Is CASP+ worth it now that it is CompTIA SecurityX?
48 of 8,110 cybersecurity analyst job ads in the United States name the CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+) (Adzuna, October 2026)
"Is CASP worth it?" It fits security engineers and architects with the 10 years of IT experience CompTIA recommends: CompTIA wrote the exam for their work. Our data and sources cannot show a payoff. Beginners should start with Security+. CASP+, now CompTIA SecurityX, appeared in 48 of the 8,110 US security-analyst ads in October 2026 on Adzuna, a job-ad search site.
CompTIA SecurityX, known as the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) certification until December 2024, is the senior security exam from CompTIA, the company behind Security+, its entry-level security exam. CompTIA says it built SecurityX around the tasks of senior security engineers and security architects, and placed it in the Xpert series, CompTIA's label for its expert-level certifications. CASP is the short form without the plus sign.
A security engineer builds and maintains a company's protections, such as firewalls and access rules; a security architect designs how those protections fit together.
Our count looks for the word CASP in job ads. Ads that use only the new name, SecurityX, are not in it, so ads for the renamed exam may be missing from the count.
Verdict by situation:
- Ten or more years in IT, five of them hands-on security, in or near a security engineer or architect job: SecurityX is the CompTIA option written for that work. Its four domains are governance, risk and compliance (the rules, risk decisions and legal duties a company must meet), security architecture, security engineering and security operations.
- About four years in a SOC (security operations center) or as a vulnerability analyst (someone who finds weak spots in systems): CompTIA's mid-level analyst exam is the better first step (see the comparison below). With less experience, start with Security+.
- No security experience: start with CompTIA Security+. CompTIA recommends, but does not require, networking knowledge and two years working as a security or systems administrator before it, so you can study for it while you look for an entry-level IT job.
- No target job yet: pick one entry-level title on our cybersecurity roadmap. Search that title plus SecurityX and CASP on a job site, open ten ads and note which certifications they name before you spend $544 on a voucher in the US store (a prepaid code you use to book the exam).
- US Department of Defense (DoD) work: DoD 8140 is the department's rule set for qualifying cyber staff. CompTIA maps SecurityX to DoD 8140 work roles (the job categories that rule uses), such as security architect and security control assessor (someone who checks that protections work). Check which certifications the role you would be hired into accepts.
Jump to: the rename · cost · SecurityX vs CISSP, CySA+ and Security+
Show the numbers
| Item | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|
| SIEM | 415 | 5.1% |
| CISSP | 338 | 4.2% |
| CompTIA | 162 | 2.0% |
| CISM | 134 | 1.7% |
| CompTIA CySA+ | 119 | 1.5% |
| CompTIA Security+ | 112 | 1.4% |
| Splunk | 100 | 1.2% |
| CEH | 81 | 81 of 8,110 |
| CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+) | 48 | 48 of 8,110 |
Is CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+) worth it for you?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
Rarely named
48 of 8,110 cybersecurity analyst job ads in the United States name CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+).
- Most-named alternative
- CISSP 4.2%
- Skill asked for most
- SIEM 5.1%
- Official exam fee
- $544 source
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
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On this page
- Is CompTIA CASP+ worth it in 2026 now that it is SecurityX?
- CASP+ or SecurityX: what changed with the rename?
- What is on the CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005) exam?
- How hard is CompTIA SecurityX, the former CASP+ exam?
- How much does CompTIA CASP+ (SecurityX) cost?
- How do you renew the CompTIA CASP+ certification, now SecurityX?
- What CompTIA CASP+ and SecurityX jobs are there? Ad counts by country
- What is the CompTIA CASP+ salary?
- How does SecurityX compare with CISSP, CySA+ and Security+?
- What do Reddit posters say about the SecurityX certification?
- Sources
Is CompTIA CASP+ worth it in 2026 now that it is SecurityX?
