SY0-701 vs the New Security+ (V8): Take It Now or Wait?

If you are studying for Security+ right now, you face a real decision: sit the proven SY0-701 today, or hold out for the new version coming later this year. The short answer is that most people ready to study should take SY0-701 now. Here is the reasoning, and the facts behind it. For the full exam overview, see the Security+ (SY0-701) guide.

What is actually confirmed

CompTIA has published draft objectives for the next version of Security+, referred to as Security+ V8. Training providers and instructor channels widely use the code SY0-801 and cite a preview launch around October 2026 with general availability shortly after, but CompTIA has not officially confirmed a final exam code or a firm date. Treat those specifics as educated estimates, not settled facts, and confirm the current active version on CompTIA's own site before you book.

What is reliable is the pattern. New Security+ versions launch, and the previous version stays available for roughly six months so people mid-study are not caught out. On that pattern, with the new version expected in late 2026, SY0-701 would retire somewhere around mid-2027.

The one fact that settles most of the panic

A retiring exam version and an expiring certification are two different things. When you pass SY0-701, you earn the CompTIA Security+ certification, and it is valid for three years from your test date no matter what version is current afterward. A SY0-701 pass in 2026 carries you into 2029 with full renewal eligibility, and employers see "CompTIA Security+" with the date you earned it, not the exam code behind it. Recruiters do not screen by version.

What is changing in the new version

The headline change is artificial intelligence. The draft objectives add dedicated coverage of large language models and AI usage in threats and vulnerabilities, areas that barely existed in SY0-701. Expect the new version to keep the same core role, someone who can assess security posture, respond to incidents, and secure modern cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments, while updating the content around AI and continuing the heavier emphasis on day-to-day security operations that SY0-701 already introduced.

The case for taking SY0-701 now

Take it now if you are ready or close to ready, for several reasons.

The material is mature. SY0-701 has been live since late 2023, so study guides, labs, and practice are complete and well-tested. A brand-new version always has a settling-in period where resources are thinner and less proven.

Your pass is future-proof. Three years of validity means a SY0-701 credential earned now stays current and fully recognized well past the new version's launch.

Straddling a version change is painful. If you start on one version and drift into the transition window, you risk half-aligned materials and a voucher that may or may not transfer. Finishing on a known version avoids all of that.

The job does not wait. If a role you want is open now and lists Security+, earning it now is what gets you considered. Waiting for a newer exam does not help an application you could submit today.

The case for waiting

Waiting can make sense in narrower situations. If you are only just beginning and realistically will not be exam-ready until well into 2027, you may end up on the new version anyway, so you might as well study its objectives from the start. And if your role or employer specifically wants the newest version's AI content, the new exam will cover it directly. For most candidates, though, neither of these outweighs the advantages of a mature exam and a three-year credential earned now.

What to check before you book

Confirm the current active version on CompTIA's official page, and check your voucher's terms, since vouchers typically expire twelve months from purchase and are not always transferable across exam versions. If you buy a voucher, plan to sit the exam within its validity window and on the version you studied.

If you are ready, the full SY0-701 preparation path is here, aligned to the current exam: CertMaster Study, CertMaster Labs, CertMaster Practice, and an exam voucher.