CySA+ renewal requirements: Your complete guide

CompTIA's CySA+ certification validates your cybersecurity analyst skills for three years from your exam date. After that period, you'll need to complete the CySA+ renewal process to maintain your certification status and keep your credentials current with industry demands.

CompTIA requires certified professionals to stay current with advancing cybersecurity threats and emerging security technologies. The CySA+ renewal requirements ensure analysts maintain expertise in modern behavioral analytics, threat detection, and incident response capabilities essential for today's security operations centers.

This guide covers everything you need to know about renewing your CySA+ certification, including renewal timeline, CEU requirements, cost considerations, and policy details to help you maintain your professional credentials.

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What do I need to know about the CySA+ renewal process?

CompTIA structures the CySA+ certification maintenance program around three essential steps for renewal. Each component plays a critical role in demonstrating your continued professional development:

1. Understand the renewal process

Understanding CompTIA's continuing education program requirements prevents certification lapses and ensures timely renewal. Key elements include renewal timeframes, multiple renewal pathways, CEU documentation requirements and fee structures specific to CySA+ certification.

Your CySA+ renewal cycle begins on your certification date and extends for three years. Plan ahead by tracking your certification expiration date and allowing sufficient time to accumulate the required continuing education units. The CompTIA site covers the process, but we'll break it down in detail below for the CySA+ certificaction specifically.

2. Choose your renewal path

CompTIA offers flexibility in how you approach CySA+ certification renewal. You can either design your own combination of activities to earn the required CEUs or complete a single qualifying activity that meets all renewal requirements.

Single-activity renewal options include earning higher-level CompTIA certifications, obtaining qualifying non-CompTIA industry certifications or retaking the current CySA+ exam. For professionals pursuing career advancement, earning your SecurityX certification (formerly CASP+) automatically satisfies CySA+ renewal requirements.

Multiple-activity approaches provide more variety and can align with your professional development goals. Options include attending cybersecurity conferences, completing training courses, creating instructional materials, teaching or mentoring, publishing security-focused content, and participating in CompTIA exam development workshops.

3. Submit your CEUs and renew

All completed continuing education activities require proper documentation submitted to your CompTIA certification account. You must verify CEU validity before final submission and pay the required continuing education fees by your certification expiration date.

CompTIA's online CEU assessment tool helps validate your earned units before submission. Renewal fees are based on your CE cycle rather than calendar year timing.

How can I renew my CySA+ certification?

CySA+ renewal requires earning 60 continuing education units within your three-year certification cycle. These CEUs must come from CompTIA-approved activities that align with current cybersecurity analyst competencies.

You can earn CEUs through various CompTIA-approved activities, including professional training, industry conferences, webinars, college courses, additional certifications, content creation, teaching and hands-on security experience. Each activity type has specific CEU values and documentation requirements.

The annual and three-year continuing education fees for CySA+ certification renewal are $50 and $150, respectively. and you can choose which option works best. These fees support CompTIA's certification maintenance program and must be paid during the renewal process.

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How can I renew multiple CompTIA certifications?

Professionals holding multiple CompTIA certifications can streamline renewal by focusing on their highest-level certification. Setting your advanced certification as your "intent level" automatically renews lower-level credentials when renewal requirements are met.

For example, renewing the SecurityX certification automatically extends the validity of your CySA+ certification. This approach reduces your administrative burden while maintaining all your professional credentials.

CompTIA assigns different certification levels based on technical proficiency requirements. Higher-level certifications provide specific CEU credits for lower-level ones. For example, passing CySA+ grants 33 CEUs toward Cloud+ renewal if you hold both certifications.

Important note: your higher-level certification must remain current to provide automatic renewal benefits for lower-level credentials. Plan renewal timing carefully to avoid certification lapses.

What do I need to know about the CySA+ renewal policy?

CompTIA follows International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards requiring periodic certification updates. This renewal policy ensures CySA+ certified professionals demonstrate current knowledge of cybersecurity analysis techniques and emerging security technologies.

The three-year renewal cycle aligns with rapidly evolving cybersecurity threats, allows sufficient time for professional development and ensures credentials remain relevant to current job market requirements.

What happens if my CySA+ certification expires?

Expired CySA+ certifications require retaking the current exam to regain certified status. CompTIA's retake policy allows immediate re-examination without waiting periods between first and second attempts.

However, candidates failing a third attempt must wait 14 calendar days before additional exam attempts. This policy encourages thorough preparation while providing reasonable opportunities for certification achievement.

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The bottom line

Your CySA+ certification demonstrates current cybersecurity analyst competencies for three years. Maintaining certification through CompTIA's continuing education program keeps your credentials aligned with industry requirements and career advancement opportunities.

The CompTIA renewal process offers flexible pathways to earn required CEUs while supporting your professional development goals. Whether pursuing advanced certifications, attending training, or contributing to the cybersecurity community through content creation or mentoring, renewal activities can enhance both your certification status and career prospects.

For current information about CySA+ certification and renewal requirements, visit the CompTIA website or explore Infosec's CySA+ training programs designed to support your professional development throughout your certification lifecycle.

For more on CySA+, visit the Infosec CySA+ hub and watch our CySA+ exam update webinar with CompTIA.