Security+ vs Network+: Which CompTIA Exam Should You Take First?

If you are choosing between CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+, take Network+ first if your networking fundamentals are weak. Take Security+ first only if you already understand IP addressing, routing, DNS, ports, wireless, and basic troubleshooting.

The short answer: Network+ teaches how systems connect. Security+ teaches how to protect them. Security+ is usually more valuable for cybersecurity job filters, but Network+ often makes Security+ easier to pass.

The official exam snapshots

CompTIA lists Network+ N10-009 as a maximum of 90 questions, 90 minutes, multiple-choice and performance-based questions, with a passing score of 720 on a 100-900 scale. CompTIA recommends A+ plus 9-12 months of hands-on network support experience. Source: CompTIA Network+ certification details.

CompTIA lists Security+ SY0-701 as a maximum of 90 questions, 90 minutes, multiple-choice and performance-based questions, with a passing score of 750 on a 100-900 scale. Source: CompTIA Security+ certification details.

Neither exam has a hard prerequisite. The real prerequisite is whether you can reason through scenarios.

What Network+ tests

Network+ is about infrastructure. It asks whether you understand how traffic moves, how services work, and how to troubleshoot when something breaks.

Expect topics like:

OSI/TCP-IP models
Subnetting and IP addressing
Routing and switching
Wireless standards and security
DNS, DHCP, NAT, VPNs, VLANs
Network tools and troubleshooting
Basic network hardening

Network+ questions often start with a symptom:

Users in one VLAN can reach the internet but cannot reach a printer in another VLAN. What should you check first?

That is not cybersecurity yet. It is path, addressing, segmentation, and troubleshooting judgment.

What Security+ tests

Security+ is about risk, controls, attacks, identity, architecture, operations, and governance. It assumes you understand the systems being protected.

Expect topics like:

Authentication and authorization
Threats and vulnerabilities
Cryptography and PKI
Secure architecture
Incident response
Security operations
Governance, risk, and compliance
Cloud and hybrid security concepts

Security+ questions often start with a risk scenario:

A company needs to prove a message was not modified in transit. Which control best fits?

You still need networking, but the core decision is about security control selection.

Which one is harder?

Security+ is usually harder if you are new to IT because it stacks security reasoning on top of networking vocabulary. Network+ is usually harder if you dislike troubleshooting, subnetting, or infrastructure diagrams.

A practical comparison:

Candidate background	Harder exam
No IT experience	Security+
Help desk with weak networking	Security+
Help desk with strong networking	Similar
Junior network admin	Security+
GRC or policy background	Network+
Cloud learner with no infrastructure background	Network+ first helps

If "DNS," "default gateway," "VLAN," and "subnet mask" do not feel automatic, Security+ will feel more random than it should.

Which one helps your career more?

It depends on the role.

Choose Network+ first for:

Help desk to network support
NOC technician
Junior system administrator
Field technician
Cloud fundamentals
Anyone who struggled with A+ networking topics

Choose Security+ first for:

SOC analyst track
Cybersecurity internship requirements
Government or contractor roles that name Security+
GRC analyst entry points
IT workers who already troubleshoot networks daily

Security+ often appears more directly in cybersecurity job descriptions. Network+ builds the foundation that helps you perform better once you get there.

Best order for most beginners

For most people starting from scratch:

A+ if you need broad IT basics
Network+ if networking is not already strong
Security+ for cybersecurity and government IT filters

This is the classic CompTIA progression for a reason. Security+ assumes more networking than beginners expect.

When to skip Network+

You can skip Network+ before Security+ if you can already explain:

Public vs private IPs
Subnet masks and CIDR notation
TCP vs UDP
Common ports
DNS and DHCP
VLANs and segmentation
VPNs
Firewalls and ACLs
Basic packet flow
Wireless encryption

If you can explain those without notes, go straight to Security+ practice questions. If not, spend time with Network+ practice questions first.

How to study if you take Network+ first

Do not study Network+ like a vocabulary test. Use practice questions to force troubleshooting.

Focus on:

Why a symptom points to Layer 1, 2, 3, or 7
Which command confirms a theory
Which device or service belongs in the path
Why a routing, DNS, DHCP, or VLAN issue creates specific symptoms

Once you can troubleshoot network flow, Security+ architecture questions get much easier.

How to study if you take Security+ first

If you go straight to Security+, fill your network gaps intentionally.

Before test day, make sure you can handle:

Firewall rule order
Segmentation and screened subnets
VPN types
Secure wireless
DNS security basics
Common ports and protocols
Network monitoring/logging concepts

Then drill mixed Security+ sets. Cert Climb has 30 free Security+ questions and a full SY0-701-style bank for deeper practice.

Bottom line

Take Network+ first if you are still learning how networks work. Take Security+ first if you already have that foundation and want the cybersecurity credential faster.

For most beginners, the better path is Network+ then Security+. You spend a little more time upfront, but Security+ stops feeling like memorized acronyms and starts feeling like applied judgment.