CS0-004 renewal, validity and retake rules
CySA+ lasts three years from the date it is earned. To keep it, the CompTIA tables ask for 60 continuing education units (CEUs) and a $150 fee, and the fee covers the whole cycle rather than each year. If an attempt fails, the rules differ by attempt number: the second try can follow straight away, while later tries need two weeks between them and every sitting costs the full price. How the exam itself is built is covered on the exam format page.
Keeping the certification: 60 units and $150
Two CompTIA pages hold the numbers. The CEU table gives each certification a unit target, and CySA+ is listed at 60. The fee table gives the charge for the three-year period, which is $150 for CySA+. CompTIA says the fee is due by the expiration date when a holder renews by submitting units, and that an activity only counts if it was completed inside the cycle.
CompTIA names these kinds of activity for the programme in general:
- a CertMaster CE course
- a higher-level CompTIA certification
- a certification from another vendor
- training or higher education
- IT industry participation
- an article or book
- related work experience
How many units each earns follows programme-wide rules that can change, so the current CEU pages and the expiry date shown in the CompTIA certification account are the authority. Much of what a CySA+ holder does at work, such as running scans or handling incidents, can fall under related experience, which makes unit-based renewal more workable than it sounds.
Renewing by other routes
A higher-level CompTIA certification is listed as a full-credit route, and other CompTIA or non-CompTIA certifications count for partial or full units. CompTIA states an exam-based renewal rule for Tech+ only; nothing on the pages read for this guide says that retaking CySA+ renews it, so check the options for your own certification in the account rather than assuming. A CertMaster CE course counts only if at least half of it relates to the objectives of the certification being renewed.
Credit also moves between CompTIA exams, with the amount depending on which certifications are held. Those figures change when new exams launch, so they are not repeated here. Whether stacking certifications beats collecting units is a cost question, covered in certification costs.
What happens to CS0-003
A passed exam code cannot be sat again without CompTIA’s consent. CS0-003, the previous version, is on its way out, with CompTIA giving December 22, 2026 as the end of the English exam. Holders of a valid CS0-003 certification keep it; what the end of the exam means for anyone who lets it lapse is not described on the CEU pages, so confirm it in the account or with CompTIA. The CS0-004 vs CS0-003 page covers the version change.
If an attempt fails
CompTIA’s retake policy sets these terms:
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Second attempt | May be booked at once |
| Third and later attempts | At least 14 calendar days after the previous sitting |
| Price | The full exam price on each attempt, with no discount under the policy |
| Exam already passed | Same exam code cannot be retaken without consent |
| Policy violation | The result is invalidated; repeated violations can lead to a ban |
Several third-party pages say the 14-day gap begins after the first failure, but the policy text places it before the third attempt, so the official wording wins. The exam price is not shown on the V4 page, and the terms of bundles that include a retake are not covered by the policy page, so neither is described here.
After a failed attempt, the score report shows which domains lost marks. Rework those with the study plan, test them again with the sample questions and check the exam day rules before booking. Announced retirements are tracked on exam changes.