It fits experienced security engineers and architects, the people CompTIA wrote it for, but our data and sources cannot show that it pays off. For a security analyst, it is not the exam written for the daily work. Our job-ad count, in the jobs section below, covers analyst ads only.
We count ads for one job title per certification, and for this one the closest title in our data is security analyst, which is not the job SecurityX was written for. CompTIA's own list of matching roles starts with security architect, and ads for that title or for security engineer are not in our sample. The analyst figure tells you how often employers hiring analysts write CASP into an ad; it cannot tell you how often architect ads do.
Our reading: if you already work at the level CompTIA recommends, SecurityX is the CompTIA option written for engineering and architecture work, and its US exam fee is lower than the CISSP's ($544 compared with $749). The CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) is the broad security certification from ISC2, a certification body outside CompTIA. If you are still an analyst, CompTIA CySA+ (Cybersecurity Analyst+, the mid-level analyst exam) fits the daily work better. Before paying, read ten ads for the exact job you want next and count which certifications they name.
CASP+ or SecurityX: what changed with the rename?
CASP+ vs SecurityX is not a choice between two certifications, because CASP+ was renamed SecurityX. CompTIA released the new exam, CAS-005 (the exam code), on December 17, 2024, and announced the next day that CASP+ is now SecurityX. For current holders, CompTIA says the rename changes neither certification status nor the continuing education program (the credits you earn to keep the certification, explained below). Its blog post of December 18, 2024, says CASP+ "is now the new CompTIA SecurityX," and that the change "will not affect the certification status of current CASP+ certification holders or the continuing education program."
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| October 6, 2021 | CAS-004, the CASP+ version 4 (V4) exam, launched |
| December 17, 2024 | CAS-005, the SecurityX version 5 (V5) exam, released |
| December 18, 2024 | CompTIA's blog announced that CASP+ is now SecurityX |
| June 17, 2025 | CAS-004 retired, meaning you can no longer take it |
| 2027 (CompTIA estimate) | CAS-005 due to retire, about three years after launch, so check the current exam objectives before you buy study material |
Source: CompTIA blog "Introducing CompTIA SecurityX" and SecurityX page, read October 7, 2026; CAS-004 dates from CompTIA's former CASP+ page (an archived copy on web.archive.org).
Active CASP+ holders, CompTIA says, get a notice to download the updated SecurityX digital badge (an online image that proves the certification). The archived copy of CompTIA's former CASP+ page says unexpired CASP+ vouchers work for the SecurityX exam, so check with CompTIA if you hold an old voucher.
The blog says SecurityX keeps the same four domains as CASP+. One practical change is language: CAS-004 was offered in English, Japanese and Thai, while CompTIA lists CAS-005 in English, with other languages still to be decided.
CASP, CASP+ and SecurityX are therefore one certification under three names. CASP is the short form, CASP+ the name from before December 2024 and SecurityX the current one.
What is on the CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005) exam?
The CAS-005 exam has a maximum of 90 questions in a maximum of 165 minutes, mixing multiple-choice questions with performance-based ones (tasks you carry out in a simulated system). The result is pass or fail. CompTIA gives no scaled score (a raw result converted to a fixed points scale).
CompTIA's exam objectives summary splits the exam into four domains with these weights:
| SecurityX (CAS-005) domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Governance, risk, and compliance | 20% |
| Security architecture | 27% |
| Security engineering | 31% |
| Security operations | 22% |
Source: CompTIA SecurityX page, exam objectives summary, read October 7, 2026.
Security engineering and security architecture together make up 58% of the exam, which fits CompTIA's statement that the certification was designed around senior engineer and architect tasks. Use a CompTIA SecurityX CAS-005 certification guide if you can. When you study from an older CAS-004 certification guide, check each chapter against the CAS-005 objectives, because the CAS-004 exam retired in June 2025.
Show the numbers
| Item | CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 90 questions |
| Exam time | 165 minutes (2 h 45 min) |
| Passing score | pass/fail only |
| Format | Multiple choice, performance-based tasks |
| Languages | English |
How hard is CompTIA SecurityX, the former CASP+ exam?
