CompTIA Exam Costs 2026: Vouchers, Fees, and Real Savings

CompTIA raised every certification exam price on June 1, 2026, pushing Security+ from $425 to $439, Network+ to $399, and A+ to $274 per exam. This guide breaks down the real cost of each CompTIA exam in 2026 — voucher prices, retake fees, study-material budgets, and the legitimate discounts (authorized partners, military funding, academic pricing) that can cut your total bill by 10 to 50 percent.

CompTIA Raised Prices in June 2026

CompTIA increases its certification exam prices on a roughly annual cycle, and the 2026 increase took effect on May 29, with retail prices climbing across the full lineup on June 1. The move was confirmed by authorized training partners who publish the side-by-side pricing. Total Seminars reported that A+ rose from $265 to $274 per exam, Network+ from $390 to $399, and the core cybersecurity track (Security+, CySA+, PenTest+) from $425 to $439. Training Camp, which updated its voucher guide in June 2026, verifies the same figures and adds context: Security+ now retails at $439, A+ totals $548 across two exams, and CySA+ and PenTest+ both sit at $439.

For candidates who were already mid-study, the timing matters. Vouchers purchased before the increase lock in the old price, and several authorized partners held remaining “old stock” inventory at the lower rate for a few weeks afterward. If you sat on the fence in May, that window has effectively closed for most exams. The practical takeaway is straightforward: budget for the new retail numbers, then attack the gap between retail and what you actually have to pay using the discount paths below.

What Every CompTIA Exam Costs Now

The table below consolidates current 2026 U.S. retail pricing from the sources cited above. Prices are per single exam attempt and apply whether you test at a Pearson VUE center or remotely through OnVUE proctoring — there is no online-only premium and no testing-center discount. Regional pricing outside the U.S. is set in local currency and may differ.

Certification	Exam Code	2026 Retail (per exam)	Notes
CompTIA Tech+	FC0-U71	$129	Entry-level, single exam
CompTIA A+ (Core 1)	220-1201	$274	Two exams required
CompTIA A+ (Core 2)	220-1202	$274	A+ total: $548
CompTIA Network+	N10-009	$399	Single exam
CompTIA Security+	SY0-701	$439	Most popular cybersecurity cert
CompTIA CySA+	CS0-004	$439	Analyst track
CompTIA PenTest+	PT0-003	$439	Offensive security
CompTIA Cloud+	CV0-004	$399	Infrastructure track
CompTIA SecurityX	CAS-005	~$509–$529	Most expensive single exam

SecurityX (the rebranded CASP+) is the priciest single exam in the lineup. Training Camp lists it at roughly $529, while Course Careers pegs it at $509 — the small variance reflects bundle and region differences, so always confirm on the CompTIA store before checkout. The pattern is consistent: foundational exams are cheaper, the four-exam cybersecurity stack (Security+, CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX) tops $1,800 in voucher costs alone before you touch a study guide.

The True Cost Beyond the Voucher

The voucher is only the headline number. What you actually spend to pass depends heavily on your study method, and most cost guides understate this. CertEmpire breaks the Security+ budget into realistic bands: self-study candidates typically spend $500 to $700 total (voucher plus a $30 to $80 study guide and $20 to $100 practice-exam platform), while instructor-led boot camps run $1,500 to $3,500, usually with the voucher bundled in.

Here is where disciplined candidates save real money. The official exam objectives are free from CompTIA, and Professor Messer’s full Security+ video course is free on YouTube — together they cover every testable topic at zero cost. The minimum viable stack is one primary learning resource plus a solid question bank, not five overlapping courses. Avoid the common trap of buying CompTIA’s CertMaster Learn, practice exams, labs, and a separate book “just to be safe” — that easily adds $400 before you ever register. The table below shows what different study approaches actually cost.

Study Approach	Materials Cost	With Voucher (Security+)
Bare-minimum free path (objectives + Professor Messer + free practice)	$0	$439
Self-study (one book + paid question bank)	$60–$130	$499–$569
Self-study premium (book + video course + exam simulator)	$150–$280	$589–$719
Instructor-led boot camp (voucher included)	—	$1,500–$3,500

Authorized Voucher Discounts That Work

The single most reliable savings lever is buying through a CompTIA authorized training partner rather than directly from CompTIA or Pearson VUE. Training Camp reports that authorized partners buy vouchers in bulk and typically pass along a 10 to 15 percent discount — on a $439 Security+ voucher that is $44 to $66 in your pocket, and the exam is identical: same Pearson VUE delivery, same certification at the end. Get Certified 4 Less is one well-known authorized reseller, and Total Seminars offers discounted vouchers bundled with its study materials.

