CASP+
CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner+
CompTIA's SecurityX (formerly CASP+, current exam code CAS-005) is one of the few vendor-neutral advanced certifications for technical security experts without management focus. It deliberately positions itself as a technical alternative to CISSP and is recognized by DoD and US government agencies as an 8570-compliant credential, which is a real advantage in government environments. In the private sector, market perception is mixed: CISSP clearly dominates job postings, but SecurityX provides a credible signal for technically deep skills. The pass/fail format without score disclosure is unusual and criticized by some as lacking transparency. Performance-based questions increase the practical rigor.
A new version is in rollout — confirm which one is currently scheduled. End-of-life: 2025-12. CompTIA rebrands CASP+ as SecurityX (CAS-005) in late 2024; CAS-004 retires 2025-12. Confirm the active version when scheduling.
› Quality score
Four-axis SecProve rubric, each 0–10. SecProve editorial assessment — each axis carries a written justification so you can push back on any single call without dismissing the whole score.
› Market signals
public, citable inputs to the recognition score› Exam format
Max. 90 questions (multiple-choice + performance-based), 165 minutes, proctored via Pearson VUE. Passing threshold: Pass/Fail.
First retake immediate; 14-day wait before each subsequent attempt.
› Recertification
Valid for 3 years. Renewal through 75 CEUs or re-exam. Automatically renews all lower-level certs (Security+, CySA+, PenTest+).
› NICE Framework work roles
The NIST NICE work-role IDs this cert maps to. NICCS lookup.
› Core domains covered
The 3 domains this cert is centrally about. Passing the exam demonstrates working knowledge of each.
Reference architectures, control frameworks (NIST SP 800-53, CIS Controls), secure-by-design patterns, threat modeling, trust-boundary design, technology standards.
OWASP Top 10, secure SDLC, SAST/DAST/IAST, API security, code review, DevSecOps.
AWS/Azure/GCP security controls, IAM policies, CSPM, container security, shared responsibility model.
› Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites. Recommended: 10 years IT experience, including 5 years hands-on security.
› Progression
requiredrecommendedWhere this cert fits in the typical learning path. Required edges are vendor-gated; recommended edges reflect de facto industry progression.
No vendor-gated prereqs.
No certs require this one.
No follow-on certs reference this one yet.
› Study materials
Curated starting points. Not exhaustive — vet each against your learning style and the current exam version.
- CompTIA CASP+ Study Guide (CAS-004) by Nadean Tanner — Sybex
- CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP+) Cert Guide — Pearson IT Certification
- Boson ExSim-Max for CASP+ CAS-004
› Version & lifecycle
CompTIA rebrands CASP+ as SecurityX (CAS-005) in late 2024; CAS-004 retires 2025-12. Confirm the active version when scheduling.
› Salary signal
Senior security engineer / DoD security professional, US, 5+ years. Concentrated in defense / federal contractor roles.
Robert Half Salary Guide + DoD 8140 listing data · 2024 · US base only · p25–p75 range
› How it compares
CISSP carries broader hiring-manager recognition outside DoD; CASP+ has no AMF and is hands-on-flavored.
↔ Compare side-by-side› Careers that commonly pursue this cert
Design, build, and maintain security infrastructure. The architects of an organization's defensive posture.
Owns the end-to-end find → prioritize → fix → verify loop at scale, now increasingly AI-driven.
External-first role: inventories what an attacker can see, tracks what's new, and drives closure through the org. The outside-in counterpart to vuln management.
› Common exam traps to study
Cybersecurity cert exams reuse the same 25 distractor patterns over and over — category confusion, RTO vs RPO, IDS vs IPS, MD5 vs SHA-256, and more. Once you can name the trap, you stop falling for it. Each archetype page covers what it is, the specific pairs candidates confuse, and how to avoid it.
See this cert’s domains highlighted on the interactive map, or compare it against the rest of the catalog.