’s SY0-701 exam questions and free practice test are built for the current blueprint. You can also use the free PDF demo to assess question coverage and style.
Does the exam format change with SY0-701?
The core format is the same: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, mix of multiple-choice and performance-based questions, passing score of 750 out of 900, available at Pearson VUE test centers and online through OnVUE. The change is in the nature of PBQs (more scenario-based and operationally complex) rather than the structural exam format. See our Security+ exam cost guide for current pricing.
Final Thoughts
The shift from SY0-601 to SY0-701 reflects a genuine evolution in what cybersecurity employers need from entry-level professionals. The new topics (zero trust, AI threats, SOAR, cloud-native security tools) are not trends. They are standard capabilities in modern enterprise security environments.
Candidates who use SY0-701-specific study materials, allocate preparation time proportional to the current domain weights (especially Domain 4 at 28%), and practice the operationally complex PBQ format will be better prepared both for the exam and for the jobs it qualifies them for.
Start with our free SY0-701 practice test at CertEmpire to establish your current baseline across all five domains, then use the full SY0-701 question bank for targeted domain practice throughout your preparation.
For why Security+ SY0-701 is worth pursuing in 2026 see our must-have certification guide. For what to do after you pass see our guide on next steps after Security+.
For the official SY0-701 exam objectives and registration visit CompTIA.org.
