Re-certification: An easy way to renew your Security+ certification

Not sure if anyone else received this email but this is a recertification test for CompTIA Security Plus certification. This email troubles me so much. I have so many other certs to maintain (Microsoft, Vmware, CISSP) and others I have lost because I cant keep up(CNN expired). I dont have time to keep this updated other than continuing education credits. I dont even see a FAQ to say whether this is required. I dont understand how we go from lifetime certification....to CE to now recertifcation exams in a period of less than 7 years.

I guess my question is are they getting rid of the ability to use CE credits for recertification?

Great news! We’ve got an efficient way for you to renew your current CompTIA Security+ certification - the CompTIA Security+ Recertification Exam.

By bridging the skills measured in the Security+ SY0-401 exam and the current SY0-501 exam, the CompTIA Security+ Recertification Exam (RC0-501) is offered as an alternative renewal option.
How does it work?

Renew your Security+ certification by passing the Security+ Recertification Exam (RC0-501). You must take and pass the RC0-501 recertification exam prior to the expiration date of your current Security+ certification. If you plan on taking the Security+ recertification exam to fulfill your renewal requirements and you pass the exam, CE Fees are waived for that three-year CE Renewal Cycle only.
Not applicable for those who have taken and passed the SY0-501 exam.

How much does it cost?

The Security+ recertification exam RC0-501 costs $175 USD.

Interested? Great! Here are your next steps:

Save this email, as you will need the following private access code (PAC) in order to gain entry and complete registration for the CompTIA Security+ Recertification Exam: PAC: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sign into your Pearson VUE account.
From your My Account page, click on, “Do you have a private access code (PAC)?”
Copy and paste the PAC above, being careful not to leave any spaces before or after, and press Enter. The exam name will become visible below the PAC box.
Click on the exam name – RC0-501 – register and pay for the exam ($175 USD).
Completed registration will appear on your Pearson Vue account home page under, “Open Online Exams.”
Take the exam anytime within 45 days of registration by logging into your Pearson VUE account and clicking on the exam name under, “Open Online Exams.”

Don’t forget to visit the Continuing Education site for more information on the program and how to keep your hard-earned certification current.

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Comments

NavyMooseCCNA

If you have your CISSP, why do you care about keeping your Security+ current?

gespenstern

I personally don't care about all of this CompTIA drama. They suck for promising lifetime and then changing it to expiring, but I'm okay with letting them expire as almost all of them are entry-level and are superseded by more advanced certs from other entities. I'm not sure why would you need to maintain S+ when you already have CISSP.

I never bothered to figure out continued education options for my CompTIA creds and just let them expire, except those which are still lifetime.

NotHackingYou

I let all my CompTIA expire. I would probably not take another CompTIA one unless it was required for a job.

NavyMooseCCNA

gespenstern wrote: »

I personally don't care about all of this CompTIA drama. They suck for promising lifetime and then changing it to expiring, but I'm okay with letting them expire as almost all of them are entry-level and are superseded by more advanced certs from other entities. I'm not sure why would you need to maintain S+ when you already have CISSP.

I never bothered to figure out continued education options for my CompTIA creds and just let them expire, except those which are still lifetime.

The CEU options for CompTIA are not great. There was an "online conference" today held by CompTIA for CEUs and only two sessions were eligible for Security+. I was working on a major issue at work and could not make either session. I'm studying for my CISSP and once I get it, I'll probably let the Security+ lapse.

trojin

I'm doing CompTIA mostly as beta exams so cannot complain about price level.
All this "CE" is just a ....t
The easiest way to re-certify is just sit again highest cert you have and do not worry about point or CE fees
In my case - I have to sit CASP before July next year

scaredoftests

I got the email. I can do CE where I work. I don't have to pay anything. I'd rather do that.

Fulcrum45

I received the same email. I haven't had my Sec+ for a full year and yet CompTIA has already started hitting me up about renewing it for a few months now.

Meat

NavyMooseCCNA wrote: »

If you have your CISSP, why do you care about keeping your Security+ current?

When you are a federal government contractor its just best to keep everything active just in case. You never know what policy or requirement could change in the future that affects you. I easily do over 120 hours of continuing education credit a year. It doesn't hurt to keep certs active with these CEU just in case.

