If you are thinking about earning your CompTIA Security+ certification on your own dime and your own schedule, here is some good news: you can get remarkably far without spending a fortune. The internet is full of excellent free material for the SY0-701 exam, and a motivated self-starter can build a serious study plan around it.
We teach Security+ for a living, so it might seem odd for us to hand you a map of the free resources. We do it anyway, for a simple reason. The people who succeed at this certification are the ones who put in the reps, and the more good material we can point you toward, the better. If a live course turns out to be the right fit for you later, wonderful. If you pass on your own using the resources below, that is a win too. Either way, you walk away knowing IT Dojo gave you straight answers.
Here is the roadmap.
Grab Our Free Security+ Study Guide
To go with the resources below, we built a free, branded IT Dojo Security+ SY0-701 Study Guide. It is a printable PDF that condenses the whole exam into a domain-by-domain reference: the official domain weights, core concepts, comparison tables, memory aids, a glossary, a suggested study plan, flashcards, and an exam cram sheet of pure must-know facts. Download it, print it, and use it as the spine of your study sessions. No email required.
Start With the Official Exam Objectives
Before you watch a single video, download the official exam objectives from CompTIA. This free PDF is the blueprint for the entire exam. Every question on test day maps back to one of these objectives, so it doubles as your master checklist. Print it, keep it next to you, and tick off each item as you learn it.
You can grab the objectives and a set of free sample questions straight from the source on the CompTIA Security+ practice questions page. Anchor everything else you study to this document. If a resource drifts away from the objectives, the objectives win.
Professor Messer Is Your Backbone
If there is one free resource that has carried more people across the Security+ finish line than any other, it is Professor Messer. His complete SY0-701 Security+ video course runs more than 120 videos and roughly fifteen hours, covers every exam objective, and costs nothing to watch.
A few ways to get the most out of it:
- Watch the videos in order the first time through, then use them as a reference to revisit weak spots.
- Sign up for his free weekly Pop Quiz emails for a steady drip of practice questions.
- Catch his monthly live Study Group sessions, where he walks through tougher questions and answers exam and career questions from viewers.
Treat Messer as the spine of your study plan and layer the other resources around him.
Free Practice Questions
Practice questions are where real readiness is built. They show you how the exam phrases things, expose the topics you only thought you understood, and train you to pick the best answer when several look correct. A few solid free sources:
- ExamCompass offers a deep library of free SY0-701 practice tests, broken out by domain so you can drill a specific weak area. No signup required.
- The official CompTIA sample questions come straight from the source and reflect the real exam style.
- Professor Messer’s Pop Quizzes and Study Groups add even more reps at no cost.
A good rule of thumb: aim to work through several hundred practice questions before you sit the exam, and review every miss until you understand why the right answer is right.
Free Cheat Sheets and Quick References
When you are a few days out and want to cram the high-value details, a good cheat sheet earns its keep:
- The StationX CompTIA Security+ cheat sheet is a free quick reference covering ports and protocols, encryption algorithms, attack types, frameworks, and key acronyms.
- The official SY0-701 exam objectives PDF includes a full acronym list at the back, which is gold for last-minute review.
A quick word of caution while we are on the subject. Cheat sheets that summarize concepts are great. So-called “brain dumps” that claim to be real, leaked exam questions are a different animal entirely. Using them violates CompTIA’s exam agreement and can get your certification revoked and your testing privileges suspended. Stick to legitimate study material. It is better preparation anyway.
Lean on the Community
You are not the first person to study for this exam, and you will not be the last. The community worth bookmarking is r/CompTIA, the main hub for everyone working through CompTIA certifications. Search it for “Security+ passed” and you will find an endless stream of success posts where people share the exact resources and study timelines that worked for them.
Reading other people’s “how I passed” write-ups is one of the most underrated free resources out there. You will spot patterns in what actually moves the needle.
Put AI to Work as a Study Partner
One of the most powerful free study aids available today is a general-purpose AI assistant. Used well, it can explain a confusing concept five different ways, generate endless practice questions tied to the exam objectives, and quiz you during your commute. Used carelessly, it can hand you confident sounding errors, so the technique matters.
We wrote a complete, free guide on doing it right: How to Use AI to Study for and Pass Any IT Certification Exam. It walks through the exact prompts and workflows, the pitfalls to avoid, and how to keep AI anchored to the official objectives so it sharpens your studying instead of misleading it. Pair it with the resources above and you have a study partner that never gets tired.
Books Worth Buying
Free resources will take you a long way, but many people like having one solid book to read cover to cover and reference throughout. If you buy just one, these are the reliable choices:
- CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: Exam SY0-701 by Mike Chapple and David Seidl (Sybex). Thorough, well organized, and paired with hundreds of online practice questions and flashcards.
- Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Security+ Certification Guide (SY0-701). A friendlier, more conversational read if dense study guides wear you out.
- Darril Gibson’s Get Certified Get Ahead (SY0-701). A longtime favorite for its tight focus on what the exam actually tests.
Any one of these works. Pick the writing style that keeps you turning pages.
A Simple Free Study Plan
If you want a starting structure, here is a no-cost plan you can adjust to your pace:
- Download the exam objectives and skim them so you know the shape of the exam.
- Work through Professor Messer’s full video course, one domain at a time, taking notes against the objectives.
- After each domain, drill the matching ExamCompass questions and review every miss.
- Once you have seen all the material, take full-length practice tests until you are consistently scoring well above passing.
- In the final few days, cram with a cheat sheet, the acronym list, and the questions you keep getting wrong.
That plan costs nothing but your time and discipline, and it has worked for thousands of people.
Where IT Dojo Fits
Self-study is a completely valid path, and we hope the resources above serve you well. There is one thing free videos and practice questions cannot give you, though: a live instructor who has watched hundreds of students sit this exam, can answer your question the moment you get stuck, and can connect the concepts to the way security actually works on the job. That is the gap a live course fills.
If you would rather have structure, hands-on labs, and an expert guiding you, our CompTIA Security+ training is available live remote online. Many of our students come to us after starting with free materials and deciding they want the accountability and depth of a guided course, often through employer sponsored training budgets. Whichever path you choose, we are glad to help you get certified.
Related Reading from IT Dojo
- How to Self-Study for CompTIA Network+ (The Best Free Resources)
- How to Use AI to Study for and Pass Any IT Certification Exam
- The CompTIA Certification Pathway Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pass Security+ with only free resources?
Yes. Many people pass using Professor Messer’s free video course, free practice questions from ExamCompass and CompTIA, and the official exam objectives. A book and paid practice exams can add polish, but they are not strictly required.
What is the best free Security+ study resource?
Professor Messer’s free SY0-701 video course is the most widely recommended starting point. Pair it with the official exam objectives and a steady diet of practice questions.
Are brain dumps a good way to study?
No. Brain dumps that claim to contain real exam questions violate CompTIA’s exam policies and can get your certification revoked. Use legitimate cheat sheets and practice questions instead.
How many practice questions should I do before the exam?
Aim for several hundred, and review every question you miss until you understand the reasoning. Consistent scores well above passing on full-length practice tests are a good sign you are ready.
How IT Dojo Can Help
If you want a guide for the journey rather than going it alone, IT Dojo can help. Our CompTIA Security+ training is taught live remote online by instructors who know exactly what the exam emphasizes and how to get you ready, and it pairs naturally with the free resources above. We also train the certifications that surround it, including CompTIA Network+, CISSP, and CISM. Explore the full IT Dojo course catalog when you are ready to add structure and expertise to your study plan.