Hello everyone,
I have worked in information security consulting and training for more than 20 years. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to train many different types of cybersecurity professionals, including CSIRT teams and even military electronic warfare personnel.
Because training is such an important part of my work, professional certifications still matter to me.
I do not collect certifications just to add another badge to my profile. When I teach a CompTIA certification course, I want my students to know that I have gone through the same preparation process, sat the same type of exam, experienced the same pressure, and successfully earned the certification myself.
That is one of the main reasons I decided to earn CompTIA SecurityX.
Where I live and work, CompTIA cybersecurity certifications are well respected because of their practical focus and the strong hands-on learning model offered through CompTIA training products.
So, how did I prepare for and pass the CompTIA SecurityX exam?
Here is my experience.
Do You Need Security+, PenTest+, and CySA+ Before SecurityX?
This is one of the first questions people ask me.
Do you have to earn:
Security+ → PenTest+ → CySA+ → SecurityX?
The answer is no.
These certifications are not mandatory prerequisites for taking the SecurityX exam.
SecurityX is designed for experienced cybersecurity professionals, and CompTIA recommends substantial hands-on IT and security experience. Current training guidance commonly describes the target audience as professionals with around 10 years of general hands-on IT experience, including approximately five years of hands-on security experience. (Trainocate)
But you are not required to upload five or ten years of employment records before buying an exam voucher.
If you believe you already have the knowledge and experience required for SecurityX, you can prepare for the exam, purchase your voucher, schedule the exam, and take it.
I chose a different route.
I personally wanted to follow the CompTIA cybersecurity pathway more systematically:
Security+ → PenTest+ → CySA+ → SecurityX
For me, that sequence made sense because I wanted to experience the certifications that many of my own students would take before reaching SecurityX.
But that was my choice, not a CompTIA requirement.
If you already have strong cybersecurity experience, you do not need to copy my path.
My SecurityX Study Materials
For my SecurityX preparation, my main CompTIA resources were:
CompTIA SecurityX CertMaster Study
and
CompTIA SecurityX CertMaster Labs
I used CertMaster Study to review the theory and organize the major concepts that I needed to understand.
At the same time, I worked through the hands-on material.
I actually went through my preparation twice.
That second pass was useful because SecurityX is not an exam where I would recommend memorizing isolated definitions. You need to understand how different security concepts connect to architecture, engineering, operations, governance, risk, and enterprise decision-making.
For candidates who want a more complete all-in-one learning environment, another option is CompTIA SecurityX CertMaster Perform.
Perform is particularly convenient because it brings learning and hands-on activities together in one environment.
I Also Built My Own Practice Questions With AI
This may sound unusual, but one of the most effective parts of my preparation was material that I created myself.
I used AI to help me develop a large set of practice questions based on the SecurityX objectives and then used those questions for my own review.
I was not trying to reproduce the real exam.
I was trying to discover something much more useful:
What do I actually understand, and where are the gaps in my knowledge?
That approach worked extremely well for me.
When I answered something incorrectly, I went back to the relevant topic, reviewed the theory, and connected it with hands-on practice.
That became a continuous cycle:
Study → Practice → Find the weakness → Review → Practice again
I found this much more useful than simply reading the same material repeatedly.
I Did Not Use Exam Dumps
This is important.
I did not use SecurityX exam dumps.
I also do not recommend them.
Apart from the obvious ethical and certification-policy issues, I think dumps defeat the purpose of taking a professional certification.
SecurityX is supposed to validate whether you can think and work at an advanced cybersecurity level.
If you memorize leaked questions, you may get a certificate without gaining the capability that the certificate is supposed to represent.
My approach was much simpler:
Study the theory carefully. Practice. Review. Practice again.
CertMaster Study was my primary structured theory resource, while CertMaster Labs helped reinforce the practical side.
Be Ready for Performance-Based Questions
If you have already taken CompTIA exams, you probably know about PBQs — Performance-Based Questions.
If SecurityX is your first advanced CompTIA exam, do not underestimate them.
The PBQs appear early in the exam and can be much more demanding than normal multiple-choice questions because there may be many elements to analyze and configure.
For someone who has only memorized theory, this can be a bit of a shock.
My advice is simple:
You need both theory and hands-on practice.
This is one reason I consider CertMaster Labs valuable.
