Every CompTIA Certification Ranked by Difficulty in 2026
Difficulty is subjective, but not entirely. Some CompTIA exams have narrow syllabuses and straightforward questions. Others cover enormous ground or lean heavily on performance-based questions that punish anyone who has only read about the topic.
Here is the full catalogue, easiest to hardest, with the reasoning.
1. Tech+ (FC0-U71)
The genuine entry point. Broad, shallow, and aimed at people confirming that IT is for them. Almost no performance-based questions. Tech+ questions.
2. Project+ (PK0-005)
Easier than most people expect because it is knowledge recall rather than technical judgement. If you have worked on any project team, much of it will feel familiar. Project+ questions.
3. Cloud Essentials+ (CLO-002)
Business-focused rather than technical. The difficulty is in the vocabulary, not the concepts. Cloud Essentials+ questions.
4. A+ Core 1 and Core 2 (220-1201, 220-1202)
Not conceptually hard, but there are two exams and the syllabus is enormous. Most people underestimate the sheer volume. Core 2 catches people who prepared only for hardware. Core 1 and Core 2.
5. Data+ (DA0-002)
Manageable if you are comfortable with basic statistics. Harder than its position suggests if you are not. Data+ questions.
6. Security+ (SY0-701)
The most-taken CompTIA exam and a fair difficulty step up. Broad syllabus, and the scenario questions often have two defensible answers. Security+ questions.
7. Network+ (N10-009)
Harder than Security+ in our view, and people are often surprised. Subnetting under time pressure and troubleshooting scenarios do not reward memorisation. Network+ questions.
8. Server+ (SK0-005)
Narrow but deep. If you have never physically worked with server hardware and storage, the practical detail is difficult to absorb from a book. Server+ questions.
9. Linux+ (XK0-006)
Command-level precision required. You cannot pass by recognising commands, you have to know flags and syntax. Linux+ questions.
10. Cloud+ (CV0-004)
Assumes you already understand networking, virtualisation and security, then tests how they combine. Rarely a first certification for good reason. Cloud+ questions.
11. CySA+ (CS0-003)
The jump from knowledge to judgement. Questions ask what an analyst should do next, and several options are technically valid. CySA+ questions.
12. SecAI+ (CY0-001)
New in 2026, and difficult partly because the material is unfamiliar to almost everyone. AI security has no established body of exam folklore yet. SecAI+ questions.
13. PenTest+ (PT0-003)
Heavy on performance-based questions and methodology. Knowing the tools is not enough, you have to know the correct order of operations. PenTest+ questions.
14. SecurityX (CAS-005)
The hardest CompTIA exam, formerly CASP+. Expert level, enterprise scale, and questions that assume years of experience. Most people who fail a CompTIA exam fail this one. SecurityX questions.
What actually determines difficulty
Your background matters more than the ranking. A network engineer will find Network+ easy and Data+ hard. Someone from a helpdesk role will find the reverse.
The reliable predictor is performance-based question weight. Exams heavy on PBQs, meaning PenTest+, Linux+ and SecurityX, punish theoretical preparation regardless of how well you know the material on paper.
Every set above is built on the current blueprint, with a full explanation for each answer and a refund if you fail. Browse all CompTIA sets.