For example, with so many certs its easy to forget to renew a cert. Stuff happens. This year I took the VMWARE VCP 6 renewal (5.5 Expired) test one day late and they would not let me reactivate my cert. I had to pay over $1500 (class and exam) to reactivate it. I renew my Sec+ just in case of a the small chance I forget to renew my CISSP.

Also What happen's if DOD changes their 8570 policy? what if a dumb company/agency requires me to have security+ even if I have my CISSP? What happens if I get old and complacent and all my certs expire and I need a basic IT job? That sec+ that i kept active all these years would help

I know I have a compulsive "keep all my certifications active" disorder. Dont judge me.

Meat

The CISSP requires 40 CEU credits a year. Not sure why anyone would let their Sec+ lapse on purpose when you can use the same CEUs for SEC+. Also When I renew my Sec+ it renews my A+ and Network+. As I said above what happens in 15-20 years and I am a old fart and just need a basic IT job. Its better to have them active just in case.

I didn't see a answer to my original question so let me rephrase: Is re-certification exam mandatory or is the CE program (pay fees and submit CEUs) going to be discontinued if you have a active Security+ CE?

yoba222

I think certs that expire have something to do with ISO/ANSI requirements, though I don't understand much at all about how that works. I speculate it might have to do with being accepted for DoD or for college credit kind of thing. Maybe financial aid?

That said, this email looks like an advertisement to get you to pay for an exam to conveniently take care of your CEUs instead of all the hassle of uploading files and paying the CompTIA tro11 $150 every three years.

When I get a CISSP in 2019 I intend to drop A+, Network,+ and Security+ off the resume, keeping only CSA+. I'll have earned 10-12 certs by then. Less is more and I intend to list no more than 7 trophy certs.

nisti2

Received the same email. Lol, but now way that I will pay that amount. Moving forward to a higher cert. :P

duta74

nisti2 wrote: »

Moving forward to a higher cert. :P

This is a very good idea.
@meat
You also can go for csa+. It will renewal all lower certs.

McxRisley

Meat wrote: »

The CISSP requires 40 CEU credits a year. Not sure why anyone would let their Sec+ lapse on purpose when you can use the same CEUs for SEC+. Also When I renew my Sec+ it renews my A+ and Network+. As I said above what happens in 15-20 years and I am a old fart and just need a basic IT job. Its better to have them active just in case.

I didn't see a answer to my original question so let me rephrase: Is re-certification exam mandatory or is the CE program (pay fees and submit CEUs) going to be discontinued if you have a active Security+ CE?

The answer to your question is in the email they sent you. It's an "alternative option", meaning it's another way to renew your certification. Some people would rather retake the test than do CEUs, I'm not one of those people but I know some who are. Also questions like the one you have are ones you should ask CompTIA as no one here is a representative of them.

stryder144

I am not an employee of CompTIA but we get visited several times a year by their CIO and several others, not to mention that we routinely go to their conferences. If I remember correctly, they are trying to make renewing the certifications, a DoD requirement (based off ISO/ANSI guidelines as yoba222 mentioned), easier as well as more convenient. Thus why they offer so many options for renewal, such as: take the "bridge" exam (if available), go through their CertMaster program (if available), collect CEUs, take the new exam at full price, take a higher level CompTIA exam, or take a higher level certification from another vendor.

Having had several students in my Security+ classes that have worked for DoD components or contractors, you will find that some of them need the Security+ per the contract, regardless of whether or not the employee has a higher level security certification. I had a non-IT person in one of my classes trying to get her Security+ knocked out since the contract required a certain percentage of certified employees (contract did not specify who had to have it, just the percentage). Additionally, since I teach the course, I will be taking the recert exam that OP posted just to bring me up to speed on the new certification exam, even though my CSA+ renewed it last year.

trueshrewkmc

@Meat I think only CompTIA can answer officially.

@stryder144 It's sad but true about the Sec+ requirement if you have a higher cert. HR recruiters and Gov't workers seem to have reading comprehension issues when it comes to IT certs.

I do appreciate the members of the IT instructor community who have to re-sit cert exams to keep current.

trueshrewkmc

@trojin Or you could sit CISSP....it's worth all 75 CEs. 'course you have to pay the CE fees too since ISC2 is not CompTIA.

trojin

@trueshrewkmc
It's an option. I will think next summer what to do