CASP+ Certification (Now CompTIA SecurityX): CAS-005 Exam & Cost

Last updated: August 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. See our review methodology.

QUICK VERDICT

Most guides to this certification are out of date, and it is worth knowing that before you read any of them. At the time of writing, the page ranking third for “CASP+ certification” does not mention SecurityX anywhere and quotes an exam price that is no longer current. Two others still cite CAS-004 — the retired exam — in articles titled for 2026. The rename happened in December 2024 and a good deal of the internet has not caught up.

Everything below is taken from CompTIA’s own certification page and rebrand announcement, read in August 2026, and we say where a number could not be verified at source rather than repeating what other sites assert.

CASP+ is now CompTIA SecurityX

CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) became CompTIA SecurityX on 18 December 2024, alongside the release of exam version V5 (CAS-005) on 17 December 2024, which replaced CASP+ V4. SecurityX joined CompTIA’s “Xpert” series — their expert-level tier covering specialised roles in cybersecurity, data and cloud networking.

You can watch the rename happen in CompTIA’s own URLs: their old comptia-advanced-security-practitioner page now redirects straight to /certifications/securityx/. The old name is gone from CompTIA’s site entirely, which is why “CASP+” searches increasingly land on pages that no longer use the term.

The CAS-005 exam at a glance

Every figure in this table is published by CompTIA on the SecurityX certification page:

Two of those deserve emphasis because almost nobody mentions them. The passing score is pass/fail with no scaled score — unusual for CompTIA, whose other exams report a number out of 900, and it means there is no “how close was I” feedback. And CompTIA themselves estimate CAS-005 retires around 2027. If you are planning a two-year study run, that is a real scheduling constraint: sit it well before the window closes or you will be studying V5 material for a V6 exam.

The four CAS-005 domains

CAS-005 is organised into four domains with published weightings. Note where the weight actually sits — Security Engineering and Security Architecture together are 58% of the exam, which tells you plainly that this is an engineering credential, not a policy one:

What actually changed from CASP+ V4 (CAS-004)

This is the section most guides cannot write, because they are still describing CAS-004 as though it were current. CompTIA published a direct equivalency between the two versions, and the shifts are substantial enough to change how you study:

Three things follow from that table. Security Operations lost eight percentage points — the single largest change, and it was the biggest domain in V4. Security Engineering gained five and became the largest, while quietly dropping “and Cryptography” from its name; cryptography did not disappear, but it is no longer headlined. And Governance, Risk and Compliance rose from the smallest domain to a fifth of the exam.

CompTIA also narrowed the syllabus: SecurityX covers 23 objectives, down from 28 in CASP+ V4, which they describe as narrowing the focus toward current needs. Fewer objectives across the same four domains means each one is examined in more depth, not less — a point worth absorbing if you are working from V4-era material and assuming a lighter load.

See the CAS-005 Course Built for V5 →

What SecurityX costs

We want to be straight about this figure rather than state it with false confidence. The CAS-005 voucher is widely reported at $509 USD, and that number is consistent across independent sources we checked. However, CompTIA no longer publishes the price on the SecurityX certification page, and their store URLs currently redirect to a general certifications index, so we could not confirm $509 at primary source in August 2026. Treat it as a reliable planning figure and confirm at checkout before you budget.

Worth knowing: one page currently ranking on page one for this term still quotes $466, a figure from the CASP+ era. If a guide gives you a price without a date, assume it is stale.

The voucher is not the whole cost. Budget realistically for a training course (roughly $15–$150 depending on platform and sale), practice exams, and a retake buffer — CompTIA do not bundle free retakes at this level the way some vendors do, so a failed first attempt means a second full voucher unless you bought a bundle that includes one.

Who SecurityX is actually for

CompTIA recommend 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. None of that is enforced — there is no prerequisite gate, and you can book CAS-005 tomorrow with no certifications at all.

That gap between “recommended” and “enforced” is where people waste money. The exam is written for someone who has actually designed and defended enterprise systems, and the performance-based questions assume you have made these decisions before rather than read about them. If you are two years into a security role, Security+ then CySA+ is a better use of the same budget, and SecurityX will still be there.

CompTIA position it as a natural progression from the roles aligned to Security+, aimed at senior security engineers and security architects charged with leading an organisation’s cybersecurity readiness.

SecurityX and DoD 8140

This is a large part of why the certification has the following it does. CompTIA list SecurityX against NICE and DoD 8140 work roles including security architect, systems requirements planner, security control assessor and research and development specialist.

For anyone working on or around a US federal contract, that alignment is frequently the deciding factor — the credential maps to roles a contract requires, which makes it purchasable on someone else’s budget. If that is your situation, confirm the current mapping against your programme’s own requirements documentation before booking, as work-role mappings are updated periodically and the authoritative DoD listing sits behind a government login.

SecurityX (CASP+) vs CISSP

This is the comparison everyone actually wants, and the honest answer is that they are not competing for the same job.

The blunt version: CISSP appears in more job descriptions and clears more HR filters. SecurityX proves more about whether you can actually build the thing. If you are choosing purely on employability across the whole market, CISSP wins on recognition. If you want to stay technical, or you need a DoD 8140 work-role match, or you cannot yet satisfy CISSP’s verified five-year requirement, SecurityX is the better instrument — and it has no annual membership fee attached.

We have no affiliate relationship with CompTIA or ISC2, so there is nothing steering that recommendation either way.