If you use CertMaster Perform, you also get an integrated learning environment where practical preparation is part of the overall study process.
The exact SecurityX exam experience can vary, so I obviously cannot and will not disclose actual exam questions. But you should expect SecurityX to test whether you can apply what you know, not simply recognize definitions.
A Small Problem During My Online Exam
I took my SecurityX exam from home using Pearson VUE's OnVUE system.
Something slightly funny happened during the exam.
The lighting in my room was not ideal. There was a light in front of me that created glare, making it difficult to see the screen comfortably.
Without thinking much about it, I kept raising my hand to shield my eyes.
After I did this repeatedly, the proctor contacted me and reminded me that I should not keep covering part of my face.
Fair enough.
The problem was that when I lowered my hand, the glare made it difficult for me to read comfortably.
So I explained the situation and asked whether I could wear a cap to block some of the light.
The proctor agreed.
Problem solved.
I mention this because I have seen many people describe online proctors as extremely strict. My experience was reasonable. If there is a legitimate issue and you communicate clearly, the proctor can be quite practical.
But learn from my mistake:
Check your lighting before the exam.
Your room may pass the technical requirements while still being uncomfortable for a two-hour-plus certification exam.
You want your attention on SecurityX, not on a lamp.
I Bought the SecurityX Voucher With a Retake
For this attempt, I chose an exam voucher option that included a retake.
My company sponsored the exam.
There is a slightly amusing detail here: I am also the director of the company I founded, so technically I was approving the extra insurance for myself.
I decided to buy the retake anyway.
My reasoning was very simple.
I work in cybersecurity.
We spend our careers discussing risk mitigation.
So why wouldn't I mitigate my own exam risk?
Fortunately, I did not need it.
I passed SecurityX on my first attempt.
If you have prepared well and feel confident, a standard SecurityX exam voucher may be perfectly reasonable.
If you prefer additional peace of mind, a retake option can make sense.
As security professionals like to say, prevention is often cheaper than recovery.
Something Strange Happened After the Exam
There was one thing about my SecurityX exam experience that surprised me.
After finishing the exam, I did not immediately see the kind of result screen I expected based on some of my previous certification exams.
There was also a survey afterward, and for a while I still did not have a clear result.
That was an uncomfortable wait.
Approximately 30 minutes later, I checked my Pearson VUE account and found the result in my exam history.
I had passed.
Later, the SecurityX certification appeared in my certification account. My recollection is that this happened within roughly half a day, although processing times can obviously vary.
Afterward, I also received the related CompTIA stackable certification recognition.
So if you finish SecurityX and do not immediately see everything appear, don't assume something has gone wrong. Give the systems some time to update.
What Would I Do Differently?
Not much.
If I were preparing again, I would still use essentially the same strategy:
Learn the official objectives carefully.
Use structured CompTIA study material.
Do serious hands-on practice.
Use practice questions to identify weaknesses.
Review those weaknesses.
Avoid dumps completely.
And I would fix the lighting in my room before exam day.
Definitely the lighting.
My Advice If You're Preparing for SecurityX
Do not be intimidated by SecurityX simply because it sits at the advanced end of the CompTIA cybersecurity pathway.
At the same time, don't underestimate it.
If you already have years of cybersecurity experience, much of the content will feel familiar. The challenge is being able to connect architecture, engineering, security operations, governance, risk, and practical decision-making under exam conditions.
That is why I think hands-on preparation matters so much.
You don't necessarily need to earn Security+, PenTest+, and CySA+ before SecurityX.
I did it that way because it made sense for my own professional and teaching journey.
Choose the path that makes sense for your experience.
Need Help Preparing for CompTIA SecurityX?
If you are preparing for SecurityX and have a question, feel free to message me on WhatsApp:
You can also find my SecurityX study resources at securityx.study.
In particular, we currently have competitive pricing on CompTIA SecurityX CertMaster Study.
Students who purchase CertMaster Study for SecurityX from our store can also receive a 10% discount toward eligible CertMaster Labs or Practice products from us.
My goal with SecurityX.study is simple: provide SecurityX learners with practical, reasonably priced resources and guidance from someone who has actually prepared for and passed the exam.
I hope my experience helps with your own preparation.
Good luck with your SecurityX journey — and I hope to see you certified soon.
Vinh NTT
SecurityX Certified | Cybersecurity Instructor & Consultant