SY0-801 Renewal and Retakes Explained

The short answer

Security+ does not last forever. CompTIA says its certifications are valid for three years from the certification date, and you renew through continuing education or by passing the latest exam version. If you fail an attempt, you can retake straight away once. After that, CompTIA wants at least 14 calendar days between attempts.

SY0-801 has not launched yet. CompTIA expects it on or around November 17, 2026, and its exam page does not repeat the renewal rules. The rules below come from CompTIA’s general renewal and retake policies, so check them again when you book.

How long the credential lasts

CompTIA’s renewal policy page states that certifications are valid for three years from the certification date. The count starts when you pass, not when you book. CompTIA’s Security+ FAQ says the same: good for three years from the date you pass.

Candidates who earned Security+ long ago under older rules may have a different status. CompTIA’s pages we read do not cover that case in detail, so check your own certification account if that applies to you.

How renewal works

You have more than one route. CompTIA’s pages describe these:

Continuing education units (CEUs). The Security+ FAQ states that renewal through continuing education takes 50 CEUs. CEUs come from qualifying activities such as training, other IT certifications, higher education, industry participation, publishing and related work experience. At least half of any course content has to relate to the exam objectives. All activities must fall inside your three-year cycle.
CertMaster CE. CompTIA offers a Security+ course that renews the certification without a new exam. The vendor’s FAQ says some people finish it in about six hours, but that is a guide, not a promise.
Passing a new exam. CompTIA lists passing the latest version of the exam and earning a higher-level CompTIA certification as qualifying routes. The exact rules for how a higher certification counts are on CompTIA’s pages, so read them before you rely on it.

One rule matters if you like shortcuts: CompTIA says certified professionals cannot take and pass the exact same exam twice to renew.

CompTIA also charges a continuing education fee. We do not print amounts here because they change. See certification costs for how to plan a budget.

What happens if it lapses

If you do not renew inside the three years, the certification expires. CompTIA’s renewal policy says you must then pass the latest exam version to regain it. Its FAQ puts it more bluntly: once it expires, the way back is to pass the exam again.

The renewal policy mentions a 30-day grace period for paying outstanding CE fees or submitting CEUs that you earned within the original cycle. It does not give you extra time to earn new CEUs. Other websites quote different grace periods, so rely on CompTIA’s own page and confirm in your account.

Retake rules

The retake policy is the same for most CompTIA exams, and SY0-801 has no separate rule on its page.

After a first failed attempt there is no waiting period before the second.
Before a third attempt and any later one, you must wait at least 14 calendar days from your most recent attempt.
You pay the full exam price each time. CompTIA offers no free retests and no retake discounts.
If you have passed an exam, you cannot take the same exam code again without CompTIA’s consent. To recertify by exam, you wait for a new exam series.
Taking an exam in breach of the policy can invalidate the result and lead to a suspension.

CompTIA does not publish a limit on the total number of attempts in the pages we read. It also does not publish a yearly cap.

The fee rule is the one that changes behavior. Two quick attempts cost twice. A calm gap, a review of your weak domains and a practice set scored well above your target usually cost less than a rushed retry. The exam format page covers scoring, which helps you plan a retake.

What happens when the exam version changes

CompTIA retires old versions on a schedule. SY0-701 retires on June 11, 2027 in English, and on August 13, 2027 in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai. CompTIA estimates that SY0-801 will retire about three years after its own launch.

For you, that means two decisions:

Before you pass: if you are still studying and the old exam is still bookable, pick the version that matches your employer’s requirement and your study material. Do not mix the two.
After you pass: the version you passed fixes your cycle. CompTIA’s pages we read do not say that a retired exam stops counting before your three years end, so confirm that with CompTIA if a contract depends on it.

A timeline example

This is an example, not a promise. Suppose you pass SY0-801 on March 10, 2027.

When	What happens
March 10, 2027	You pass. The three-year cycle starts.
2027 to 2029	You log CEUs as you go: a course here, a work project there.
Early 2030	You submit CEUs and settle the CE fee, or finish a renewal course.
March 10, 2030	The cycle ends. Everything must be finished by then, with the short grace period for fees and paperwork.
After that	If you missed it, you pass the latest exam version to regain the credential.

Start logging CEUs in the first year. It is much easier than collecting proof at the end.

FAQ

Do I have to retake the exam every three years?

No. Continuing education can renew it without a new exam. Retaking is the fallback if you let it lapse.

Can I retake right after failing?

Yes, once. After the second attempt you wait at least 14 calendar days before the next one.

Does a failed attempt show on my certification?

CompTIA’s pages we read do not say anything about that, so we leave it out.

More guides for SY0-801

Next step

If you are weighing the effort against the benefit, read is SY0-801 worth it. For the exam itself, see the exam format and the overview. The SY0-801 practice tests are there when you want timed practice before an attempt.

Try these practice exams