Guides / CompTIA CE renewal: how CEUs work
CompTIA CE renewal: how CEUs work
Last checked: October 5, 2026. Every figure links to the certifying body’s official page. Rules change, so confirm with the certifying body before you rely on them.
CompTIA certifications in the Continuing Education (CE) program expire three years after you earn them. To renew with CEUs, you complete qualifying activities during that cycle, upload them to your CompTIA certification account and pay the CE fee; Security+, for example, needs 50 CEUs and A+ needs 20. Renewing a higher-level certification can also renew certain lower-level ones.
Renewing Security+? Our blog post Security+ CEU requirements: caps by activity and a 50-CEU plan sets out the Security+ cap for each activity, the proof CompTIA asks for and a sample plan.
The three-year renewal cycle
CompTIA’s CE renewal cycle page says your cycle runs three years from the date you earned the certification. CompTIA’s example: pass on January 15, 2025, renew by January 15, 2028, and the renewed certification is then valid until January 15, 2031. Activities only count if you complete them inside the cycle.
How many CEUs each certification needs
From CompTIA’s Earn CEUs page:
- 15 CEUs: SecAI+, AutoOps+
- 20 CEUs: A+, Data+
- 30 CEUs: Network+, Server+, Project+, DataSys+
- 50 CEUs: Security+, Linux+, Cloud+
- 60 CEUs: CySA+, PenTest+
- 75 CEUs: SecurityX, CloudNetX, DataAI (formerly DataX)
- Tech+: no CEU option; you renew by passing the latest version of the exam.
Ways to renew
CompTIA’s How to Renew page groups renewal into two paths. Single-activity options include completing CompTIA CertMaster CE, passing the latest version of your exam, earning a higher-level CompTIA certification or earning an approved non-CompTIA IT certification. CompTIA renews you automatically for CertMaster CE, the latest exam and a higher-level certification. Multiple-activity renewal means combining activities such as training, other certifications, industry participation, publishing and related work experience until you reach your CEU total, then submitting them in your certification account.
How activities earn CEUs
Most activities have to meet CompTIA’s relevance rule: at least 50% of the content must relate to one or more exam objectives for the certification you are renewing. CompTIA makes the final call on relevance. Some common activities, from the Training and Higher Education and IT Industry Participation pages:
- Training courses: one CEU per hour; the same course can only be submitted once.
- Live webinars and conferences: one CEU per hour attended, with a per-cycle cap. For Security+ the conference cap is 10 CEUs; for A+ it is 4; for CySA+ and PenTest+ it is 15.
- College courses: 10 CEUs for each 3 to 4 credit-hour class.
- Teaching or mentoring: one CEU per hour, with a cap (20 for Security+).
- Creating instructional materials: two CEUs per hour, with a cap.
- Non-CompTIA certifications: only those on CompTIA’s preapproved list for your certification count, per its IT industry certifications page.
For a conference, CompTIA asks for a detailed outline of the session content plus a completion certificate or registration email showing your name, the session name, the date and the number of hours.
When a higher certification renews lower ones
If you hold several CompTIA certifications, you usually meet the requirement for the highest one and select it as your “intent level.” Per CompTIA’s Renewing Multiple Certifications page:
- SecurityX fully renews CySA+, PenTest+, Security+, Network+ and A+.
- CySA+ or PenTest+ fully renews Security+, Network+ and A+. They do not renew each other automatically, though the form lets you apply CEUs from one to the other.
- Security+ fully renews Network+ and A+.
- Network+ and Linux+ each fully renew A+.
- CloudNetX fully renews Cloud+. Cloud+ V3 fully renews A+, Network+ and Linux+.
- Server+, Data+, DataSys+, DataAI, Project+ and A+ do not fully renew another CompTIA certification.
Some combinations grant partial CEUs instead. CompTIA notes that CE fees are not waived when the higher certification does not fully renew the lower one.
CE fees
CompTIA’s CE fees page lists a total fee for the three-year period: $75 for A+, Data+, SecAI+ and AutoOps+, and $150 for Network+, Security+, Server+, Linux+, Cloud+, PenTest+, CySA+, SecurityX, DataAI, CloudNetX, DataSys+ and Project+. Tech+ has no fee because it renews by exam. You pay fees only when renewing by uploading CEUs, and they must be paid by the expiration date. CompTIA’s CE FAQ says you can pay annually or all at once, and payments are not refunded. Renewing through the latest exam, a higher-level certification or CertMaster CE carries no CE fee.
Submitting and audits
You enter activity details and upload documents in your CompTIA certification account. The FAQ says submitted CEUs are automatically accepted and audits are performed randomly, so keep the outline, certificate and hours for every activity you claim. Paying the fee alone does not renew a certification.
MyCertRenewal lets you log an activity once and see the credit it earns at each certification it applies to.
Questions
How many CEUs do I need to renew Security+?
50 CEUs during your three-year cycle, according to CompTIA’s Earn CEUs page.
Does renewing Security+ renew Network+ and A+?
Yes. CompTIA lists Security+ as fully renewing Network+ and A+, as long as you select Security+ as your intent level.
How much is the CompTIA CE fee?
CompTIA lists a three-year total of $75 for A+, Data+, SecAI+ and AutoOps+, and $150 for most other CE certifications, including Network+ and Security+. You can pay annually or all at once.
How many CEUs can a conference earn for CompTIA?
One CEU per hour attended, up to a cap for each certification. For Security+ the cap is 10 CEUs per cycle, and at least 50% of the content must relate to the exam objectives.
Does CompTIA audit CEUs?
Yes. CompTIA accepts submitted CEUs automatically and performs audits at random.
Sources
- CompTIA: Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
- CompTIA: Continuing Education Renewal Fees
- CompTIA: Renewing Multiple Certifications
- CompTIA: How to Renew Your CompTIA Certification
- CompTIA: CE Renewal Cycle
- CompTIA: Training and Higher Education
- CompTIA: IT Industry Participation
- CompTIA: Additional IT Industry Certifications
- CompTIA: Continuing Education Program FAQ
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