◆ Apprentice's Guide ◆
CompTIA Passing Scores
Decoding the 100–900 scale, exam by exam.
CompTIA reports every exam on a scaled score from 100 to 900. It looks like a percentage. It is not. Scaled scoring weights each question by difficulty, so a 750 on Security+ doesn't mean you answered 83% of items correctly — it means your performance, adjusted for which form of the exam you sat, cleared the cut score CompTIA set with its subject-matter expert panel.
Cut scores at a glance
| Exam | Pass | Scale |
|---|---|---|
A+ (220-1101 / 220-1102) Both Core 1 and Core 2 must be passed separately. 675/900 ≈ 75%. | 675 | 900 |
Network+ (N10-009) 720/900 ≈ 80% — Network+ has the highest CompTIA pass bar. | 720 | 900 |
Security+ (SY0-701) 750/900 ≈ 83% on the scaled score — but raw % varies by form. | 750 | 900 |
CySA+ (CS0-003) Identical scaled threshold to Security+. | 750 | 900 |
PenTest+ (PT0-003) Same 750 cut score. | 750 | 900 |
Linux+ (XK0-005) Same threshold as Network+. | 720 | 900 |
Server+ (SK0-005) Cut score 750/900. | 750 | 900 |
Cloud+ (CV0-003) Cut score 750/900. | 750 | 900 |
CASP+ / SecurityX (CAS-005) Pass/fail only — no scaled score is reported on the newer form. | 750 | 900 |
How scaled scoring actually works
CompTIA uses a modified Angoff standard-setting process. A panel of certified practitioners reviews every item and judges what fraction of minimally-qualified candidates should answer it correctly. Those judgments roll up into a raw cut score, which is then mapped onto the 100–900 scale so different forms of the same exam stay comparable. The consequence: your scaled score is not a percentage of items answered correctly.
What 675 means on A+
675 is the pass threshold for both A+ Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-1102). Score 674 and you've failed; score 675 and you've passed. You have to pass both cores within three years to earn the certification.
What 750 means on Security+, CySA+, and PenTest+
750 is the shared scaled cut score across most of CompTIA's cybersecurity stack. It does not mean 83% on the dot — it means you cleared the form-adjusted bar. Performance-based questions (PBQs) are weighted heavier than multiple choice, so a strong PBQ block can lift you over the cut even when your MCQ accuracy is unremarkable.
Strategy: the cut-score implications
- Never skip PBQs. Their weight is the biggest single lever on your scaled score.
- Mark and return. The exam timer lets you flag — burn it on the MCQs you're 70% sure about, lock in the easy points first.
- Track your practice on the same scale. Our exam simulators report scaled scores so you know whether you're above or below the cut, not just "60% right".
Frequently asked questions
Is CompTIA's 100–900 scale a percentage?+
No. The CompTIA score scale runs from 100 to 900 and is a scaled score — meaning raw correct answers are weighted by item difficulty. A 675 on A+ is not 'I got 75% of questions right'; it means your scaled performance cleared the cut score for that form of the exam.
What does a 675 score mean on CompTIA?+
675 is the passing cut score for A+ Core 1 and Core 2. Anything 675 or above is a pass; below is a fail. It does not directly translate to a percentage of items answered correctly.
What does a 750 score mean on CompTIA?+
750 is the passing cut score for Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, Server+, and Cloud+. Same logic as 675 on A+ — it's the scaled threshold, not a raw percentage.
Why is Network+ a higher cut score (720) than A+ (675)?+
CompTIA sets each exam's cut score independently using a modified Angoff process with subject-matter experts. Network+ items are weighted such that the panel's minimally-qualified candidate clears 720 on the scaled scale.
Do PBQs (performance-based questions) count more?+
Yes. Performance-based questions are weighted more heavily than multiple choice. Skipping or rushing PBQs is the single fastest way to miss the cut score.
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