The CompTIA Security+ voucher currently retails for about $439 through the CompTIA North America store, with a voucher-plus-retake-assurance bundle running roughly $579. That price covers one exam attempt only: a failed attempt requires buying another voucher for a retake unless you purchased retake assurance up front. Budget conscious candidates should also set aside the approximately $150 continuing education renewal fee that keeps the certification active over its three-year cycle.
TL;DR:
- Eligible U.S. students can seek academic pricing through their schools, while employers may reimburse vouchers and CompTIA promotions sometimes bundle study materials or retake protection.
- Voucher codes expire without extensions or refunds, so confirm a Pearson VUE appointment and test date before buying rather than purchasing months ahead.
- A budget for independent study with a standard voucher, practice test, and renewal reserve totals roughly $650 to $750 when no retake is needed.
- Testing centers may add proctoring or seat fees, and late cancellations or rescheduling can trigger separate charges beyond the voucher.
- The current exam allows 90 questions in 90 minutes, with a 750 passing score; use a matching practice test to assess readiness before scheduling.
Table of Contents
- Voucher price options: standalone, retake assurance, and bundles
- Hidden costs that change your real exam spend
- How to budget for Security+: a checklist and sample totals
- Where to buy your voucher and how scheduling affects cost
- How structured prep lowers your chance of paying for a retake
- Readiness matters more than finding the cheapest voucher
- Get exam-ready with structured Security+ training programs
- FAQ
- Sources
Voucher price options: standalone, retake assurance, and bundles
CompTIA sells the Security+ exam through a single official channel for North American candidates, and the price structure breaks into a few predictable tiers. The standard voucher is the base purchase; the voucher-plus-retake option adds a second attempt in case the first does not go well, and some training providers package a voucher with practice materials at a combined rate.
| Option | Typical U.S. price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard voucher | ~$439 | One exam attempt |
| Voucher + Retake Assurance | ~$579 | Original attempt plus one retake if needed |
| CE renewal (3-year cycle) | approximately $150 total | Keeps Security+ active for three years |
A few discount routes are worth checking before you pay full price:
- Eligible U.S. students can often access reduced academic pricing through school partnerships, typically well below retail.
- Employers frequently reimburse or pre-purchase vouchers as part of a training budget, which removes the cost from your own pocket entirely.
- CompTIA periodically runs flash sales and bundle promotions that pair a voucher with a retake or study materials at a reduced combined rate.
Keep in mind that CompTIA Store pricing varies by region, so the figures above reflect the North America store specifically. If you are comparing prices you found elsewhere, confirm you are looking at the U.S. listing before you commit.
Hidden costs that change your real exam spend
The voucher price is the headline number, but several factors can push your actual spend higher. The biggest one is retake risk: if you buy a standalone voucher and fail, you are back at the CompTIA Store buying a second one at full price rather than a discounted retake rate.
- A standard voucher covers exactly one sitting, so a failed attempt without retake assurance means a second full voucher purchase.
- Vouchers and retake codes carry strict expiration windows that are not extendable, so a scheduling delay can force you to buy a replacement voucher.
- Some authorized testing centers add their own proctoring or seat fees on top of the voucher price, which shows up as a surprise line item on exam day.
- Paid practice tests and a targeted study course add to the total but reduce the odds you will need that second voucher at all.
If you fail once without retake assurance, expect to add roughly $439 for a replacement voucher on top of whatever you already spent, which is why retake assurance at the time of purchase is often the cheaper long-term choice for candidates who are not fully confident going in.
How to budget for Security+: a checklist and sample totals
A realistic Security+ budget has five line items, and skipping any of them tends to produce an unpleasant surprise later.
- Voucher or voucher-plus-retake: approximately $439 to $579 depending on whether you add retake protection.
- Retake buffer: set aside another approximately $439 even with retake assurance, in case you need a second retake.
- Practice tests: $50 to $150 for a quality practice exam product that mirrors the real scoring scale.
- Optional paid course: varies widely depending on format, from self-paced options to live instruction.
- CE renewal fund: approximately $150 set aside now for the three-year renewal cycle so it does not catch you off guard later.
A self-study candidate who buys a standalone voucher, a practice test, and sets aside the renewal fee is typically looking at roughly $650 to $750 total, assuming no retake. A candidate who pairs a paid course with voucher-plus-retake assurance spends more up front but carries far less risk of a repeat voucher purchase.
