Side by side · CySA+ vs PenTest+
CySA+ vs PenTest+
CySA+ and PenTest+ sit on the same rung of CompTIA's ladder and face opposite directions: CySA+ (CS0-004) certifies the analyst who detects, prioritizes and responds, and PenTest+ (PT0-003) certifies the tester who plans and runs the attack. Both give you 165 minutes and a 750 passing mark, so the choice comes down to the job you do or want next.
Two roles in one engagement
- CySA+ (CS0-004)
- The defensive analyst exam: monitoring, vulnerability management, incident response and reporting. CompTIA recommends about four years hands-on as a security operations center (SOC) analyst or vulnerability analyst.
- PenTest+ (PT0-003)
- CompTIA's penetration-testing exam, launched December 17, 2024. CompTIA recommends three to four years of penetration-testing experience.
- Where the two meet
- The findings. A test report lands with the analyst, and CS0-004 objectives 2.3 and 4.1 cover what happens next: prioritizing, mitigating, validating the fix and reporting progress.
Format and logistics
| Point | CySA+ CS0-004 | PenTest+ PT0-003 |
|---|---|---|
| Launched≠ | June 23, 2026 | December 17, 2024 |
| Questions≠ | Maximum of 85 | Maximum of 90 |
| Time | 165 minutes | 165 minutes |
| Passing score | 750 on 100–900 | 750 on 100–900 |
| Recommended experience≠ | About 4 years SOC, vulnerability or IR analysis | 3–4 years penetration testing |
| US voucher price≠ | $425 (CompTIA, June 2026) | Current price: see the CompTIA store |
| Valid for | 3 years | 3 years |
| Place in the CE hierarchy | Second tier, below SecurityX | Second tier, below SecurityX |
| Renewing it also renews | Security+, Network+, A+ | Security+, Network+, A+ |
Rows marked ≠ are where the two differ. Sources: CompTIA CySA+ V4 page, CompTIA PenTest+ page, CompTIA CE program FAQ (hierarchy), checked October 2026. IR = incident response; CE = continuing education.
Where both sit on the renewal ladder
Shared tools, opposite questions
| Tool | Analyst's question (CySA+) | Tester's question |
|---|---|---|
| Nmap | Which open or filtered ports are not in the asset inventory? | What is reachable before the attack starts? |
| Metasploit | Is this finding exploitable enough to move it up the queue? | Can the finding be exploited inside the rules of engagement? |
| Burp Suite, ZAP | Which web findings are real, and what fixes them? | Which requests can be intercepted and changed? |
| Atomic Red Team, Caldera | Did the detections fire on these MITRE ATT&CK techniques? | How would an adversary chain these techniques? |
Tool list from the CS0-004 exam objectives (version 2.0). For the PenTest+ objectives, see the CompTIA PenTest+ page.
Who fits which
CySA+ fits if
- your day is a SIEM (security information and event management) queue, an endpoint detection and response (EDR) console or a vulnerability scanner;
- you write the incident report, the remediation plan or the shift handover;
- you are aiming at the DoD 8140 analyst roles CompTIA maps to CySA+, such as Cyber Defense Analyst (511) and Vulnerability Assessment Analyst (541).
PenTest+ fits if
- you are scoped into engagements to find and exploit weaknesses;
- your output is the findings report that someone else remediates;
- you already have the three to four years of testing CompTIA recommends.
Holding both
Because the two share a tier, one does not renew the other; SecurityX, one level up, renews both. The CySA+ renewal page covers the 60 continuing education units (CEUs) and $150 CE fee per three-year cycle. If you are still choosing a first exam, start with CySA+ vs Security+.
Defense or offense: what readers ask
Do I need penetration-testing experience for CySA+?
No. CompTIA's recommended background for CS0-004 is SOC, vulnerability or incident-response analysis. The three to four years of testing is CompTIA's recommendation for PenTest+ PT0-003 (CompTIA exam pages, checked October 2026).
Will I get the same time on both exams?
Both run 165 minutes. CySA+ CS0-004 has a maximum of 85 items and PenTest+ PT0-003 a maximum of 90, both scored 750 on 100–900 (CompTIA exam pages, checked October 2026).
Which one should I take for a DoD 8140 analyst role?
CompTIA states CySA+ is approved for DoDM 8140.03 and maps it to roles such as 511, 531 and 541 (CompTIA framework alignment, checked October 2026). For the roles CompTIA lists for PenTest+, check the same page.
Before you close this tab
- Same clock (165 minutes), same scale (750 on 100–900), same CE tier.
- CySA+ is built around detecting and responding; PenTest+ around testing and exploiting.
- Neither renews the other; SecurityX renews both.
- Choose by the job in front of you, then check the recommended experience on each exam page.
Sources
- CompTIA CySA+ V4 (CS0-004) exam page (checked October 9, 2026)
- CompTIA PenTest+ exam page · PT0-003 format, launch date, recommended experience (checked October 9, 2026)
- CompTIA CE program FAQ · renewal hierarchy (checked October 9, 2026)
- CompTIA CE renewal fees page · $150 per cycle (checked October 9, 2026)
- CompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 exam objectives, version 2.0 (PDF) · objective 2.2 tool list (checked October 9, 2026)
Facts checked. Now practice.
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