Security+ Passing Score: 750/900 Explained (SY0-701 Score Report)

The number you need is 750 on a 100-900 scale. That is the passing score for the CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 exam ^[1], and it is a scaled score, not a percentage. I remember staring at that number the week before my exam, trying to work out how many questions I could get wrong. CompTIA doesn't publish that, and once you see how the scoring works, you'll see why every "miss this many and still pass" figure online is a guess.

How Is the Security+ Exam Scored?

CompTIA uses a scaled scoring system that runs from 100 to 900. In its own words, a mathematical algorithm turns your performance into a scaled score "derived from what would otherwise be a percentage score," and the passing score for each exam is set through statistical analysis ^[2]. CompTIA also says it does not disclose how many questions you need to answer correctly, or how many you got wrong ^[2].

It doesn't say how performance-based questions (PBQs), the simulation tasks where you configure firewalls, analyze logs or drag network components into place, are weighted against multiple choice. Treat them as worth real effort. The free Security+ PBQ simulator lets you try log-analysis, matching, and ordering PBQs in the real SY0-701 formats before exam day.

Is 750 out of 900 a percentage?

No. 750 is a point on CompTIA's 100-900 scale, and the scale starts at 100, not zero. Dividing 750 by 900 gives you a number that means nothing about how many questions you answered right. Your exam may also have fewer than 90 questions, and CompTIA doesn't publish how each one counts, so there's no reliable way to convert the scaled score into a share of correct answers.

The practical takeaway: don't aim for a percentage cutoff. Build a margin. If you consistently score 85%+ on practice questions you haven't seen before, across every domain, you're in a reasonable place to book.

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750 to pass

What Are the SY0-701 Domain Weights?

The five SY0-701 domains are not weighted equally. Security Operations alone is 28% of the exam, nearly a third. Here is the full breakdown:

If you are short on study time, prioritize domains 4 and 2. Together they are half the exam's weighting, so they're where most of the questions come from. The SY0-701 objectives breakdown lists what sits inside each domain, and our Security+ overview covers cost, difficulty and what's on the exam.

How Many Questions Can You Get Wrong?

CompTIA doesn't disclose it ^[2]. The popular answer online, a fixed number of misses out of 90, comes from treating 750 as a fraction of 900, and the scale doesn't work that way: it starts at 100, your exam can have fewer than 90 questions, and CompTIA doesn't publish how PBQs and multiple-choice questions count against each other. Any exact number is a guess.

Per-Domain Weights, Not a Miss Budget

What you can use is the weighting. A weak spot in Security Operations (28%) touches roughly two and a half times as many questions as one in General Security Concepts (12%). That doesn't tell you how many misses you can afford, but it does tell you where a gap costs the most.

The safest approach is to aim for 85% or better on every domain in practice, on questions you haven't seen before, so you have breathing room on exam day.

What Your Score Report Shows

When you finish, you get a score report with your scaled score and a pass or fail. It does not show which questions you got wrong or how many. What it does include is a list of the exam objectives tied to the questions you missed ^[2]. If you fail, that list is the most valuable thing on the page: it points to exactly what to study before a retake.

Security+ Retake Rules

Miss the 750 line and CompTIA's retake policy is straightforward ^[3]:

• First retake: no waiting period — you can rebook immediately.
• Third attempt and beyond: a 14-day wait between each attempt.
• Cost: each attempt is a full-price voucher ($439) unless you bought the Voucher + Retake bundle up front.

Use the objectives list on your score report to narrow your second round of study. For the full picture on vouchers, bundles, and renewal, see the Security+ exam cost breakdown.

How to Check If You Are Ready

Here is the readiness checklist I recommend to every person studying for Security+. If you can check all five boxes, book your exam:

1. Score 85%+ on at least 3 full-length practice exams you haven't taken before — not just one lucky run, and not a retake of a set you've memorized. Consistency matters more than a single peak score.
2. No domain below 75% — one weak domain can sink you even if your overall average looks good. Check your per-domain scores.
3. Can explain wrong answers — if you miss a question, can you explain why each wrong answer is wrong? That is real understanding, not just pattern matching.
4. PBQ comfort — you have practiced drag-and-drop, log analysis, and network diagram questions. They catch people off guard.
5. Timed conditions — you have completed at least one practice exam under real time pressure (90 questions in 90 minutes). Time management is a skill.

If you are using SecuSpark's practice questions (3 free exams to start, 1,808 total with Campaign Pass), the AI deep dives (3 a day on a free account, unlimited with Campaign Pass) explain the concept behind a miss, why it matters and the common trap, including a mnemonic to help you remember next time. If you have ADHD or just struggle with dense material, the RPG battle system turns each domain into enemies you fight, which honestly makes studying feel less like a chore.

Passing Score vs Other CompTIA Exams

Each CompTIA exam has its own pass line on the same 100-900 scale:

Security+ shares the 750 line with CySA+ and PenTest+; A+ and Network+ sit lower ^[4]. Don't read too much into the gaps. CompTIA sets each exam's pass line through its own statistical analysis, so the numbers don't convert to percentages and don't compare difficulty directly.

The bottom line: 750 on the 100-900 scale is achievable but not trivial. You need genuine understanding of all five domains, not surface-level memorization. If you are scoring 85%+ consistently on a realistic Security+ practice test you haven't taken before, you're in a good position to book.

How many people actually clear 750 is a different question from what the score means. For what is and isn't known about pass rates, see the Security+ pass rate guide. To gauge how tough the exam will actually feel for your background, see How Hard Is Security+.

References

1. CompTIA. "Security+ (V7) exam details, SY0-701." comptia.org/en-us/certifications/security/v7. Maximum of 90 questions, 90 minutes, passing score 750 on a scale of 100-900. Accessed September 25, 2026.
2. CompTIA Help Center. "How Are CompTIA Exams Scored?" help.comptia.org. Scaled scoring; passing scores set through statistical analysis; the number of questions required to pass is not disclosed; the score report lists exam objectives tied to missed questions. Accessed September 25, 2026.
3. CompTIA. "CompTIA Certification Retake Policy." comptia.org. No waiting period before the second attempt; at least 14 calendar days before any later attempt. Accessed September 25, 2026.
4. CompTIA exam pages for A+ Core 1, A+ Core 2, Network+, CySA+ V4 and PenTest+. Passing scores 675, 700, 720, 750 and 750 on the 100-900 scale. Accessed September 25, 2026.