The critical rule: only buy from partners listed on CompTIA’s authorized-reseller page. Random websites selling “discount vouchers” have left candidates with expired or invalid codes. Beyond resellers, CompTIA’s own bundle deals are worth running the numbers on. A bundle that pairs the voucher with a retake option costs roughly $49 above the standard voucher price — and because a failed Security+ attempt costs the full $439 to repeat, that retake bundle is genuine insurance for first-time test takers. CertEmpire notes that retakes are always full-price with no discount, so two failures cost $878 in exam fees before you ever pass.

Military, Student, and Workforce Funding

If you qualify, funding programs can reduce your cost to near zero — and these are the most underused discounts in the certification world. Military and veteran discounts are the largest available: CompTIA confirms it offers government and military pricing, and active-duty service members frequently get vouchers fully covered through unit education benefits because Security+ and other CompTIA certs satisfy DoD 8140 cyber workforce requirements. The ArmyIgnitED program covers up to $4,000 annually for training, books, and exam vouchers for active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard soldiers.

For veterans, CompTIA exams are approved for VA education benefits and GI Bill reimbursement, and military spouses can use the MyCAA program, which covers up to $4,000 in portable career certification costs. One trap to avoid: military voucher programs usually require you to apply and get approved before purchasing — paying out of pocket and seeking reimbursement later is harder and sometimes impossible. On the student side, CompTIA’s Academic Store offers eligible enrolled students roughly 40 to 50 percent off, bringing a Security+ voucher down to around $200 to $255 per CertEmpire. State workforce programs funded by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) also cover certification costs for displaced or underemployed workers in many U.S. states.

Retake Fees and the 14-Day Trap

CompTIA’s retake policy is where quiet costs become loud ones. There is no discounted second attempt: every retake costs the full retail price of the exam. The policy requires a 14-day waiting period between attempts, with no cap on the number of retakes — but each one is a fresh voucher at full price. For Security+ that means one failure adds $439 and two weeks of delay; two consecutive failures cost $878 in exam fees before you pass, according to CertEmpire. CompTIA Exams Help confirms the same full-price-per-attempt structure and notes the 14-day lock applies to every subsequent attempt with no exceptions.

The financial implication is that preparation quality is a cost-control measure, not just a study habit. The consistent benchmark that reduces retake rates is scoring 80 percent or higher on three full-length timed practice exams before booking your slot. Measured against a potential $439 retake, a $50 to $100 quality question bank pays for itself many times over by improving your first-attempt pass rate. Treat the retake bundle (the ~$49 add-on above the standard voucher) as mandatory if you are taking your first CompTIA exam and have any uncertainty about readiness.

A Realistic Budget by Certification Path

Concrete numbers beat vague advice. Here are realistic total-cost estimates for three common CompTIA paths in 2026, assuming a self-study approach with one book and a paid question bank, plus the current retail voucher:

Security+ only: $439 voucher + ~$90 materials = ~$530 self-study, or $1,500–$3,500 boot camp. To weigh that spend against expected payback, see our breakdown of whether CompTIA Security+ is worth it in 2026.
A+ to start a help-desk career: $548 for both exams + ~$120 materials = ~$668 total. Pair this with our 90-day CompTIA A+ study plan to pass on the first attempt.
Full cybersecurity stack (Security+ → CySA+ → PenTest+): $1,317 in vouchers alone + ~$270 in materials = ~$1,590 across three exams.
Renewal cost: every CompTIA cert renews every three years through the Continuing Education (CE) program — Security+ renewal runs about $150 total, roughly $50 per year per CertEmpire.

These figures assume you pass on the first attempt. Add one retake to any line above and the number jumps sharply — and for context on which credentials deliver the strongest return on that spend, our ranking of the highest paying IT certifications in 2026 pairs well with the budgets above — which is exactly why the discount and preparation strategies in this guide compound. A candidate who buys a partner-discounted voucher, adds the retake bundle, and pre-scores 80 percent on practice exams can come in at the low end of every band; one who pays full retail and retakes twice can double the self-study estimate.

Spend Less Without Cutting Corners

Spending less does not mean cutting the material that actually drives a pass. The candidates who minimize cost follow a predictable sequence. First, download the free official exam objectives — this is the single source of truth for what is tested, and it is free from CompTIA. Second, choose one primary free or low-cost resource (Professor Messer’s video courses are free and cover every objective) rather than stacking overlapping paid courses. Third, buy a single quality question bank and aim for 80 percent on three timed full-length exams before booking.

Fourth, buy the voucher through an authorized partner at a 10 to 15 percent discount, and add the retake bundle for roughly $49 if it is your first attempt. Fifth, check every funding avenue you might qualify for before paying retail: academic pricing if you are enrolled, military or VA benefits if you serve or served, MyCAA if you are a military spouse, and WIOA workforce grants if you are re-entering the job market. Sixth, time your voucher purchase so it does not expire — CompTIA vouchers typically expire 12 months after purchase, so buy six to eight weeks before your target date rather than months ahead. Following this sequence, a Security+ candidate can realistically cut a $700 self-study budget down to roughly $450, and a qualifying military candidate can bring it close to zero.