Security+ SY0-801: What Changes in V8, and Whether to Wait
The short answer
CompTIA is replacing Security+ SY0-701 with SY0-801, the exam most people are calling Security+ V8. CompTIA's own certification page lists the launch as November 17, 2026, and gives the retirement date for the current exam as June 11, 2027 in English.
That leaves roughly seven months where both exams exist. The overlap is long enough that most people starting to study this month can still book the exam they began preparing for, which is usually the outcome candidates want. If your study runway runs past June, prepare for SY0-801 instead.
The credential is identical either way, and the version number on the certificate is not something an employer will ask about.
The Dates That Matter
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| SY0-801 (V8) launch | November 17, 2026 (CompTIA says "on or around") |
| SY0-701 retirement, English | June 11, 2027 |
| SY0-701 retirement, other languages | August 13, 2027 (Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai) |
| Overlap window | About seven months |
CompTIA has slipped launch dates before, so treat November 17 as a target rather than a guarantee. The retirement date is the firmer of the two, because it is published on the exam page itself.
What Does Not Change
The format does not change. SY0-801 is still a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, with a mix of multiple choice and performance-based items, and the passing score stays at 750 on a 100 to 900 scale. Anyone telling you the new exam is longer or harder to pass is guessing.
What Does Change: The Domain Weights
The domain weights do change, and one of them moves a long way.
| Domain | SY0-701 | SY0-801 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Security Concepts | 12% | 16% | +4 |
| Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks | 22% | 24% | +2 |
| Security Architecture | 18% | 19% | +1 |
| Security Operations | 28% | 27% | -1 |
| Security Program Management and Oversight | 20% | 14% | -6 |
General Security Concepts rises from 12% to 16%, while Security Program Management and Oversight falls from 20% to 14%, which is the largest single shift in the transition. The other three move by a point or two. If you plan to sit SY0-801, that reallocation changes where your revision hours should go.
The New Material: Artificial Intelligence
CompTIA has also added artificial intelligence to the objectives. The new material covers risks related to AI systems, models, prompts, privacy and data exposure, which reflects what security teams are actually being asked to assess in 2026.
CompTIA's own summary also widens the environment coverage to cloud, hybrid, on-premises and connected environments, with more emphasis on resilience and business continuity.
Should You Wait for SY0-801?
The decision comes down to your timeline, not to which exam is better. Both award the same Security+ credential. Employers do not ask which version you sat.
Sit SY0-701 if you can book before June 2027, because study material is mature, the practice question banks are large, and three years of pass rate data exists to calibrate your practice scores against. A candidate starting now with a twelve week plan sits in January and never sees the change.
Prepare for SY0-801 if your runway is longer than about nine months, because you would be sitting after the retirement date anyway. Early material for a new version is thin rather than wrong, so expect to lean on CompTIA's own objectives document more than you would for the current exam.
There is one exception. If an employer or a contract requires Security+ by a fixed date, the exam you can book today is the only safe choice.
What This Means for Your Study Material
Practice questions written for SY0-701 remain useful for SY0-801, but not equally across all domains. Questions on general security concepts and security architecture transfer almost unchanged, because those domains grew rather than changed. Questions on program management and oversight carry the least weight in the new exam, so a bank weighted the old way will over-serve the domain that matters least.
Our own bank is weighted to SY0-701, which is correct until November. If you are preparing for SY0-801, treat that weighting as something to correct for rather than something to trust.
CompTIA publishes the full V8 objectives, and they are the only authority worth following for the new exam, because vendor guides catch up slowly after a launch and early editions often paraphrase the objectives rather than map to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When exactly does Security+ SY0-801 launch?
Can I still take SY0-701 after SY0-801 launches?
Is SY0-801 harder than SY0-701?
Does my Security+ expire if I pass the old version?
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