CySA+CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst+
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What is CySA+?
CySA+ is the analyst certification within CompTIA's certification family. It targets roles for which CompTIA recommends about four years of experience as a SOC or vulnerability analyst; there is no mandatory entry requirement. Since 23 June 2026 the exam runs as version CS0-004: a maximum of 85 questions in 165 minutes, multiple-choice items mixed with performance-based questions in a simulated environment, and a passing score of 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. The certification is valid for three years and is renewed through CompTIA's Continuing Education Program.
Suitable for
Quick facts
CertMap assessment & background
The documented demand anchor for CySA+ sits in the United States: CompTIA lists the certification for ten DoD 8140 work roles, among them cyber defense analyst and cyber defense incident responder, and comparable institutional evidence outside the US is missing. What candidates underestimate is the entry point: nothing is formally required, yet CompTIA pitches the exam at roughly four years of practice as a SOC or vulnerability analyst, and the performance-based questions within 165 minutes reward routine over memorisation. The limit lies in the format: a maximum of 85 questions covers analyst work in breadth, but it is not an in-depth test in an open lab. The cost side stays predictable: 439 USD for the voucher, then 60 CEUs per three-year cycle and a 150 USD CE fee per cycle, with no mandatory annual payment.
More on CertMap editorial methodology →Cost, prerequisites, exam & renewal
Cost over 5 years
Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites. Recommended: Security+ or equivalent + 4 years hands-on experience.
Exam format
The CS0-004 exam has a maximum of 85 questions and a time limit of 165 minutes; the passing score is 750 on a scale of 100 to 900. Alongside multiple-choice items, CySA+ uses performance-based questions that are solved in a simulated environment.
Renewal & maintenance
Valid for 3 years. Renewal through 60 CEUs or higher-level CompTIA cert (stacking) or re-exam.
CertMap score and matching roles
Rating
Schema quality 3/3: ISO/IEC 17024, accredited by ANAB. Practice evidence 2/3: proctored scenario-based multiple-choice exam with performance-based questions, but no open lab. Maintenance 3/3: documented cycle of about three years, version CS0-004 live since 23 June 2026. Market recognition 2/3: ten DoD 8140 work roles show US demand, equivalent evidence outside the US is missing.
Matching NICE roles
About CompTIA
CompTIA issues a family of IT certifications including A+, Network+, Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX, Cloud+, Linux+, Data+ and DataSys+; these exams are accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 by the ANSI National Accreditation Board. Certifications earned after 31 December 2010 are valid for three years and are automatically enrolled in the CompTIA Continuing Education Program. Renewal runs on CEUs plus a CE fee per cycle; CompTIA does not require an annual payment. Exam versions carry a launch date and are usually retired about three years later. CompTIA lists its prices in US dollars in its own shop.
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