Pro Tip: Buy your voucher close to your scheduled test date rather than months in advance, since the window on an unused voucher can run out before you sit the exam.
Where to buy your voucher and how scheduling affects cost
The CompTIA Store is the primary purchase channel for North American candidates, and every voucher it issues is single-use with a defined redemption window. Once purchased, the voucher has to be redeemed at a Pearson VUE testing center before it expires, and Certiport’s voucher policies make clear that expired codes are not extendable or refundable.
- Buy your voucher only after you have a test date in mind, not months ahead of a planned study timeline.
- Confirm your Pearson VUE testing center location and available time slots before finalizing your purchase so you are not racing an expiration date.
- If a promotion requires early purchase, check the expiration terms carefully since a delayed study timeline can turn a discounted voucher into a wasted one.
- Reschedule or cancel well in advance of your appointment, since last-minute changes at the test center can carry their own fees separate from the voucher itself.
How structured prep lowers your chance of paying for a retake
Readiness, not just the voucher price, is what actually determines your total cost. Our Security+ 701 on-demand and live courses build toward the exam’s 90-question, 90-minute format with a 750 passing score through hands-on labs and instructor feedback rather than video playback alone. Our Security+ practice exam mirrors that scoring scale so you know where you stand before test day instead of after.
Pairing structured instruction with realistic practice testing shortens study time and reduces the odds of a failed first attempt, which is where most unplanned voucher costs come from. As a veteran-owned training organization, we built our programs around practical, job-ready skill development rather than exam-only cramming, which is also the standard our instructors hold themselves to when mentoring career changers and entry-level IT professionals through certification prep.
Readiness matters more than finding the cheapest voucher
Security+ remains one of the more practical entry points into a security role, and the certification’s value holds up when the person behind it can actually do the work the exam describes. Candidates who chase the lowest possible voucher price while skipping a retake buffer or a renewal fund often end up spending more overtime than those who budgeted conservatively from the start.
Treat exam-day readiness as the real lever on cost: a candidate who studies with a practice exam and structured feedback is far less likely to need that second voucher. Compare the sample budgets above against your own study timeline and be honest about how much preparation time you actually have before test day.
— Alden
Get exam-ready with structured Security+ training programs
Studying with a structured course costs more up front than a bare voucher, but it is often cheaper than paying for a failed attempt and a second voucher later. Our CompTIA Security+ 701 On-Demand Course includes hands-on labs and exam-aligned content built around the SY0-701 objectives, and our live course option adds real-time instructor access for candidates who want mentoring along the way.
- We offer a Security+ 701 on-demand course with self-paced access to labs and lesson content built around current exam objectives.
- We offer a Security+ 701 live course with scheduled instructor sessions for candidates who want direct feedback while they study.
- Our practice exam product lets you gauge readiness against the real scoring scale before you schedule test day.
Visit our Security+ 701 course page to see which format fits your timeline and start preparing before you buy your voucher.
FAQ
How much does the CompTIA Security+ exam cost?
A standard CompTIA Security+ voucher costs about $439 through the CompTIA North America store, and a voucher-plus-retake-assurance option runs roughly $579. Budget separately for the approximately $150 continuing education fee that covers the three-year renewal cycle.
Is 701 easier than 601?
Exam difficulty depends on your background and study approach rather than the version number itself. CompTIA periodically updates exam objectives to match current industry practices, and the current version, SY0-701, uses up to 90 questions with a 90-minute time limit and a 750 passing score.
Is CompTIA Security+ worth it in 2026?
Security+ remains a widely recognized entry point into security roles, and CompTIA recommends candidates have Network+ knowledge and about two years of practical experience before attempting it. Whether it is worth the cost for you depends on your career goals and whether you pair the certification with hands-on skill building, not just exam preparation.
Where can I find CompTIA Security+ practice tests?
Our Security+ practice exam mirrors the real scoring scale so you can gauge readiness before scheduling your test date. Using a practice test that matches the actual exam format is one of the more reliable ways to lower the chance of needing a retake voucher.
What additional fees should I expect beyond the voucher price?
Beyond the voucher itself, expiration windows on vouchers and retake codes can force a replacement purchase if you miss your window, and some testing centers add their own proctoring fees. Set aside a retake buffer and the approximately $150 CE renewal fee so these costs do not catch you off guard later.
Sources
- How Much Does the CompTIA Security+ Certification Cost? | CompTIA Blog
- Continuing education renewal fees | CompTIA
- Voucher policies :: Exam policies :: Certiport
