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Security+ passing score: what 750 out of 900 really means

By SunTzu, founder of CertOwl • Published August 4, 2026 • 6 min read

The most repeated piece of bad math in certification forums goes like this: the Security+ passing score is 750 out of 900, 750 divided by 900 is 83 percent, therefore you can miss about 15 of the 90 questions and still pass. Every step of that sounds reasonable, and every step falls apart once you know how CompTIA actually scores the exam. This article unpacks the real system: what 750 measures, why nobody can tell you exactly how many questions you may miss, how the performance-based questions bend the arithmetic, and what a sensible target looks like while you study.

The official number

CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) is passed at 750 on a scale that runs from 100 to 900. The exam gives you up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, a mix of standard multiple choice and performance-based questions (PBQs), the interactive scenarios where you drag controls onto attacks or work through a simulated console instead of picking A, B, C or D. The full structure, domain by domain, is laid out in our SY0-701 exam guide.

Two details about that scale surprise people. First, it starts at 100, not zero: a blank exam still produces a three digit score, which is worth remembering when someone brags about "scoring 300 without studying". Second, since the floor is 100, the usable range is 800 points and 750 sits roughly 81 percent of the way up it, which is already a different number than the naive 83. Neither calculation matters much in practice, though, because of what the score is.

Why 750 is not a percentage

Your Security+ result is a scaled score, not a marks-out-of-ninety tally. CompTIA keeps several versions of the exam, called forms, in circulation at any time, and no two forms are equally difficult. To keep the certificate fair, results from every form are run through a statistical process called equating, which adjusts for that difficulty difference and maps your raw performance onto the 100 to 900 scale. A 750 earned on a slightly harder form and a 750 earned on a slightly easier one represent the same demonstrated ability.

Two more facts finish off the percentage myth. Questions do not all carry the same weight, and the weighting is not public. And your form may include a small number of unscored experimental questions that CompTIA is testing for future exams, indistinguishable from the real ones. Put those three things together and the honest conclusion is that nobody outside CompTIA can convert 750 into "you may miss N questions". Anyone who offers you a precise N is guessing. We covered the same trap for the A+ in how many questions the A+ exams have, because the system is identical across CompTIA's lineup.

The PBQ effect

Performance-based questions distort the simple arithmetic even further, usually in your favor. CompTIA's own guidance confirms that PBQs can earn partial credit: get four steps of a six step scenario right and you bank something, rather than scoring zero for an imperfect answer. They also carry more weight than a standard multiple choice item, which is one reason Security+ feels harder than its pass rate suggests.

The tactical consequence: never abandon a PBQ empty. Even a half-finished configuration can contribute points. The time management consequence runs the other way: a PBQ that eats twenty minutes has cost you more than it can pay back, so flag it, clear the multiple choice questions, and return with whatever time is left. The exam interface allows revisiting flagged questions freely.

How Security+ compares with other CompTIA exams

The passing bar climbs as the certifications get more advanced, which is easiest to see side by side:

The pattern continues above this table: the analyst and penetration testing exams, CompTIA CySA+ and PenTest+, also pass at 750. So Security+ shares the highest bar in the family, and the jump from Network+ is 30 scaled points, which matches how most candidates describe the difficulty step between the two.

What your score report tells you

The verdict arrives immediately. Finish the exam, answer the short exit survey, and the screen shows pass or fail with your scaled score, whether you tested at a center or online with a remote proctor. Test centers hand you a printed score report on the way out; online candidates see the same report in their Pearson VUE account.

The report is more useful after a fail than people realize. Alongside the number, it lists the exam objectives where you missed questions, domain by domain. That list is a study map for the retake: if everything flagged sits in Security Operations and Security Architecture, you know exactly where the next two weeks go. Read it before the disappointment makes you delete it.

A near miss and the retake math

Scores in the 700 to 749 band are the painful ones, close enough to taste. The consolation is that the retake rules are mild: there is no waiting period after a first fail, so you can rebook as soon as you feel ready, and only from the third attempt onward does CompTIA require a 14 calendar day gap. The wallet takes the real damage, because every attempt costs the full voucher price, $439 in 2026, unless you bought a bundle with a retake included. The complete rules are in our retake policy article, and the money side is broken down in the true cost of Security+.

A 740 is not a verdict on your ability. It is a rounding error away from passing, usually fixed by shoring up the two weakest domains from the score report and rebooking within a few weeks, while everything you crammed is still warm.

Aim past the line, not at it

Exam day charges a tax. Nerves, the clock, an unfamiliar PBQ interface, the small strangeness of a proctored room: all of it tends to shave points off whatever you score in practice at home. Planning to scrape 750 is planning to fail by a whisker.

A saner target is comfortable, repeated passing margins in realistic conditions before you book. If your timed practice runs keep landing just at the line, that is not bad luck, that is a signal to give the preparation another week or two. Most candidates get there in six to ten weeks of steady work, as we mapped in how long to study for Security+, and our free study plan tool turns your weekly hours into a concrete week count and tells you whether your target date is realistic.

Frequently asked questions

What score do you need to pass CompTIA Security+?

750 on a scale of 100 to 900, on the current SY0-701 exam. The scale, the passing bar and the format are the same at test centers and online.

How many questions can you miss on Security+?

There is no reliable answer in question counts. Scoring is scaled, questions are weighted differently, and some are unscored experiments, so the pass mark cannot be converted into a fixed number of allowed misses.

Do performance-based questions give partial credit?

Yes. CompTIA has confirmed that PBQs can earn partial credit, so an incomplete answer is always worth submitting rather than leaving blank.