SecAI+ vs Security+ (SY0-801): Which CompTIA Exam Should You Take?

The short answer

Take Security+ first unless you already have two or more years of hands-on security work. CompTIA recommends Security+, CySA+, PenTest+ or equivalent before SecAI+, and pitches SecAI+ at people with three to four years in IT, two of them hands-on in cybersecurity. SecAI+ is not a replacement for Security+ or an easier route into security; it is a specialisation on top of it, focused on securing AI systems and using AI in security work.

Side by side

Every figure below is from CompTIA's SecAI+ and Security+ V8 pages. Both use a 100–900 scale, but the pass marks differ.

                  Security+ V8 (SY0-801)     SecAI+ (CY0-001)
Launch            on or around 17 Nov 2026   17 Feb 2026
Questions         up to 90                   up to 60
Question types    multiple choice + PBQs     multiple choice + PBQs
Duration          90 minutes                 60 minutes
Passing score     750 (100-900 scale)        600 (100-900 scale)
Recommended       2 yrs as a security admin  3-4 yrs IT, 2+ hands-on security;
                                             Security+ or equivalent
Retirement        est. 3 years after launch  est. 3 years after launch
Price             not printed by CompTIA     not printed by CompTIA

What each blueprint covers

Security+ V8 is broad: security operations is the heaviest domain at 27%, then threats, vulnerabilities and attacks at 24%, security architecture at 19%, general security concepts at 16% and program management and oversight at 14%. SecAI+ is narrow: securing AI systems is 40% on its own, AI-assisted security 24%, AI governance, risk and compliance 19%, and basic AI concepts related to cybersecurity 17%.

Security+ V8 (SY0-801)                         SecAI+ (CY0-001)
Security Operations ..................... 27%  Securing AI systems ............... 40%
Threats, Vulnerabilities and Attacks .... 24%  AI-assisted security .............. 24%
Security Architecture ................... 19%  AI governance, risk & compliance .. 19%
General Security Concepts ............... 16%  Basic AI concepts for security .... 17%
Security Program Mgmt and Oversight ..... 14%

Security+ V8 now includes some AI

The new Security+ is not AI-free. CompTIA lists AI-related risks in the threats domain, including a dedicated objective on the security risks of AI systems, models, prompts, privacy and data exposure, and AI-assisted workflows in security operations. That is coverage at the level of a generalist: knowing the risks exist and how they fit into normal security work. SecAI+ spends 40% of its marks on actually securing AI systems, which is a different depth.

Which order to take them in

New to security: Security+ first, and SecAI+ later if your role moves toward AI systems. Already Security+ certified with real security experience, and your organisation is deploying models, copilots or agents: SecAI+ is the natural next exam, and it is the shorter of the two. Studying now for Security+: if you sit before SY0-701 retires you are on the current version; from around 17 November you can sit V8, whose AI objectives overlap a little with SecAI+'s lighter domains.