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Training and Certification

CompTIA CASP+ Exam Updates

April 23, 2018

Guest Author

[This post was last updated on 4/19/2019.]

The new CASP+ certification CAS-003 exam is focused on the most current knowledge and skills required of advanced security professionals.

CASP+ Certification Overview

CompTIA’s CASP+ certification is a unique advanced-level certification in that it is geared towards professionals who want to continue in a hands-on security practitioner role versus a managerial role.  Security managers are primarily responsible for identifying policies and frameworks that may need to be implemented, CASP+ professionals decide the best course to apply and execute the policies and/or frameworks.

The certification is for professionals in the following, or similar, roles:

  • Information Systems Security Engineers
  • Security Consultants
  • Network Security Engineers
  • Security Architects
  • Technical Analysts
  • And more!

CASP+ Exam Overview

Similar to previous CASP+ exams (CAS-001 and CAS-002), the newest exam, CAS-003, follows a similar format. The exam is pass or fail with no scaled score and contains no more than 90 multiple-choice/performance-based questions. The exam is administered through Pearson VUE and candidates will have 2 hours and 35 minutes to complete the exam. Applicants for the CASP+ certification are recommended to have at least 10 years of experience in IT administration, with at least five of those years in a hands-on technical security role.

New CASP+ CAS-003

The newest version of the CASP+ exam ensures that security practitioners will be prepared with the knowledge and skills to defend their organization from ever-evolving cyber threats. The changes to the exam will be seen in the following areas:

  • Domains and percentage of exam
  • Emphasis on evaluating risk
  • Expansion of security control topics
  • Greater coverage of cloud and virtualization technologies
  • Incorporation of cryptographic techniques

A quick comparison of the new domains and percentages reflects the aforementioned items. See the side-by-side comparison below.

CAS-003 (New)

  • Risk Management – 19%
  • Enterprise Security Architecture – 25%
  • Enterprise Security Operations – 20%
  • Technical Integration of Enterprise Security – 23%
  • Research, Development, and Collaboration – 13%

CAS-002 (Retiring)

  • Enterprise Security – 30%
  • Risk Management and Incident Response – 20%
  • Research and Analysis – 18%
  • Integration of Computing, Communication, and Business Disciplines – 16%
  • Technical Integration of Enterprise Components – 16%

After earning your CASP+ certification, you will need to earn 75 CEUs over the next three years to renew the certification.

Certification Renewal for CASP+

Renewing the CASP+ credential is necessary to remain certified. The credential holder must earn a minimum of 75 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) over a period of three years after they have passed the CASP+ exam. CEUs can be earned in a variety of ways, through a single activity or multiple activities.

Single activities accepted for renewal consideration by CompTIA include:

  • Passing the latest version of an exam
  • Earning a non-CompTIA Certification

Multiple activities accepted for CEU consideration by CompTIA include:

  • Earning CompTIA certifications
  • Attending training or higher education courses
  • Participating in conferences or training
  • Publishing blog posts, whitepapers, or writing a book
  • Work experience

To learn more about why CASP+ is a worthwhile certification, read this blog post, “Is CASP+ Worth It”.

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