{"id":1288,"date":"2023-01-14T07:55:39","date_gmt":"2023-01-14T12:55:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/?p=1288"},"modified":"2025-01-30T10:35:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T15:35:57","slug":"security-plus-501-exam-versus-601-exam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/security-plus-501-exam-versus-601-exam\/","title":{"rendered":"Security Plus 501 Exam Versus 601 Exam"},"content":{"rendered":"

NOTE: As of November 2023, the current Security+ exam is 701.\u00a0 This article refers to retired exams 501 and 601.<\/h2>\n

Follow this link<\/a> for detailed info on the 701 exam.<\/p>\n

CompTIA Security Plus certification<\/span><\/a> is a widely recognized measure of a person’s competency in network security, compliance, and operational security. The Security+ certification has two exams\u2014the Security+ 501 and the Security+ 601.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this article, we will compare the two exams to help you determine which one is right for you. The Security+ 501 exam covers the fundamentals of security and is intended for those just starting out in the field, while the Security+ 601 exam covers more advanced topics and is intended for those with more experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

501 Exam<\/span><\/h2>\n

The 501 exam covers security fundamentals including cryptography, network security, identity, and access management. It is intended for individuals with at least two years of experience in IT administration with a focus on security. The 501 exam is multiple-choice and performance-based and covers six key domains of knowledge. These include:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Threats, attacks, and vulnerabilities (21%)<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Technologies and tools (22%)<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Architecture and design (15%)<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Identity and access management (16%)<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Risk management (14%)<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Cryptography and PKI (12%)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    It is considered more basic than the 601 exam.<\/span><\/p>\n

    601 Exam<\/span><\/h2>\n

    The CompTIA Security+ 601 exam <\/span>is the current CompTIA Security+ exam<\/a>.<\/span> It\u2019s an updated version of the Security+ 501 exam, and it covers five key domains of knowledge. These are:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Attacks, threats, and vulnerabilities (24%)<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Architecture and design (21%)<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Implementation (25%)<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Operations and incident response (16%)<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Governance, risk, and compliance (14%)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The 601 is considered more challenging and in-depth than the 501 exams and places a greater emphasis on hands-on experience and the ability to apply security principles in real-world situations. Eventually, the 601 will be updated as well, so it can be helpful to know <\/span>when the Security+ exam changes<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

      501 vs 601<\/span><\/h2>\n

      One key change in the 601 exams is the increased emphasis on hands-on experience and the ability to apply security principles in real-world situations. This means that the 601 exam focuses more on practical skills and knowledge than just theoretical concepts.<\/span><\/p>\n

      601 exams also have increased focus on advanced topics, such as cryptography, penetration testing, and incident response. However, they both have much in common. They each:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Have ninety questions<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Has a time limit of ninety minutes<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Cost $370<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Have a passing score of 750 on a scale of 100 to 900<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Who Should Take the Security+ 601 Exam?<\/span><\/h2>\n

        If You\u2019re Already 501 Certified<\/span><\/h3>\n

        If you are already Security+ certified, you do not need to take the Security+ 601 exam. The Security+ certification is valid for three years, after which you will need to renew your certification by passing the SY0-501 exam or the newer SY0-601 exam. If you are approaching the end of your certification period, you may consider taking the SY0-601 exam to renew your certification.<\/span><\/p>\n

        If You\u2019ve Prepared for the 501 Exam<\/span><\/h3>\n

        The Security+ 501 exam covers the same content as the Security+ 601 exam, but the 501 exam has been retired and is no longer available. If you\u2019re preparing for the Security+ 501 exam, it\u2019s recommended that you take the Security+ 601 exam instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

        In Summary<\/span><\/p>\n

        The 501 and 601 exams are similar, but the Security+ 601 exam requires a combination of hands-on experience and structured learning, meaning passing test-takers will be more prepared for future work in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        NOTE: As of November 2023, the current Security+ exam is 701.\u00a0 This article refers to retired exams 501 and 601. Follow this link for detailed info on the 701 exam. CompTIA Security Plus certification is a widely recognized measure of a person’s competency in network security, compliance, and operational security. The Security+ certification has two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1369,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,3,40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1288","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-certifications","category-comptia","category-security"],"aioseo_notices":[],"modified_by":"blogadmin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1288","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1288"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1288\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2458,"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1288\/revisions\/2458"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1288"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1288"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onlc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1288"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}