The U.S. Department of Defense lists Security+ as an approved baseline certification for over a dozen job roles under Directive 8140. That single fact explains why the credential has staying power beyond its modest difficulty level—and why picking the right security plus classes matters more than just clearing a 90-question multiple-choice test. The cert opens doors to federal contractor work, government IT positions, and civilian roles where employers use it as a hiring filter. This guide covers what to look for in security plus classes, which courses actually deliver on exam readiness, and how to structure preparation that doesn't leave you cramming the week before test day.
What the SY0-701 Exam Actually Tests
The current exam version, SY0-701, shifted the domain structure compared to older versions. CompTIA now organizes content into five domains:
- General Security Concepts (12%)
- Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations (22%)
- Security Architecture (18%)
- Security Operations (28%)
- Security Program Management and Oversight (20%)
Security Operations is now the largest domain at 28%—a meaningful shift from older versions. Courses built for SY0-601 cover roughly 70–75% of what you need but underweight incident response, monitoring workflows, and automation. Those are exactly the areas where the new exam tests applied judgment, not vocabulary recall.
The exam also includes performance-based questions (PBQs) alongside standard multiple-choice. PBQs simulate real scenarios: configuring firewall rules, reading network logs, identifying attack vectors in a given environment. Many candidates find PBQs the hardest part—not because the knowledge is difficult, but because they've only read about concepts rather than worked through scenarios. Any security plus class worth taking includes hands-on labs or scenario walkthroughs. Lecture-only courses leave a gap here that practice exams alone won't close.
How to Choose Security Plus Classes
There's no shortage of Security+ study material. The problem is that most courses were built to check a box rather than build genuine understanding. A few criteria that actually matter:
SY0-701 Coverage, Not SY0-601
CompTIA retired SY0-601 in July 2024. Any course published before 2023—or one that hasn't been updated since—may map to the old domain structure. Check the course description for explicit SY0-701 coverage. This is less of a risk with major platforms that update content regularly, but a real issue anywhere instructors leave old material untouched.
Scenario-Based Practice, Not Just Flashcards
If a course offers only multiple-choice practice questions, it won't prepare you for PBQs. Platforms like Coursera often embed graded labs; standalone Udemy courses vary widely by instructor. If your primary course doesn't include scenario practice, supplement it with a dedicated practice exam tool—Jason Dion's Udemy tests and Professor Messer's PBQ sets are the most widely used options.
Instructor Background
This matters more in security than in many other cert areas because the domain includes judgment calls—threat prioritization, risk tradeoffs, architecture decisions. A course taught by someone with hands-on security experience handles ambiguous exam questions better than one taught by a generalist trainer reading from a slide deck. Look for instructors with CISSP, CEH, CISM, or documented practitioner backgrounds.
Your Starting Point
Security+ assumes baseline networking knowledge. If you're coming from a completely non-technical background, understand TCP/IP, basic routing, and common protocols before starting Security+ material in earnest. Candidates who already hold CompTIA Network+ or have hands-on IT experience can move faster and focus on the security-specific domains rather than spending time on foundational networking concepts the exam takes for granted.
Top Security Plus Classes Worth Taking
The following courses are ranked by student ratings and practical content relevance to SY0-701 objectives. Most are available through Coursera or Udemy; pricing varies by platform subscription model.
IT Security: Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts
Part of Google's IT Support Professional Certificate on Coursera, this course covers cryptography, network security, AAA frameworks, and incident response in a way that maps directly to Security+ objectives. The scenario-based assessments help build the reasoning skills needed for PBQ-style questions, making it stronger than lecture-heavy alternatives for candidates who want structured progression with graded checkpoints.
Put It to Work: Prepare for Cybersecurity Jobs
Also from the Google cybersecurity track on Coursera, this course focuses on incident documentation, escalation workflows, and operational security thinking—areas that align directly with Security+'s Security Operations domain (28% of the exam). It won't replace a dedicated Security+ prep course but fills the operational gap that exam-focused courses often underweight.
Managing Security in Google Cloud
Primarily a cloud security course, but the overlap with Security+'s architecture and implementation objectives is substantial. The hands-on labs give you practical exposure to hybrid and cloud environment scenarios that appear regularly on SY0-701. Better suited for candidates with some IT background than complete beginners, and especially useful if you're targeting roles in cloud-heavy environments.
A Practical Guide to Cybersecurity Operations Foundations
A Udemy course covering SOC operations, log analysis, threat detection, and incident response—which maps directly to the largest exam domain. The hands-on orientation sets it apart from lecture-heavy alternatives. Best used as a supplement to a primary Security+ course if your background is more theoretical than operational.
Building and Configuring Your Cybersecurity Attack Lab
Not a Security+ prep course in name, but building and using a lab environment—virtual machines, network sniffers, attack simulation tools—gives you the applied context that makes exam questions about vulnerabilities and mitigations easier to reason through. This is the difference between knowing a buffer overflow exists and understanding what it looks like in practice. Recommended as a companion resource, not a standalone prep tool.
