Practice Security+ performance-based questions

SY0-701 domains and exam weights

CompTIA’s SY0-701 exam objectives, version 6.0, weight the five domains below. The last column is this bank, counted by each question’s SY0-701 objective. It is not the exam’s mix. The question list is grouped by the SY0-801 domain.

SY0-701 retires for English on June 11, 2027. SY0-801 launches November 17, 2026. Questions are written for SY0-801 and tagged for SY0-701 as well. All 46 questions by domain.

How PBQs work on exam day

What CompTIA has published about Security+ performance-based questions. CompTIA does not publish how many PBQs are on a given exam, or the scoring rubric for any one of them.

1. A PBQ on this exam is a simulation. CompTIA describes a simplified firewall, network diagram, terminal, or operating system, not the full product.
2. You can skip a simulation and come back. Work is saved as you go and when you move to another item. Simulations have a reset control.
3. More than one approach can be correct. CompTIA says scoring accounts for different approaches, and that partial credit may be given. It does not say which questions award it, or how much.

This site uses the same kind of task. Checking happens in your browser. It is not the exam interface. How to budget the 90 minutes.

Seven kinds of hands-on tasks

Every question in the bank is one of these. Each works with a mouse, a keyboard, or a phone. Counts are the bank today.

• 5 questions

  Firewall rules

  Fill in an ordered rule table. Hidden test connections run through it: first match wins, then the implicit deny.

• 6 questions

  Log analysis

  Tag each log line or SIEM alert with the attack it shows, or mark it benign.

• 5 questions

  Sort and label

  Label each case: the threat actor behind an incident, the type of malware, or the phase of incident response.

• 5 questions

  Network placement

  Put the firewall, WAF, IPS and other devices where they do their job on the network.

• 6 questions

  Configure settings

  Harden a server or set a password policy in a simulated settings panel.

• 13 questions

  Drag and drop

  Match ports to services, controls to control types, or crypto to the job it does.

• 6 questions

  Put in order

  Put steps in order, such as collecting evidence from most to least volatile.

Articles

How to use the 90 minutes, and worked examples of firewall rules and log analysis.

• November 10, 2026 How to Approach Security+ PBQs on the SY0-701 Exam A practical plan for Security+ performance-based questions: when to skip and return, how to read the scenario, and how to budget your 90 minutes.
• November 10, 2026 Security+ Firewall Rule PBQ: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough Learn how Security+ firewall rule PBQs work: rule order, first match, implicit deny, ports and stateful vs stateless, with a worked example.
• November 10, 2026 Security+ Log Analysis PBQ: How to Read the Logs Work through a Security+ log analysis PBQ: spot brute force, password spraying, SQL injection, XSS and beaconing in auth, firewall and web logs.