What Score Do You Need to Pass Security+ SY0-701?

750. That's the number — a scaled score of 750 out of 900 to pass the CompTIA Security+ SY0-701. But that number hides almost everything that actually matters about how the exam is scored, and misunderstanding it is one of the most common ways people walk in underprepared. Here's how the scoring really works.

The official numbers

CompTIA publishes the basics: the SY0-701 is scored on a scale of 100 to 900, and 750 is the passing score. You get 90 minutes for a maximum of 90 questions, and the exam mixes standard multiple-choice with performance-based questions (PBQs) — the drag-and-drop, matching, and scenario simulations.

The exam fee is $404 — verify current vendor pricing before you budget, since CompTIA adjusts prices.

What CompTIA does *not* publish: how many questions you need to get right. The 100–900 scale is a scaled score, not a percentage. You can't convert "750 out of 900" into "83% correct" — that's not how scaled scoring works, and anyone telling you the exact number of questions you can miss is guessing.

Why "750 out of 900" misleads people

The scaled score exists because not every exam form is identical. CompTIA rotates question pools, and some forms are slightly harder than others. The scaled score adjusts for that so a 750 means the same level of knowledge regardless of which questions you drew.

The practical consequence: there is no fixed "you can miss X questions" number. On an easier form you might need more correct answers to hit 750; on a harder form, fewer. This is also why you should ignore anyone online claiming "you only need 70% to pass Security+." The percentage framing doesn't apply.

PBQs are where the points swing

Performance-based questions are the highest-leverage items on the exam. They're the scenario simulations — configuring firewall rules, matching attack types to mitigations, analyzing logs — and they test applied knowledge, not recall.

Two things make PBQs decisive:

1. 1. They're weighted more heavily than standard multiple-choice. A single PBQ can move your scaled score more than several multiple-choice questions.
2. 2. They're where unprepared test-takers bleed points. You can memorize port numbers and still freeze on a PBQ that asks you to *use* them.

CompTIA typically places PBQs at the start of the exam. The standard advice from people who've passed: flag them, do the multiple-choice first, then come back. This isn't about skipping — it's about banking the straightforward points while your brain is fresh, then spending your remaining time where each minute earns the most.

There is no penalty for wrong answers

This one is simple and people still get it wrong: a blank answer and a wrong answer score exactly the same — zero. Never leave a question unanswered. On the last five minutes, go through every flagged and unanswered question and pick the best-looking option. Random guessing on ten questions statistically earns you points; leaving them blank earns nothing.

What score should you aim for in practice?

Since you can't see your scaled score until exam day, translate the target into practice-test terms:

• Consistently scoring 80%+ on quality practice exams is the standard readiness signal. It gives you margin above the pass line for exam-day nerves and harder question draws.
• Your PBQ performance matters more than your multiple-choice percentage. If you're at 85% on multiple-choice but skipping every simulation, you're not ready.
• Time discipline is part of the score. Ninety questions in ninety minutes is one minute per question. If your practice runs are taking 75+ minutes, you're cutting into your PBQ time — and that's where the expensive points live.

The practical takeaway

• The pass line is 750 on the 100–900 scale. Don't try to convert it to a percentage.
• PBQs carry the most weight — flag them, bank the multiple-choice first, return with fresh time.
• Answer everything. No penalty for guessing, ever.
• Walk in when you're hitting 80%+ on practice tests with solid PBQ performance, not before.

The exam tests whether you can think like a security analyst, not whether you memorized a glossary — and the scoring rewards applied knowledge over recall. The Security+ SY0-701 Study Guide ($5) is built around that: every domain taught the way the exam actually tests it, with PBQ-style scenarios throughout. When you're ready to measure yourself, the Security+ Practice Pack ($3) gives you 100 exam-style questions with full explanations so you know exactly where your 80% stands.

Aim for 750. Prepare for 800. Start this week.