Which CompTIA certification first: A+, Network+, Security+ and where the advanced exams fit

By Alexander Shick · Updated November 5, 2026

The nine CompTIA certifications on this site

CompTIA also sells most vouchers with a retake bundled: $519 for Network+, Cloud+, Linux+ and Project+, $579 for Security+, CySA+ and PenTest+, $709 for SecurityX, and $359 per A+ exam. Vouchers expire 12 months after purchase.

Three CompTIA routes, by where you start

Starting CompTIA with no IT background

A+ first, then Network+, then Security+. A+ is the help-desk credential and is paid per exam, so you can fund Core 1 now and Core 2 later. If security is the goal and you want a cheaper first test of interest, ISC2 CC costs $199.

CompTIA from a support or admin job

Skip A+. Take Network+ if networking is your gap, or go straight to Security+ if you already subnet and troubleshoot with confidence. Admins then add Linux+ for Linux servers or Cloud+ for mixed or multi-provider clouds; on one cloud, that provider's associate exam fits better. If you coordinate projects beside technical work, Project+ covers IT change control as well as project basics.

CompTIA for working security specialists

Defenders who triage alerts take CySA+; testers take PenTest+. SecurityX sits above both, for architects and senior engineers, and reports pass or fail with no score. If you want an issuer to verify your experience before certifying you, compare it with CISSP.

CompTIA exam changes, November 2025 to November 2026

• June 23, 2026: CySA+ CS0-004 launched. The English CS0-003 exam retires December 22, 2026; English V3 study products retire November 22, 2026, and translated V3 exams on March 23, 2027.
• November 17, 2026 (listed launch): Security+ V8, SY0-801, in English only. SY0-701 retires in English on June 11, 2027, and in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai on August 13, 2027. On November 5, CompTIA listed no V8 voucher or study-product prices. Study SY0-701 if you will test by June 11, 2027, otherwise SY0-801; our Security+ page covers the choice.

Older changes still show up in course listings: Linux+ XK0-006 launched July 15, 2025; PenTest+ PT0-002 retired June 17, 2025; A+ V15 launched March 25, 2025; and CASP+ became SecurityX with CAS-005 on December 17, 2024, without affecting existing CASP+ holders. CompTIA estimates 2027 for CV0-004, PT0-003 and CAS-005; by its usual three-year cycle, expect N10-009 to be replaced in 2027. It gives about 2028 for A+ V15 and Linux+ XK0-006; its Project+ page gives no date. If you test in 2027, check the exam code before buying material.

What CompTIA gives away, and what it sells

CompTIA's own free material on our pages is the exam objectives, sent after an email sign-up. Its study products are paid: CertMaster Practice is $209 for most of these exams, CertMaster Learn $499 to $599, and the bundles that pair a product with a voucher and a retake cost less than buying the parts. The free full video courses we list come from Professor Messer, not CompTIA, and cover A+, Network+ and Security+ SY0-701; for CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX, Cloud+ and Project+ we found no free full course.

Renewing several CompTIA certifications at once

CompTIA says you pay continuing education fees only for your highest-level certification when renewing it also renews the lower ones, so SecurityX can carry Security+ or CySA+ with it; ask CompTIA which of yours it covers. Cloud+ is renewed by renewing CloudNetX, and CompTIA lists Cloud+ V3, not the current V4, as fully renewing Linux+. Nothing else renews Project+.

Next step

Ask which CompTIA exam fits your background