There is no official number for how difficult CompTIA SecurityX is: we found no pass rate on the CompTIA pages we read in October 2026. What CompTIA does publish is the experience it expects, a "minimum of 10 years of general hands-on IT experience, including 5 years of hands-on security."
That recommendation is the clearest signal of difficulty. It is the longest of any CompTIA certification compared on this page, and CompTIA adds that candidates should have Network+, Security+, CySA+, Cloud+ and PenTest+ or equivalent knowledge. Those are CompTIA's exams on networking, entry-level security, security analysis, cloud and penetration testing (approved attacks to find weaknesses). The page lists all of this as recommended; it states no required prerequisite.
The format adds its own challenge. Performance-based questions ask you to configure or analyze something rather than pick an answer, and because the result is only pass or fail, you do not get a score that shows how close you came.
A failed attempt costs time and money. Under CompTIA's retake policy, there is no wait between the first and second attempt, but you must wait at least 14 calendar days before a third or later one. CompTIA states that "Candidates must pay the exam price each time they attempt the exam," and the policy offers no free retests or retake discounts. Retake Assurance is a separately sold voucher option that includes a retake under its own terms.
On study time, we have no figure to give: our Reddit collection holds too few clear first-person reports of how long people took to prepare for SecurityX.
How much does CompTIA CASP+ (SecurityX) cost?
The SecurityX exam, the former CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) exam, costs $544 for a voucher in CompTIA's US store, or $709 with Retake Assurance (comptia.org, checked October 3, 2026). Retake Assurance is a voucher that includes a retake if you fail; check CompTIA's terms for the conditions. Renewal adds a $150 continuing education fee per three-year cycle (CompTIA, checked October 7, 2026).
| SecurityX cost over the first three years | Plain voucher, pass on the first try | Voucher with Retake Assurance | Plain vouchers, pass on the second try |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | $544 | $709 | $1,088 (two vouchers at $544) |
| Continuing education fee, one three-year cycle | $150 | $150 | $150 |
| Total | $694 | $859 | $1,238 |
Source: CompTIA SecurityX page (voucher prices, October 3, 2026) and CompTIA continuing education fee page (October 7, 2026). Sums: CertWorthIt.
Retake Assurance costs $165 more than a plain voucher ($709 minus $544). If you fail once, use the retake and meet its terms, it saves $379 compared with buying a second plain voucher ($1,088 minus $709). It pays off only if there is a real chance you will need a second attempt.
CompTIA's SecurityX page also lists bundles that combine CertMaster Practice, CompTIA's own practice tool, with a Retake Assurance voucher; we did not check their prices. We checked voucher prices in the US store only, so the amount in your currency may differ.
Show the numbers
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Fees to get certified: Exam | $544 |
| Fees to get certified: Renewal, every 3 years | $150 |
How do you renew the CompTIA CASP+ certification, now SecurityX?
SecurityX runs on a three-year continuing education (CE) cycle. Within each cycle, you earn 75 continuing education units (CEUs, credits for approved learning and work activities) and pay a $150 CE fee for the three years, according to CompTIA's CE pages checked October 7, 2026.
A poster on Reddit asked whether renewing SecurityX alone would still renew their other CompTIA certifications (r/CompTIA). CompTIA's CE fee page gives the general rule. It says: "When you renew a higher-level certification, your lower-level certifications will automatically renew without paying additional fees." The same page warns that CE fees are not waived if the higher-level certification does not fully renew the lower-level one.
The page we read does not list which certifications SecurityX renews. If it does renew your Security+, you pay $150 per cycle for both instead of $300 (two CE fees at $150), so confirm the coverage with CompTIA before you count on that saving.
