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Preparing for the CompTIA Security+ SY0-801 exam and worried about the performance-based questions? You are not alone. The PBQs are the part most candidates fear, because they drop you into a realistic scenario — a scan output, a log file, a firewall rule set — and ask you to act on it, not just recall a definition.
To help, we have built a free, interactive SY0-801 PBQ practice exam you can take right now in your browser.
What is a PBQ?
A performance-based question (PBQ) is a hands-on, scenario-driven question on the Security+ exam. Instead of picking a fact from a list, you analyze an exhibit — such as an Nmap scan, an authentication log, a suspicious email, or a certificate — and decide what it means or what to do next. PBQs test whether you can apply security knowledge the way you would on the job.
About this free SY0-801 PBQ practice exam
This practice set is aligned to the CompTIA Security+ SY0-801 exam objectives and covers all five domains:
- 1.0 General Security Concepts (16%)
- 2.0 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Attacks (24%)
- 3.0 Security Architecture (19%)
- 4.0 Security Operations (27%)
- 5.0 Security Program Management and Oversight (14%)
It includes 20 questions in the styles you will see on the real exam—multiple choice, multi-select (“select all that apply”), and drag-and-drop—and it is weighted toward the heaviest domains, just like the actual test. It even covers the brand-new SY0-801 topics, including AI threats such as prompt injection, which older SY0-701 material does not include.
Best of all: it is completely free.
How to use it
- Open the interactive exam and start at the title slide.
- Each question is preceded by an exhibit on its own slide — read it carefully before moving on.
- Answer the question. For drag-and-drop questions, drag each term into the correct blank.
- Explanations appear after you answer, so you learn why each answer is right or wrong — not just the score.
- Work through all 20 questions, then revisit any you missed.
Treat it as a learning tool, not just a test. The explanations are where the real value is.
Go further with the 101 Labs Security+ course
A practice exam shows you where you stand. Hands-on labs get you ready.
Our 101 Labs — CompTIA Security+ course takes you through over 100 practical, step-by-step labs built around the SY0-801 objectives. You will not just read about cryptography, log analysis, phishing, SIEM, certificates, and AI security — you will do them, using free tools on your own machine.
That hands-on experience prepares you for three things at once:
- The exam — especially the PBQs, because you have already performed the tasks they simulate.
- The technical interview — you can talk confidently about tools and techniques because you have actually used them, not just memorized them.
- The real world — on day one of a security role, you already know how to generate a certificate, read a log for signs of an attack, or check a file against threat intelligence.
Passing the exam gets you the certification. The labs get you the career.
Start now
Take the free SY0-801 PBQ practice exam above, then explore the full 101 Labs Security+ course at 101labs.net to build the hands-on skills that carry you from certified to hired. For the best experience, set the exam to full screen by clicking the arrows on the bottom right.
