How hard is the CompTIA SecAI+? Pass rates, topics and study time.

Exam at a Glance

CompTIA plans to open public testing for SecAI+ on February 17, 2026. The exam's working series code is CY0-001. English will be the only language at launch, with other languages expected later. CompTIA lists 3-4 years of IT experience-including at least two years in a security role-as the recommended baseline. They also advise holding Security+, CySA+, or PenTest+ first. The final item count and time limit are not yet public, but CompTIA's other mid-level exams top out at 90 questions in 90 minutes, so plan for a similar format.

Why Difficulty Feels High

SecAI+ sits between Security+ and CySA+ in scope yet reaches into new ground: model security, adversarial machine learning, and AI governance. Test takers cannot rely on recycled Security+ material because roughly 40 percent of the blueprint covers "securing AI systems," a field absent from earlier CompTIA tracks. The remaining domains mix AI concepts, detection use cases, and compliance rules, forcing candidates to bridge data science vocabulary and cyber practice. That interdisciplinary spread-plus the lack of long-standing prep books-makes the exam feel tougher than well-documented predecessors.

Domain Breakdown

CompTIA's draft objectives split the content into four weighted domains:

• Basic AI concepts in security - 17 %
• Securing AI systems - 40 %
• AI-assisted security - 24 %
• AI governance, risk, and compliance - 19 %

Expect performance-based questions (PBQs) on threat modeling for machine-learning pipelines, policy mapping to frameworks like the NIST AI RMF, and hands-on scenarios such as selecting controls to defend a large-language-model API.

Pass Rates: What We Know

CompTIA never releases official pass-rate data. Early comments from beta volunteers suggest the exam was "twice as hard as Security+" and "harder than CySA+" because no third-party practice sets existed. Anecdotal posts hint that many testers booked a second seat as insurance, which lines up with an unofficial first-time pass band of 55-65 percent-similar to other new CompTIA launches. Treat those figures as estimates, not formal statistics.

Background Needed

The blueprint assumes fluency with Windows and Linux hardening, threat intelligence feeds, identity services, and at least beginner-level scripting. Beyond that, candidates should be able to:

1. Explain supervised vs. unsupervised learning in plain terms.
2. Read a confusion matrix and spot overfitting.
3. Map AI components-data store, model registry, inference engine-onto common cloud services.
4. Align AI controls with ISO 27001, SOC 2, or PCI DSS when asked.

If any of those tasks feel foreign, add extra study weeks.

Study Time Benchmarks

How long you study depends on two variables: security depth and AI familiarity. Review logs from the most recent Security+ cohort and adjust upward:

• Security+ certified, some Python: 120-140 hours (about eight weeks at 15-18 hours/week).
• CySA+ or SOC experience, light AI: 80-100 hours.
• Strong data scientist, little security: 140-160 hours to close control-framework gaps.

Security+ candidates averaged 60-90 study hours for the SY0-701 revision. Doubling that figure covers the new AI content plus uncertainty around question style.

Build Hands-On Practice

You do not need GPUs to rehearse. A modest lab with three cloud VMs is enough:

1. One Ubuntu box hosting an open-source model (e.g., Tiny-LLM).
2. One Windows box holding sensitive files for simulated inference.
3. One Kali or Parrot box as the attacker running Adversarial Robustness Toolbox.

Use free tools-Falco for runtime monitoring, Elastic for log analysis, and Kubernetes admission controllers-to practice the same controls CompTIA lists in the draft outline.

Core Resources

Because no single textbook exists yet, mix sources:

• CompTIA's objective PDF (free, 17 pages).
• NIST SP 800-220 and AI RMF 1.0 for governance.
• Microsoft's Responsible AI docs for real-world controls.
• OWASP's Top 10 for LLM Apps for threat ideas.
• Short MOOCs on adversarial ML from universities.

For question drills, use generic AISec banks or build your own flash cards; beta testers report that re-phrased Security+ items rarely overlap.

Sample Study Plan

Week 1-2: Scan the blueprint, map each line to one trusted reference, and note gaps.
Week 3-4: Deep dive on data-and-model threats. Set up the lab and run simple poisoning demos.
Week 5-6: Focus on governance. Draft policy snippets that answer who owns the model, how logs are kept, and when red-team reviews run.
Week 7: Mix PBQ drills with timing practice-aim for under 60 seconds per multiple-choice item.
Week 8: Hit two full mocks, review misses, sleep, then test.

Retake Policy and Cost

CompTIA will likely match its standard rule: no waiting time after the first failure, then a 14-day gap before a third attempt. An exam voucher for Security+ rose to $425 in mid-2025; SecAI+ will probably sit in the $450-$475 range given the added complexity. Budget for at least one retake unless practice scores stay above 85 percent.

Beta Feedback Highlights

Volunteers who sat the October 2025 beta noted:

• A heavy tilt toward scenario questions-often four to six sentences each.
• At least one PBQ required mapping controls to the AI lifecycle.
• Few pure math items; conceptual clarity outweighed formula recall.
• Time pressure felt sharper than on CySA+ due to longer stems.

These clues should shape your prep even though final items will change.

Comparison to Other Certs

Security+: foundational; risk, network, identity basics.
SecAI+: specialized; model threats, AI SOC tooling, governance.
CySA+: proactive monitoring, threat hunting, incident analytics.

Many security leaders see SecAI+ as elective rather than a core requirement, but hiring data already show "secure AI" keywords multiplying in job posts for SOC analysts, cloud engineers, and DevSecOps leads. Treat the cert as an early differentiator.

Is It Worth the Effort?

If your day-to-day role includes securing ML pipelines or auditing AI use, SecAI+ lines up with those tasks today. If your role is general IT, you might wait for a mature book and wider course market. Either way, starting the reading list now gives you a head start on a skill set the industry clearly values.

Key Takeaway

SecAI+ is not impossible, but it is uncharted and broad. Plan on at least 100 focused study hours, lots of lab time, and a second-chance budget. Use the objectives as your master checklist, practice under timed conditions, and keep notes on every mistaken answer. Do that, and the leap from Security+ to SecAI+ turns from intimidating to manageable.