Is SecurityX worth it?

Yes, in three situations, and no in most others. It is worth it if you work in or near US federal contracting and need the DoD 8140 work-role alignment; if you are a senior practitioner who wants a technical credential without CISSP’s managerial framing and annual fee; or if your employer is paying and you want the strongest vendor-neutral architecture credential in CompTIA’s portfolio.

It is not worth it if you are early-career — the recommended ten years is a genuine signal about difficulty, not marketing. It is also a weaker choice than CISSP if your goal is maximum name recognition with recruiters, because outside federal contracting the SecurityX name is still new and many HR screens have not been updated from “CASP+” yet, let alone to a term introduced in late 2024.

One further consideration specific to right now: with retirement estimated for 2027, someone starting a long study run in late 2026 should check the exam calendar before committing. Certifying against a version in its final year is fine — your certification remains valid for three years regardless — but you want to know that going in.

How to prepare and pass

Because CAS-005 launched in December 2024, course currency matters more here than on a mature exam. Material written for CAS-004 covers different domain weightings and misses the V5 changes entirely, and a good deal of what is still on sale is exactly that.

The course we recommend

Jason Dion’s CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005) Complete Course & Practice Exam is the clear pick. It is built for CAS-005 rather than retrofitted from CAS-004, it runs to 267 lectures with a full practice exam, and it is rated 4.7 from 5,855 ratings. Decisively for a new exam, it was last updated in August 2026 — the same month we checked it. Dion Training’s material is the default recommendation across most CompTIA tracks for good reason.

Check the CAS-005 Course on Udemy →

If you need Security+ first

CompTIA describe SecurityX as a progression from the roles aligned to Security+, and if that foundation is shaky the honest advice is to fix it first rather than brute-force an expert-level exam. Zero To Mastery’s CompTIA Security+ certification bootcamp is a solid route, and our guide to CompTIA Security+ courses compares the options.

A realistic study plan

• Start from the objectives, not a course. Download CompTIA’s CAS-005 exam objectives and grade yourself honestly against each one. Your gaps determine your study plan; a course syllabus does not.
• Weight your time to Engineering and Architecture. They are 58% of the exam between them. Governance is only 20% and is the section most people over-prepare because it is the easiest to read about.
• Practise the performance-based questions specifically. They are where time disappears, and with a maximum of 165 minutes for up to 90 questions you have under two minutes per item on average.
• Do not chase a score. It is pass/fail with no scaled score, so there is no margin to optimise — aim for consistent competence across all four domains rather than excellence in one.
• Book the exam before you feel ready. A dated commitment is the single most reliable predictor of actually sitting it.

Keeping SecurityX current

SecurityX is valid for three years and renews through CompTIA’s continuing education programme — accumulating continuing education units through activities such as training, higher-level certifications, relevant work experience and industry contribution, plus an annual maintenance fee. Earning a higher or adjacent CompTIA certification also renews it automatically. Existing CASP+ holders keep their place in that programme unchanged through the rename.

Compare All Cybersecurity Certifications →

Frequently asked questions

Is CASP+ discontinued?

No. CASP+ was renamed CompTIA SecurityX in December 2024 and continues as the CAS-005 exam. The certification itself was not retired — only the name changed, along with a scheduled move from exam version V4 to V5.

Do I lose my CASP+ certification because of the rename?

No. CompTIA state the name change does not affect the certification status of current CASP+ holders or the continuing education programme. Active holders can download an updated SecurityX badge and pull a new transcript and certificate from CertMetrics showing the rebrand. Nothing needs re-sitting.

How much does the SecurityX (CAS-005) exam cost?

The voucher is widely reported at $509 USD and that figure is consistent across independent sources. CompTIA no longer publish the price on the SecurityX certification page and their store URLs currently redirect, so we could not confirm it at primary source in August 2026 — use $509 for planning and check at checkout. Older guides quoting $466 are using a CASP+-era price.

What are the prerequisites for SecurityX?

There are none enforced. CompTIA recommend 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, but you can book CAS-005 without holding any certification.

How hard is SecurityX?

It is CompTIA’s expert tier and is widely considered among their hardest exams. The difficulty comes from the performance-based questions and the breadth — up to 90 items in a maximum of 165 minutes, spanning governance through hands-on engineering. Candidates without real architecture experience tend to struggle regardless of how much they have read.

SecurityX or CISSP — which should I take?

CISSP if you want maximum recruiter recognition or you are moving toward management; SecurityX if you want to stay hands-on, need a DoD 8140 work-role match, or cannot yet meet CISSP’s enforced and verified five-year experience requirement. SecurityX also carries no annual membership fee, which CISSP does.

When does CAS-005 retire?

CompTIA state exams usually retire about three years after launch and estimate 2027 for CAS-005, which launched on 17 December 2024. Your certification stays valid for its full three years regardless of when the exam version retires — the retirement date only affects which version you can sit.

How do I renew SecurityX?

It is valid for three years and renews through CompTIA’s continuing education programme — collecting continuing education units via training, work experience, industry contribution or higher certifications, plus an annual maintenance fee. Earning a higher or adjacent CompTIA certification renews it automatically.

Related guides

• Best cybersecurity certifications — where SecurityX sits against the whole field, ranked by career stage
• Best CompTIA Security+ courses — the foundation CompTIA expect first
• Best cyber security courses — broader training options
• Best penetration testing courses — the offensive track
• Best ethical hacking courses — the beginner on-ramp