Network Administration Security Cloud Fundamentals Overview
Covers networking and cloud fundamentals with a security focus—useful if you don't yet hold Network+ and want baseline knowledge before diving into Security+-specific domains. It addresses subnetting, routing protocols, and cloud networking concepts that appear in Security+ architecture questions, making it a practical starting point for candidates coming from non-networking backgrounds.
Building a Study Plan Around Security Plus Classes
Most candidates who pass on the first attempt spend 60–120 hours preparing, distributed over 6–12 weeks. Here's a realistic structure that accounts for both course content and exam mechanics.
Weeks 1–3: Domain Coverage
Work through your primary course in domain order. Don't rush to finish; Security+ rewards understanding over speed. Take notes on concepts you're uncertain about rather than trying to memorize everything. Focus especially on Threats/Vulnerabilities and Security Operations since together they represent 50% of the exam.
Weeks 4–6: Labs and Scenarios
This is where most candidates underinvest. Run through any labs included in your course, and supplement with free resources: TryHackMe's pre-security path, Professor Messer's free video series (updated for SY0-701), and CompTIA's CertMaster Labs if you're willing to pay for access. The goal is to see concepts in action, not just read about them.
Weeks 7–8: Practice Exams
Take timed, full-length practice exams under exam conditions. Aim for consistent 80%+ scores before booking the real exam—the passing score is 750 out of 900, which is roughly 83%. Review every wrong answer, including ones you guessed correctly. The reasoning matters, not just the outcome.
Exam Logistics
The exam voucher costs $404 USD directly from CompTIA. Discounts are available through academic pricing (30–40% off for students) and employer reimbursement—many government contractors and large enterprises cover exam costs, so ask before paying out of pocket. The exam is 90 questions, 90 minutes, offered through Pearson VUE at testing centers or via online proctoring. Online proctoring has stricter environmental requirements (room scan, no second monitors), so factor that in if your home setup is complicated. Certifications expire after three years and can be renewed through continuing education credits or by passing a higher-level exam like CySA+ or CASP+.
FAQ
How long do security plus classes take to complete?
Most structured courses run 20–40 hours of video content. Add lab time and practice exams and total preparation typically lands between 60–120 hours, spread over 6–12 weeks. Condensed preparation is possible but generally produces lower first-attempt pass rates because scenario-based thinking takes time to develop.
Do I need Network+ before taking security plus classes?
CompTIA recommends Network+ as a prerequisite, but it's not required. Candidates with two or more years of hands-on IT experience typically have enough networking background. If you're entirely new to IT, spending 3–4 weeks on networking fundamentals before starting Security+ material will make the content significantly easier to absorb and retain.
Are free security plus classes good enough to pass?
Professor Messer's free video series is legitimately high-quality and many candidates have passed using it as a primary resource. The gap is usually in practice exams and labs—free resources rarely include enough scenario-based practice. Combining free video content with a paid practice exam bundle (Jason Dion's Udemy tests typically run $15–20) is a cost-effective approach that covers both gaps.
Which security plus classes are best for complete beginners?
Google's cybersecurity courses on Coursera provide a more gradual on-ramp than most exam-focused courses. They're structured as a learning sequence rather than a test-prep sprint, which works better if you're building foundational knowledge rather than refreshing skills you already have. The Network Administration Security Cloud Fundamentals course is also worth considering as an entry point.
Can I pass Security+ without taking a class?
Yes—particularly candidates with existing security experience. Self-study using the CompTIA study guide, Professor Messer's notes, and practice exams is a viable path. The risk is coverage gaps; structured security plus classes ensure you don't miss entire topic areas that appear on the exam without warning.
Is Security+ worth it in 2025?
For entry-level and early-career candidates targeting government, defense contracting, or enterprise IT roles, yes. The DoD 8140 mandate creates sustained employer demand that isn't going away. For practitioners already working in security with CISSP, CISM, or domain-specific credentials, the ROI is lower—the cert is unlikely to add much to a resume that already signals more advanced expertise.
Bottom Line
The strongest approach to Security+ combines a structured course that covers all five SY0-701 domains with hands-on scenario practice and at least one full-length timed practice exam before sitting the real test. No single security plus class covers every angle well, so plan on using two resources: a primary course for domain coverage and a secondary resource for labs or scenario practice.
If you're starting from scratch, begin with Google's IT Security course on Coursera to build conceptual grounding, then layer in a more exam-focused resource as you approach your test date. If you already have IT experience, go straight to a SY0-701-specific course, prioritize the Security Operations and Threats/Vulnerabilities domains, and supplement with scenario-based lab work on anything that still feels abstract after the lectures.
One practical note: book your exam before you feel completely ready. Having a date on the calendar changes how you study. Candidates who drift through open-ended preparation without a deadline consistently take longer to pass—not because they need more time, but because a deadline forces prioritization that unstructured studying rarely produces on its own.