Show the numbers
| Item | |
|---|---|
| 1. Exam | 90 questions, 165 minutes |
| 2. Certified | valid for 3 years |
| 3. Renewal | 75 CEUs every 3 years |
Show the numbers
| Level | Certification | Experience | Named first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | ISC2 CC | no work experience required | – |
| Entry | Google Cybersecurity | no work experience required | – |
| Entry | IBM Cybersecurity Analyst | beginner course (vendor) | – |
| Associate | SSCP | required: 1 year of work experience | – |
| Professional | CompTIA Security+ | recommended: 2 years of work experience | – |
| Professional | CEH | required: 2 years of work experience | – |
| Professional | CRISC | required: 3 years of work experience | – |
| Professional | CompTIA PenTest+ | recommended: 3 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | CISSP | required: 4 years of work experience on the shortest route (4–5 years, depending on the route) | – |
| Expert | CompTIA CySA+ | recommended: 4 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | CISM | required: 5 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | CISA | required: 5 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | ISO 27001 Lead Implementer / Auditor | required: 5 years of work experience | – |
| Expert | CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+) | recommended: 10 years of work experience | – |
What CompTIA CASP+ and SecurityX jobs are there? Ad counts by country
CompTIA maps SecurityX to NICE and DoD 8140 work roles, including security architect and security control assessor. NICE is a US framework that names cybersecurity work roles.
Our job-ad count covers a narrower set of jobs: ads with the title security analyst. In the US, 48 of the 8,110 security-analyst ads we counted in October 2026 contained the word CASP (Adzuna). We searched for the word casp, which also matches CASP+; the note near the top of the page explains what that search misses.
In India, 2 of the 250 security-analyst ads named CASP in October 2026, and in the UK, one of the 235 did in the same month (Adzuna). Both are small samples, so one ad either way changes the picture. In Brazil, the word turned up in none of the 434 security-analyst ads.
We do not count ads in other countries, and our count does not record whether a job is remote. To find CASP+ or SecurityX jobs where you live, search job sites for security architect and security engineer titles together with both names.
Show the numbers
| Country | CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+) | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2 | 250 | 2 of 250 |
| United States | 48 | 8,110 | 48 of 8,110 |
| United Kingdom | 1 | 235 | 1 of 235 |
| Brazil | 0 | 434 | 0 of 434 |
What is the CompTIA CASP+ salary?
We report no CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) salary or CompTIA SecurityX salary figure, because we found none that is sourced, dated and separated from experience. Our Adzuna counts record whether an ad names the certification, not what the job pays.
A salary average for holders would also mostly measure seniority. CompTIA recommends 10 years of IT work before the exam, so a quoted SecurityX salary likely describes people with long careers, and the number cannot show what the certification itself adds.
To judge pay where you live, read the salary ranges printed in security-engineer and security-architect ads in your city. Our cybersecurity-analyst page covers the analyst role country by country.
How does SecurityX compare with CISSP, CySA+ and Security+?
Of the three CompTIA certifications here, SecurityX carries the longest experience recommendation. The CISSP from ISC2 is included as a senior option outside CompTIA. The table quotes each vendor's experience wording.
| Certification | Vendor | Experience, in the vendor's words | Required or recommended | Exam format | Exam fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SecurityX (formerly CASP+) | CompTIA | "minimum of 10 years of general hands-on IT experience, including 5 years of hands-on security" | Recommended | Up to 90 questions, 165 minutes | $544 |
| CySA+ | CompTIA | "About 4 years in a SOC analyst or vulnerability analyst role" | Recommended | Up to 85 questions, 165 minutes | $439 |
| Security+ | CompTIA | "CompTIA Network+ and two years of experience working in a security/ systems administrator job role" | Recommended | Up to 90 questions, 90 minutes | $439 |
| CISSP | ISC2 | Five years of paid work in at least two of eight domains; one year can be waived for a degree or an approved credential | Required to hold the title | 100 to 150 items, 3 hours | $749 |
Source: CompTIA SecurityX, CySA+ and Security+ pages (US voucher prices, checked October 3, 2026); ISC2 CISSP experience, exam outline and pricing pages (checked October 5, 2026).
