Choosing between two certifications

Should you take CompTIA Network+ or Security+ first?

Network+ first, unless you already understand networking well. Security+ constantly assumes you know how traffic, segmentation and protocols behave, and does not stop to explain them.

Network+ details Security+ details
Where they overlap

The shared ground

Network+ includes a Network Security domain, and Security+ includes a Security Architecture domain that leans heavily on network design. The overlap sits precisely where most candidates struggle: understanding why a control is placed where it is on the network.

  • Security+ assumes networking, not the reverseSecurity+ questions about segmentation, zero trust, secure protocols and traffic inspection only make sense if you already know how the underlying network works. Network+ has no comparable dependency on security knowledge.
  • Security+ is the more widely required credentialSecurity+ is the one that appears in job requirements and, in some sectors, in compliance baselines. Network+ is respected but far less often mandated.
  • The exams are structurally similarBoth are a single sitting of up to 90 questions in 90 minutes with performance-based questions alongside multiple choice. The pass marks differ — 720 for Network+, 750 for Security+ — so Security+ leaves slightly less room for error.
  • Skipping Network+ is possible but costlyIf you already work with networks daily, going straight to Security+ is defensible. If you do not, you will spend the Security+ study period learning networking anyway, without the credential to show for it.
Which order

Taking them in sequence

Network+ then Security+ is the standard order, and the reason is dependency rather than difficulty. If your goal is a security role and time is short, study Network+ material without necessarily sitting the exam, then take Security+.

Try three questions. Understand every answer.

Original English practice examples, with answers and explanations available here. No account required. These are independent teaching examples, not official exam questions or exam dumps.

Question 1 of 3 · Network+ · Network architecture and protocols

Small packets cross a VPN, but larger packets fail. A capture shows that fragmentation is blocked, while the physical links remain healthy. Which investigation best targets the size-dependent failure?

Answer and explanation

Best answer: Path MTU and tunnel overhead

Tunnel overhead reduces available packet size. Examine the path MTU and the handling of packets that exceed it before changing unrelated services.

Why the other choices fit less well

DNS caching, application timeout, and DHCP lease duration do not explain a verified packet-size boundary across the tunnel.

IETF: path MTU discovery

Question 2 of 3 · Security+ · Threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations

An internet-facing service has an actively exploited vulnerability. The vendor has no patch yet, but offers a documented workaround that blocks the known exploit path. Which action best reduces immediate risk without claiming the flaw is permanently fixed?

Answer and explanation

Best answer: Validate and apply the workaround, monitor it, and track the pending patch

A validated compensating control can reduce exposure while the permanent fix is pending. Retain the vulnerability record, residual risk, and a plan to apply and verify the patch.

Why the other choices fit less well

Waiting leaves exposure unchanged, and a hostname change does not block the flaw. A workaround reduces risk without necessarily removing the vulnerability, so closing it as permanently fixed overstates the evidence.

CISA: known exploited vulnerabilities

Question 3 of 3 · Network+ · Networking concepts

Which address belongs to an RFC 1918 private IPv4 range and requires an appropriate gateway or translation arrangement to communicate with the public internet?

Answer and explanation

Best answer: 172.20.14.8

172.20.14.8 lies within 172.16.0.0/12, one of the RFC 1918 private ranges. Private addresses are not globally unique public internet addresses.

Why the other choices fit less well

172.32.14.8 is outside 172.16.0.0–172.31.255.255. 192.169.1.8 is outside 192.168.0.0/16, and 11.0.0.8 is outside 10.0.0.0/8.

IETF: private IPv4 address allocation

Choose your next step

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