Security+ V7 (SY0-701) is current with V8 expected on or around November 17, 2026; ISC2 CC exam is $199; ISC2's free One Million Certified in Cybersecurity course-and-exam program closed to new enrollments on May 20, 2026 (issued codes usable through December 31, 2026). source
Self-studying for Security+ (or the $199 ISC2 CC) is the baseline that every entry-level cyber bootcamp is reselling with a schedule and a coach attached. It suits anyone with discipline and a few months, and it is what hiring managers actually screen for. Before buying a bootcamp, price the exam voucher plus free study material and ask what the extra $10,000 to $15,000 buys you specifically.
The facts
| Category | Cybersecurity |
|---|---|
| Website | comptia.org/en-us/certifications/security |
| Based | Remote |
| Format | online-self-paced |
| Programs | CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 (up to 90 questions, 90 minutes, multiple-choice and performance-based), ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC), no work experience required, Follow-ons: Network+, CySA+, PenTest+ |
| Length | Self-paced; most bootcamps in this file spend 13 to 24 weeks reaching the same Security+ exam. unknown |
| Tuition | $199 ISC2 CC exam U.S. $199 standard registration (verified). CompTIA's certification and store pages did not display the Security+ voucher price to automated fetches; check the CompTIA store directly. Both bodies charge annual maintenance fees (amounts not captured). reported |
| Financing | upfront, employer Exam vouchers bought directly; many employers reimburse; CompTIA sells Learn, Labs, Practice and exam bundles with a retake, prices not captured. |
| Admission | open Security+ recommends Network+ and two years in a security or sysadmin role; CC requires no experience. |
| Stack | Security+ exam objectives (CompTIA), ISC2 CC domains, free study material: Professor Messer videos, TryHackMe and HTB fundamentals paths |
Outcomes
This program does not publish job-placement or salary outcomes. Treat any number you hear from admissions as unverifiable.
Interview-prep depth
0 / 5
Certification exams only.
Whatever the program covers, the interview itself is free to prepare for here: coding patterns, system design, practice prompts, company guides.
What a careful reader should know
Security+ is the credential Fullstack, Evolve, Per Scholas, Springboard and the Google certificate all build toward, so self-study plus the voucher is the price floor every bootcamp quote should be compared against. Security+ V8 lands in November 2026, so study material bought now may target the retiring version; CompTIA normally keeps the old exam available for a transition period. ISC2 CC is cheaper and has no experience requirement but carries less weight with hiring managers than Security+.
Sources (5)
This directory takes no lead fees or placement payments from any program. Where a program runs an affiliate scheme we say so on its page and mark the link. Facts carry a badge: verified means we read it on a primary source on the date shown, reported means a third party said it, unknown means nobody we trust has published it.
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