The CISSP is the only one in the table with a required experience rule. A candidate who passes it without the five years becomes an Associate of ISC2 (someone who has passed but not yet met the experience rule) and has six years to earn the experience. SecurityX has no such step: pass the exam and you hold it.
A Reddit poster asked how the CISSP's adaptive format compares with SecurityX (r/cissp). ISC2 says the CISSP uses computerized adaptive testing, which picks each question based on your earlier answers, for 100 to 150 items. CompTIA's SecurityX page lists a set maximum of 90 questions, and the exam details we read there do not describe the exam as adaptive.
Our count for the same US job title, using the phrase we search for each certification:
| Certification | Phrase we searched | US security-analyst ads naming it, October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| CISSP | cissp |
338 |
| CySA+ | cysa |
119 |
| Security+ | comptia security |
112 |
| SecurityX (CASP+) | casp |
48 |
Source: Adzuna, 8,110 US security-analyst ads, October 2026. Analysis: CertWorthIt. An ad can name more than one certification.
Two other routes fit different jobs. For security management, see the CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) from ISACA, an IT governance association. For offensive testing, see the CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker).
Show the numbers
| Country | CompTIA SecurityX (CASP+) | CISSP |
|---|---|---|
| India | 2 of 250 | 18% |
| United Kingdom | 1 of 235 | 12% |
| United States | 48 of 8,110 | 4.2% |
| Brazil | 0 of 434 | 4 of 434 |
What do Reddit posters say about the SecurityX certification?
Two posts we collected question SecurityX's value in the job market, and a third asks a holder about it. Treat them as individual views, not data.
One poster weighing SecurityX on r/CompTIA wrote: "I haven't seen it mentioned much in job postings at least where I live" (thread). The same poster said the postings they had seen asked for the CISSP.
A holder of the CISSP, CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor, ISACA's audit certification) and CISM passed the SecurityX beta exam (a trial version run before launch). They said they were thinking of not renewing it: "I don't see jobs asking for it, I don't need it given my current held certificates" (thread). That view comes from someone who already holds three senior credentials, so it says more about stacking certifications than about SecurityX as a first senior one.
In another thread, a poster asked a CASP+ holder directly how much the credential had been worth to them (r/CompTIA). The answer to that question depends on the job: compare the counts in the section on CompTIA CASP+ and SecurityX jobs with ads for the title you want.
Sources
- CompTIA, SecurityX certification page (exam details, domains, recommended experience, work roles, bundles): https://www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/securityx/, read October 7, 2026; voucher prices checked October 3, 2026
- CompTIA blog, "Introducing CompTIA SecurityX," December 18, 2024: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/blog/introducing-comptia-securityx/, read October 7, 2026
- CompTIA, former CASP+ certification page (CAS-004 dates and languages, voucher rule), web.archive.org copy: https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://www.comptia.org/certifications/comptia-advanced-security-practitioner, read October 7, 2026
- CompTIA, certification retake policy: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/test-policies/comptia-certification-retake-policy/, read October 7, 2026
- CompTIA, earn continuing education units: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/ce/learn/earn-continuing-education-units-ceus/, read October 7, 2026
- CompTIA, continuing education renewal fees: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/ce/learn/continuing-education-renewal-fees/, read October 7, 2026
- CompTIA, CySA+ page: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/cybersecurity-analyst/v4/, and Security+ page: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/security/v7/, checked October 3, 2026
- ISC2, CISSP experience requirements: https://www.isc2.org/certifications/cissp/cissp-experience-requirements; CISSP exam outline: https://www.isc2.org/certifications/cissp/cissp-exam-outline; exam pricing: https://www.isc2.org/register-for-exam/isc2-exam-pricing, checked October 5, 2026
- Job ads: Adzuna, security-analyst ads containing the word CASP, US, UK, India and Brazil, October 2026. Method
- Reddit: posts from r/CompTIA and r/cissp, linked where quoted; no usernames
Questions people ask
Is CompTIA SecurityX worth it?
