CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005) Practice Test
Prepare for the CompTIA SecurityX exam with free practice tests aligned to the real CAS-005 format. Each test has 20 questions with a proportional timer matching the actual exam pace of approximately 1.8 minutes per question.
Mixed Set — CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005) Practice Tests
Questions distributed across all 4 domains according to the official CompTIA CAS-005 exam objectives. The highest-weighted domain — Security Engineering — appears most frequently, just like the real exam.
Domain Wise — CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005) Mock Tests
Target individual SecurityX domains with focused practice. Each mock test covers 20 questions from a single domain to help you build mastery across every area of advanced enterprise security tested in the CAS-005 exam.
About the CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005) Exam
Everything you need to know about the CAS-005 exam format, who it is for, and why SecurityX is the capstone credential for senior security architects and engineers in enterprise environments.
What Is CompTIA SecurityX (CAS-005)?
CompTIA SecurityX (exam code CAS-005) is the advanced-level cybersecurity certification for security architects and senior security engineers. Previously known as the CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+), it was rebranded as SecurityX in December 2024 as part of CompTIA's Xpert Series — the company's highest tier of certifications. The previous CAS-004 version retired on June 17, 2025. SecurityX is the only CompTIA certification at the expert level that is purely practitioner-focused: it validates that you can architect, engineer, integrate, and implement secure solutions in complex environments — not just manage them.
SecurityX is approved under U.S. DoD Directive 8140 (formerly 8570), making it a recognized credential for federal and defense contracting roles. It is also aligned with the NICE Framework and mapped to international security standards. Professionals holding SecurityX typically work as Security Architect, Senior Security Engineer, Principal Security Consultant, Cloud Security Architect, or Threat Intelligence Analyst, with senior-level salaries often exceeding $150,000 in major U.S. markets. SecurityX is also the capstone of the CompTIA cybersecurity career pathway, building on Security+, CySA+, and PenTest+.
Exam Format (2026)
Testing method: Computer-based testing at Pearson VUE authorized centers worldwide or via OnVUE online proctoring.
Questions: Maximum of 90 questions per exam.
Duration: 165 minutes (approximately 1.8 minutes per question).
Question types: Multiple-choice, multiple-select, and performance-based questions (PBQs) that simulate real enterprise security scenarios in virtual environments.
Passing score: Pass/fail — no scaled score is published. CompTIA does not disclose a specific passing percentage.
Exam fee: $529 USD via Pearson VUE.
Eligibility Requirements
No formal prerequisites: There are no mandatory prerequisites, but CompTIA recommends at least 10 years of hands-on IT experience with 5 years in active security roles.
Recommended certifications: Security+, CySA+, and PenTest+ are the suggested stepping stones, though these are not required to register.
Renewal: SecurityX is valid for 3 years. Renew by earning 75 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), with at least 50% of activities related to exam objectives. Holding a higher-level certification can also satisfy renewal requirements.
Retakes: CompTIA does not offer free retakes. Retakes require full payment of the exam fee. There is no mandated waiting period between attempts.
DoD recognition: Approved under DoD 8140.03 for multiple NICE/DCWF cybersecurity workforce roles.
SecurityX (CAS-005) Domain Weights — Current Exam Objectives
The CAS-005 exam covers four advanced enterprise security domains. Security Engineering carries the most weight at 31%, making it the single most important area for exam preparation. Domains 2 and 4 together account for an additional 49%.
| Domain | Topic | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Domain 1 | Governance, Risk, and Compliance | 20% |
| Domain 2 | Security Architecture | 27% |
| Domain 3 | Security Engineering | 31% |
| Domain 4 | Security Operations | 22% |
How Our Practice Tests Are Designed
Expert-level scenario style — SecurityX is a practitioner exam, not a managerial one. Every practice question is written at the advanced technical level the real CAS-005 demands — drawing from scenario-based situations requiring you to design a Zero Trust architecture, select the right cryptographic technique for a specific compliance requirement, troubleshoot a complex network security incident, or choose between competing automation approaches for a given environment. The emphasis throughout is on applied decision-making, not definitions.
Blueprint-aligned mixed sets — Mixed practice tests distribute questions proportionally across all 4 CAS-005 domains per the official CompTIA exam objectives. Domain 3 (Security Engineering) at 31% appears most frequently, followed by Domain 2 (Security Architecture) at 27% — together reflecting the real exam's heavy weighting toward technical execution over governance.
Proportional timer — The real SecurityX exam allows 165 minutes for up to 90 questions, approximately 1.8 minutes per question. Each 20-question practice test is timed at about 37 minutes to match this pace and build the time management skills needed for a demanding 2-hour-45-minute exam session.
Domain-specific deep dives — Use the four domain-wise tests to concentrate on areas needing the most reinforcement. This is especially effective for candidates who need more depth in Domain 3 (the highest-weighted area covering IAM, cryptography, automation, and hardware security) or Domain 2 (Zero Trust and cloud security architecture).
CompTIA SecurityX Exam Preparation Tips
Study Strategy
Prioritize Domain 3 (Security Engineering): At 31% of the exam, Security Engineering is the single most heavily tested area. Ensure you have deep technical mastery of IAM, cryptographic use cases, automation scripting (PowerShell, Bash, Python), IaC tools (Terraform, Ansible), PKI, and hardware security — these topics appear consistently across both multiple-choice and performance-based questions.
Build a lab environment: SecurityX's performance-based questions simulate real enterprise scenarios. Candidates who only study from textbooks consistently struggle with PBQs. Set up a home lab with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP free tiers), Docker and Kubernetes containers, and automation tools. Practice Zero Trust implementations, container hardening, and SIEM log analysis hands-on.
Study the NIST RMF, MITRE ATT&CK, and CIS Benchmarks deeply: These frameworks form the backbone of SecurityX scenarios. Knowing not just what these frameworks contain, but how to apply them in specific organizational contexts — federal RMF for compliance, ATT&CK for threat modeling, CIS Benchmarks for cloud hardening — separates prepared candidates from those who memorize terms.
Test-Taking Strategy
Triage performance-based questions strategically: PBQs appear at the start of the exam and can consume disproportionate time. Quickly identify each PBQ's end goal, perform the minimum viable actions needed to demonstrate competency, and move on. Return to complex PBQs after completing the multiple-choice questions if time allows.
Pace yourself at 1.8 minutes per question: With up to 90 questions in 165 minutes, you have approximately 110 seconds per item. Use our 37-minute timed practice sessions to internalize this rhythm. Candidates who dwell on a single complex PBQ for 10+ minutes risk running out of time on questions they know well.
Default to architectural best practices: When two answers appear equally valid in a scenario, choose the response that reflects Zero Trust principles, least privilege, defense-in-depth, or documented framework guidance (NIST, ISO 27001). SecurityX rewards answers that demonstrate how a senior architect would think — not just what a practitioner would do in the moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Test Your SecurityX Knowledge?
Start with a mixed set to benchmark your readiness across all four domains, then use domain-wise tests to sharpen your weakest areas before exam day.
Start SecurityX Practice Test 1 →
