CompTIA Roadmap 2026: Current Exams, New Versions & Retirements

Here’s the CompTIA roadmap as it stands in August 2026: Security+ is SY0-701, Network+ is N10-009, A+ is the V15 pair 220-1201/220-1202, PenTest+ is PT0-003, CySA+ rolled from CS0-003 to CS0-004 on June 23, and SecAI+ (CY0-001) — the new AI-security exam — launched February 17. Voucher prices went up June 1. Below: every current code, what changed this year, and the retirement windows that decide whether you book now or wait.

The 2026 Exam Lineup at a Glance

Six CompTIA exams cover most 2026 study plans. The table shows each cert’s current code, its launch date, and the US list price after the June 1 increase — check the last column before booking anything this fall.

One thing exam codes never change: a passed certification is good for three years from your test date, whichever version you sat. An exam retiring does not expire your cert.

What Changed in 2026

Four dates reshaped the roadmap this year — two launches, one repricing, and one preview on the horizon.

Feb 17

SecAI+ (CY0-001) launches — CompTIA’s first expansion cert, built on top of Security+, CySA+, or PenTest+

Jun 1

Voucher prices rise lineup-wide — Security+ climbs from $425 to $439

Jun 23

CySA+ CS0-004 launches — updated security operations, cloud/hybrid, and AI coverage

~Oct 20 (expected)

SY0-801 preview — tentative date; CompTIA has slipped announced dates by months before

Late 2026 (expected)

CS0-003 retirement window — providers list dates out to Dec 22; CompTIA hasn’t published one firm date

SecAI+ arrived (February 17). CY0-001 is CompTIA’s first “expansion certification” — it builds on Security+, CySA+, or PenTest+ instead of replacing anything.^[3] The exam is short by CompTIA standards: up to 60 questions in 60 minutes, passing at 600 on the 100–900 scale. What it covers and who should take it is in our SecAI+ explainer.

CySA+ rolled to CS0-004 (June 23). The v4 exam updates security operations and cloud/hybrid coverage and adds AI concepts.^[4] CompTIA has not published one clean retirement date for CS0-003 — training providers list windows from launch day out to December 22, 2026 — so if you’re mid-study on CS0-003, confirm what Pearson VUE will actually let you book before betting your prep on it.

SY0-801 is on the horizon, not here. Training providers point to a tentative preview around October 20, 2026, with general availability in late 2026 or early 2027 — and CompTIA has slipped announced dates by three to six months before.^[5] The practical read: SY0-701 is the Security+ exam for the rest of 2026, and a 701 pass stays valid for three years. There is no version-timing reason to wait.

A+ V15 finished settling. The 220-1101/1102 exams retired in 2025 (English on September 25),^[6] so V15 is the only A+ you can book in 2026. What the ~13% of new material covers — and why 1101/1102 study mostly still counts — is in the 220-1201 transition guide.

The June 1 Voucher Price Increase

CompTIA repriced the whole lineup on June 1, 2026.^[1] Current US list prices:

• Security+ SY0-701: $439, up from $425
• Network+ N10-009: $399, up from $390^[2]
• A+ 220-1201/1202: $274 per core, up from $265 — $548 to finish both
• CySA+ and PenTest+: $439 each
• SecAI+ CY0-001: $359 — the one price that went down, from $369

At these prices a failed attempt costs real money, which is the strongest argument for not booking until your practice scores say you’re ready. Retake policies, academic pricing, and the bundle math are in the 2026 exam cost breakdown.

Retirement Windows: What Retires When

Retirement dates decide how long your study material stays bookable. Confirmed dates first, expected windows after — the expected ones follow CompTIA’s usual three-to-three-and-a-half-year cycle, not a published commitment.

If your target exam sits on a closing window, version changes reward finishing over restarting: pass the version you studied while it’s still bookable, and your cert carries the same three-year validity as the newer exam would.

Which Order to Take Them In

This page tells you what’s current — not what to study first. That depends on where you’re starting from, and it’s a full guide of its own. The short version: A+ if you’re brand new to IT (skip it after a year of help desk), Network+ then Security+ as the core, CySA+ or PenTest+ depending on defense or offense, and SecAI+ as an add-on once you hold one of those three. The sequencing logic, timelines, and cost totals live in the CompTIA certification path order guide.

Whichever exam is next, drill it before you book. SecuSpark’s free hubs: Security+ practice tests (1,808 questions), Network+ (1,069), CySA+ (1,785), PenTest+ (552), A+ (1,252), and SecAI+ (550). Two honesty notes: our A+ bank still tracks the 1101/1102 objectives (about 87% carries into V15 — the transition guide maps the gap), and our CySA+ bank tracks CS0-003 while we update for CS0-004.

Looking for a Roadmap PDF?

There is no single official “CompTIA roadmap 2026” PDF — CompTIA publishes its certification pathway as a web page, and the downloadable roadmap posters floating around are third-party. 2026 has been rough on those: any PDF made before June 1 shows the old voucher prices, and anything before June 23 still lists CS0-003 as current. That’s why this page is a page — we update it when the roadmap moves. Need an offline copy? Print this page to PDF and it carries everything above, current as of the update date shown at the top.

References

1. Total Seminars. "CompTIA Exam Price Increase June 2026." totalsem.com.
2. Crucial Exams. "CompTIA Voucher Price Increase 2026." crucialexams.com.
3. CompTIA. "SecAI+ Certification V1." comptia.org.
4. Total Seminars. "CompTIA CySA+ Is Changing on June 23rd: What Is New in CS0-004." totalsem.com.
5. Training Camp. "CompTIA Security+ SY0-801 Release Date and Everything We Know So Far." trainingcamp.com.
6. CompTIA. "A+ Core 1 Certification V15 (220-1201)." comptia.org.
7. Vision Training Systems. "CompTIA Network+ N10-009 Retirement Date: What It Means for You." visiontrainingsystems.com.
8. ExamCompass. "CompTIA Exam Retirement Dates." examcompass.com.