It fits security engineers and architects with the experience CompTIA recommends: CompTIA SecurityX, called CASP+ (CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner) until December 2024, is the CompTIA exam written for their work. Our data and sources cannot show whether it pays off. CompTIA recommends at least 10 years of hands-on IT work, 5 of them in security. Beginners should take Security+, CompTIA's entry-level security exam, first. On Adzuna, a job-ad search site, 48 of the 8,110 US security-analyst ads in October 2026 contained the word CASP; ads naming only SecurityX are not counted.
Is CASP+ the same as SecurityX?
Yes. CompTIA renamed CASP+ (CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner) to CompTIA SecurityX and released the new exam version, CAS-005 (the exam code), on December 17, 2024. CompTIA says the name change does not affect the status of current CASP+ holders or the continuing education program (the credits you earn to renew it), and active holders can download a SecurityX badge. The older CASP+ exam, CAS-004, was retired on June 17, 2025, meaning you can no longer take it.
How much does the CASP+ (SecurityX) exam cost?
CompTIA's US store listed the SecurityX exam voucher (a prepaid code you use to book the exam) at $544, or $709 for a voucher with Retake Assurance (comptia.org, checked October 3, 2026). Retake Assurance includes a retake if you fail; check CompTIA's terms for the conditions. Keeping the certification costs a $150 continuing education fee per three-year cycle. Over the first three years with one attempt, the total is $694: the $544 voucher plus the $150 fee.
How hard is the CASP+ (CompTIA SecurityX) exam?
We found no official pass rate for SecurityX (formerly CASP+) on the CompTIA pages we read in October 2026, so there is no official measure of difficulty. The CAS-005 exam (the current exam code) has up to 90 multiple-choice and performance-based questions (tasks you carry out in a simulated system) in up to 165 minutes. The result is pass or fail, with no scaled score (a raw result converted to a fixed points scale), so you will not see how close you came. CompTIA recommends at least 10 years of hands-on IT experience, including 5 years of hands-on security, before you take it.
What are the CASP+ requirements?
CompTIA's SecurityX page (the certification was called CASP+ until December 2024) states no required prerequisite. It recommends a "minimum of 10 years of general hands-on IT experience, including 5 years of hands-on security," with Network+, Security+, CySA+, Cloud+ and PenTest+ or equivalent knowledge (comptia.org, checked October 7, 2026). Those five are CompTIA's exams on networking, entry-level security, security analysis, cloud and penetration testing (approved attacks to find weaknesses). The experience is a recommendation that tells you who the exam is written for.
How do you renew SecurityX?
SecurityX (formerly CASP+) runs on a three-year cycle. To renew it, you earn 75 continuing education units (CEUs, credits for approved learning and work activities) within the cycle and pay a $150 continuing education fee for the three years (CompTIA, checked October 7, 2026). CompTIA's fee page says that when you renew a higher-level certification, your lower-level CompTIA certifications renew without extra fees, but the fees are not waived if the higher one does not fully renew the lower one.
What is the CASP+ salary?
We have no CASP+ or SecurityX salary figure that we can source and date. Our job-ad counts from Adzuna, a job-ad search site, record how often ads name a certification, not what the jobs pay. CompTIA recommends 10 years of IT experience before SecurityX, so any average pay for holders would mix the credential with that seniority. Our cybersecurity-analyst page covers the analyst role country by country.
CASP+ or CISSP?
Pick the one named in ads for the job you want. The clearest difference on paper is the experience rule. The CISSP, the broad security certification from the certification body ISC2, requires five years of paid work in at least two of its eight domains (subject areas) before you hold the title. CompTIA SecurityX (formerly CASP+) only recommends experience. Of the 8,110 US security-analyst ads we counted in October 2026 on Adzuna, a job-ad search site, 338 named the CISSP and 48 contained the word CASP. An ad can name both.