CompTIA Security+ V8 (SY0-801) Launches in November 2026: What Changes
Executive Summary
CompTIA Security+ V8, exam code SY0-801, launches on or around 17 November 2026. The headline format numbers stay the same — a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes with a passing score of 750 on a 100-900 scale — but the code changes, the English-only language list changes, and every piece of SY0-701 material you have will be describing an exam that is on its way out.
- V8 keeps: maximum 90 questions, 90 minutes, passing 750/900, a mix of multiple-choice and performance-based items.
- V8 changes: new exam code, English only at launch, and V7 English retires on 11 June 2027.
- What to do: nothing, if you are not sitting the exam before February 2027. The domains did not move.
If you have been planning to take Security+, the version number matters less than the calendar. V7 is not abolished, it is being retired on a schedule, and the difference between sitting in October 2026 and sitting in March 2027 is which study materials you buy.
What the official V8 exam page actually says
CompTIA publishes the V8 exam details alongside the V7 page it is replacing. The numbers are deliberately close to the ones you already know:
| Detail | V7 (SY0-701) | V8 (SY0-801) |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | 7 November 2023 | On or around 17 November 2026 |
| Questions | Maximum 90 | Maximum 90 |
| Duration | 90 minutes | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 750 / 900 | 750 / 900 |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai | English only at launch |
| Retirement | English 11 Jun 2027; JP/PT/ES/TH 13 Aug 2027 | — |
English V7 stops being testable on 11 June 2027, and the Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai versions on 13 August 2027. That is a fifteen-month runway, not a deadline.
The domain weights did not change, and that is the good news
This is where most of the alarm comes from, and it is misplaced. CompTIA's published objectives for SY0-701 carry over with the same five domains and the same percentages:
| Domain | Weight | Where candidates lose points |
|---|---|---|
| Security Operations | 28% | Incident response lifecycle, log analysis, detection engineering |
| Threats, Vulnerabilities and Mitigations | 22% | Attack vectors, malware behaviour, vulnerability analysis |
| Security Program Management | 20% | Risk management, governance, compliance, third-party risk |
| Security Architecture | 18% | Zero trust, defence in depth, secure design |
| General Security Concepts | 12% | Control types, CIA triad, cryptography, IAM basics |
If you already studied SY0-701 by domain, that preparation transfers directly. The strategy of weighting your revision by domain percentage — heaviest on Security Operations and Threats — is exactly right for V8.
What actually changes when you sit V8
The exam code
This is administrative rather than academic, but it is what breaks things. Course registrations, practice exam codes and employer mappings are all keyed on the exam code. When V8 launches, anything that asks you to pick an exam will list SY0-801, and a purchase made against SY0-701 may not be honoured for the new version. If you are buying a course or a practice exam, buy it against the code that will be live on your exam date, not the one live today.
English only, at launch
V7 offered five languages. V8 launches in English only, with other languages expected to follow. If you were planning to sit the exam in Spanish or Portuguese, that is now a scheduling question as well as a study question.
Nothing else, as far as CompTIA has published
CompTIA has not published a V8 objectives document with changed topic lists. The published V8 details describe the same domains, the same weights and the same format as V7. That means the honest position is that V8 is a code and language change with a retirement deadline behind it, not a content revolution.
What to do with your study plan
If you are sitting the exam before February 2027
Study SY0-701. The domains, weights and format are the same, and you are very likely to sit a V7 exam. Buy your practice exams against SY0-701, and treat V8 as a future problem rather than a present one.
If you are sitting between February and June 2027
Check which version you are registered for before you buy anything, because the window contains both. V1.1 is available until its final date and V2.0 becomes available shortly after, and you do not want to pay for the wrong one.
If you are sitting after June 2027
It will be V8, and V7 English will be gone. Current SY0-701 material remains a reasonable basis for study because the objectives carry over, but the practice exams should be V8.
If you are not sitting it soon at all
Then the launch date is not your deadline, the retirement date is. Security+ V7 English stays testable until 11 June 2027. If your plan is to sit it in late 2027, wait for V8 study material to settle rather than buying V7 material that will be unsupported.
The number that actually matters for your score
None of this changes the fact that Security+ has performance-based questions, and CompTIA has never published how many there are. If you are preparing, the practical work is in the performance format, not the version number. The Security+ question bank with explanations has the same weighting as the exam, and the Security+ certification page has the full blueprint with the domain percentages so you can weight your revision by what is actually being asked.
When does CompTIA Security+ V8 launch?
On or around 17 November 2026, under exam code SY0-801. CompTIA describes it as "expected to launch on or around" that date, so treat it as a window rather than a fixed day.
Does Security+ V8 have new domains or changed weights?
No published change. The five domains and their weights — Security Operations 28%, Threats 22%, Security Program Management 20%, Security Architecture 18%, General Security Concepts 12% — carry over from SY0-701.
When does Security+ V7 retire?
The English version on 11 June 2027, and the Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai versions on 13 August 2027.
How much does the Security+ exam cost?
USD 439 for a voucher in CompTIA's North America store, and USD 579 for Voucher Plus Retake Assurance, which covers a second attempt. The voucher is single use and has to be redeemed within 12 months. Prices follow the store locale, so the same voucher code is GBP 274 on the UK store.
Is Security+ V8 in English only?
At launch, yes. V7 offered English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai. CompTIA has not published a timeline for the other languages arriving in V8.
Does my SY0-701 certificate still count?
Yes. Certifications already earned are not affected by a version change, and there is no requirement to retake when the exam retires. The retirement affects when you can sit the exam, not what you already hold.
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