Certified: The Security+ Prepcast

If you’re starting your Security Plus journey, one of the most helpful things you can do up front is understand how the exam is organized. What topics are covered? How much weight is given to each domain? And what types of questions should you expect when test day arrives? That’s exactly what we’re going to walk through in this episode. By the end, you’ll have a clear sense of the exam structure, what the domains mean, and how to focus your study time to get the best possible results.
Let’s begin with the big picture. The current version of the Security Plus exam is SY Zero Dash Seven Zero One. It’s divided into five major domains, and each domain carries a different percentage of the total exam score. These percentages are important because they tell you where the most questions will come from—and where to spend more time during your prep.
The first domain is called General Security Concepts. It accounts for 12 percent of the exam. This section lays the foundation. It includes terminology, basic principles, types of security controls, and fundamental concepts like confidentiality, integrity, and availability. You’ll also learn about change management, cryptographic tools, and basic authentication concepts. Think of this as the conceptual grounding that supports everything else.
The second domain is Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations. This one carries the second-highest weight at 22 percent. It covers different types of threat actors—like nation-states, insiders, and criminal groups—as well as attack surfaces, common vulnerabilities, and how to defend against them. You’ll learn to compare attack vectors, recognize different types of exploits, and explain how to reduce risk through patching, segmentation, and hardening. This domain requires you to understand both how attacks happen and how to stop them.
The third domain is Security Architecture. This domain represents 18 percent of the exam and focuses on designing secure environments. You’ll be tested on cloud security, network segmentation, high availability, containerization, and device placement. You’ll need to understand how to build systems that are both functional and secure—and how to apply design principles to enterprise infrastructure.
Domain four is Security Operations, and it’s the largest domain on the exam. It covers 28 percent of the total content. This is the operational heart of cybersecurity. Topics include incident response, identity and access management, monitoring tools, alerting, and endpoint protection. You’ll also be expected to explain automation and orchestration, vulnerability management, and various security techniques used to protect computing resources. This domain is heavy on real-world process—how things are done, how to detect problems, and how to respond when something goes wrong.
And finally, we have Domain Five: Security Program Management and Oversight. This domain makes up 20 percent of the exam. It focuses on risk management, compliance, third-party governance, and business continuity. You’ll learn how organizations build security frameworks, handle audits, enforce policies, and manage vendor risk. While this domain is less technical than some others, it’s incredibly important for understanding how cybersecurity fits into broader business operations.
Together, these five domains form the foundation of the Security Plus exam. But it’s not just about memorizing facts. The test is designed to reflect real-world job tasks. That means the questions are practical, scenario-based, and application-focused.
Let’s walk through a few examples of what kinds of topics you might see in each domain. In Domain One, you might be asked to compare types of security controls—like preventive, detective, or corrective. Or explain the principles behind Zero Trust. In Domain Two, you might be given a scenario describing a vulnerability—like an unpatched web server—and asked to recommend the best mitigation technique. Domain Three might include a question about securely designing a hybrid cloud network or selecting the right encryption method for data at rest. In Domain Four, you could be asked to analyze log entries, explain incident response steps, or identify weaknesses in a password policy. And in Domain Five, you might need to assess third-party risk, evaluate the effectiveness of a compliance program, or choose appropriate security metrics.
One important thing to remember is that many of the questions are not purely technical. They ask you to apply knowledge in context. You may need to compare solutions, explain why one is better than another, or identify the next step in a given process. The exam is designed to mirror what you’d actually be doing on the job.
Let’s also take a moment to talk about question format. The exam includes both multiple-choice questions and performance-based questions. Multiple-choice is straightforward: you select one or more correct answers from a list. Performance-based questions, on the other hand, are more interactive. You might be asked to drag and drop controls into the correct part of a network diagram, organize a set of response steps into the proper order, or match concepts to definitions. These questions require a solid grasp of concepts and the ability to think through a scenario quickly.
It’s also worth noting the types of verbs you’ll see in exam questions. Pay attention to words like compare, explain, identify, and implement. These aren’t just filler. They guide the depth and focus of what’s being asked. “Compare” means you need to distinguish between options. “Implement” means you’re being asked to choose the best way to apply a control. “Identify” is more direct—find the matching term or element. Understanding the command verbs in questions can help you avoid overthinking or second-guessing your answers.
Now, here’s a key study tip. Don’t study each domain equally. The exam isn’t structured that way—and neither should your study time be. If Security Operations makes up 28 percent of the exam, it deserves 28 percent of your prep. If General Security Concepts is 12 percent, give it 12 percent of your focus. This domain-weighted approach helps ensure that you’re aligning your effort with what you’ll actually face on test day.
That doesn’t mean you should ignore the smaller domains. Every point counts. But it does mean that if you’re pressed for time, or deciding where to dig deeper, the domain percentages give you a roadmap.
You should also use practice tests and review tools that reflect the actual domain distribution. If your study material isn’t aligned with the SY Zero Dash Seven Zero One blueprint, you may end up over-preparing in some areas and under-preparing in others.
As this podcast continues, each episode will focus on a specific topic or concept from within these domains. We’ll take the exam blueprint and break it into practical, digestible parts, so you can move through the content confidently and with a clear understanding of what matters most.