Professor Messer's Security+ (SY0-701) Course

What it is

Professor Messer publishes a full video course covering the CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 exam objectives end to end: 121 videos totalling about 15 hours, free, with no login required to watch. The videos are organised to mirror the official exam domains: general security concepts, threats and vulnerabilities, security architecture, security operations, and security programme management. It has been a fixture of the Security+ study community for years, largely because it covers the entire syllabus rather than a partial overview, and updates when CompTIA revises the exam.

Free versus paid

All the video content is free to watch on the site. Professor Messer also sells an optional Success Bundle for each exam version, which adds the 96-page course notes (printed or PDF), practice exams and downloadable videos. Monthly study group replays are also published on the site. Plenty of people pass using only the free videos alongside a separate practice question source; the paid bundle is a convenience layer, not a requirement.

How to use it

Watch the videos in order, since later sections build on earlier ones, and take your own notes rather than relying only on the (optional, paid) prepared notes, since the act of writing summaries is itself a strong study technique. Pair it with practice questions from another source, since Security+ leans on scenario based multiple choice and performance based questions that video alone will not fully prepare you for.

Prerequisites

None specific to Security+ itself, though CompTIA recommends some general IT background (their A+ and Network+ certifications, or equivalent job experience) before attempting Security+, and the course assumes basic familiarity with networking and computer concepts.

What comes after

Security+ is widely treated as the standard entry level security certification, and CompTIA positions its Cybersecurity Analyst certification, CySA+, as the natural next step for people who want to move toward more hands on defensive and SOC analyst work after establishing the Security+ foundations.

Common questions

Is the free version actually complete? Yes, all exam objectives are covered in the free videos; the paid bundle adds supplementary materials rather than missing content. Does it guarantee a pass? No course does; combine it with practice exams and, ideally, some hands on exposure through a platform like TryHackMe. How current is it kept? Professor Messer has historically published a new course when CompTIA revises the exam. CompTIA has announced Security+ V8 (exam SY0-801) for November 17, 2026, while SY0-701 stays available in English until June 11, 2027, so confirm which exam you are booking and that the course matches its code.