CompTIA SY0-501 is an international exam required for one to acquire the globally accepted CompTIA Security+ certification. This credential ratifies an individual to have possessed adequate IT security skills and professionalism in IT security occupations. It is unique as it is the only internationally recognized certificate that helps the applicants demonstrate both theoretical and practical cybersecurity knowledge. Its validation depends on the most recent cybersecurity trends and technologies. This enhances relevance and access to competitive skills in the international job market.

The CompTIA SY0-501 exam consist of a maximum number of 90 questions covering every topic necessary in security. The questions are structured in both multiple-choice and performance-based formats. The performance-based questions are the first ones that followed by multiple choice. Unlike the common multiple-choice questions that focus on theoretical understanding, the performance-based ones require the participants to apply the knowledge to solve the provided scenario security issues. This enhances the participant's ability to critically thinking and solving practical security situations. This Security+ certification test runs for a maximum of hour and a half (90 minutes). In order to pass the exam, the students are required to achieve the pass mark that includes getting 750 points out of the total possible 900. The SY0-501 exam is available in different international languages to offer everyone the opportunity of enhancing their IT Security practical skills. Some of the available dialects include English, Portuguese, Japanese, and Chinese Simplified. In order to be shortlisted for this test, one should have gone through and achieved the CompTIA Network+ certification. In addition to this, it is a mandatory requirement to have a solid 2 years of working experience in IT Administration with specific attention towards security.

CompTIA SY0-501 sharpens its participants in numerous practical IT security skills. These includes detection and solving of threats, attacks, and vulnerability, understanding of the effective technologies and tools that relate to security, architecture, and design to beef up security, access management, and identity, risk management, and PKI and cryptography. The above skills are effectively required and applied daily in various IT and Security careers. These range from technical careers like Security Engineers, Security Administrators, System, and Network Administrators to less technical professions like Junior IT Auditor and Penetration Tester.