Few questions are asked more often in r/CompTIA than this one: is Professor Messer enough to pass Security+ on its own? In 2026, the honest answer is "almost, but not quite." Messer's free YouTube course covers 100% of the CompTIA Security+ exam objectives at a teaching-quality level that rivals paid courses costing the current listed price or more. The gap is not in concept coverage — it's in practice depth, performance-based question (PBQ) preparation, and active recall.
This page breaks down exactly where Messer's free content is sufficient, where it leaves you exposed, and the minimal stack that candidates report using when they pass on the first attempt.
For most candidates, Professor Messer alone is not enough to pass Security+ on the first try. Check Professor Messer’s practice-exam sample for written PBQ coverage, and add hands-on tasks to practise applying the concepts. The candidates who pass on the first try typically combine Messer's free videos with one extra practice-test source (such as Jason Dion on Udemy) plus 10–15 hands-on hours for PBQs.
What Professor Messer Covers Extremely Well
Messer's Security+ playlist works through every domain in the official CompTIA exam objectives. His teaching strengths include:
- Concept clarity — every term is defined plainly, with a real-world example. - Domain weighting — video length roughly matches each domain's exam weight. - Updates — the Security+ playlist is refreshed when CompTIA changes objectives. - No upsell pressure — the full course is free on YouTube with no gated tiers.
For learners who absorb material visually and want one consistent voice across 15+ hours of material, Messer is genuinely best-in-class. If you make it through every video, take notes, and rewatch the topics that confused you the first time, you will know the material well enough to recognize correct answers on standard multiple-choice questions.
- Updates — the SY0-701 playlist is refreshed when CompTIA changes objectives.
Where Messer Falls Short for First-Try Passers
The honest weaknesses come down to three areas:
1. Performance-Based Questions (PBQs). CompTIA includes performance-based questions, but does not publish a fixed PBQ count or score share. Practise both knowledge questions and hands-on tasks. Messer's free videos teach the concepts but never simulate the interface. Professor Messer offers practice-exam materials with performance-based questions; check the sample for your exam version. Written PBQ practice and hands-on labs serve different purposes. CompTIA includes performance-based questions, but does not publish a fixed PBQ count or score share. Practise both knowledge questions and hands-on tasks.
2. Practice Question Volume. Three practice exams (270 questions) is not enough exposure to feel confident. Most candidates who pass on the first try report taking 600–1,000+ practice questions across the study cycle.
3. Active Recall vs Passive Watching. Video learning is passive. Without flashcards, written notes, or quiz-based reinforcement, retention after the second domain drops quickly. The candidates who fail with Messer alone almost always report "I watched everything but couldn't recall the details under exam pressure."
**1. CompTIA includes performance-based questions, but does not publish a fixed PBQ count or score share. Practise both knowledge questions and hands-on tasks. Messer's free videos teach the concepts but never simulate the interface. Professor Messer offers practice-exam materials with performance-based questions; check the sample for your exam version. Written PBQ practice and hands-on labs serve different purposes. CompTIA includes performance-based questions, but does not publish a fixed PBQ count or score share. Practise both knowledge questions and hands-on tasks.
The Minimal Stack That Passes Security+
Use this as editorial study guidance, not measured candidate-outcome research.
| Resource | Cost | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Messer free videos | Check price | Full concept coverage |
| Adaptive practice questions | Check price (PrepForCerts) | Daily active recall, weak-area focus |
| One PBQ-focused resource | Check price | Hands-on simulation prep |
| Messer's paid practice exam set (optional) | Check price | Final readiness check |
This is intentionally lean. You do not need a the current listed price textbook and you do not need three video courses. You need one trusted teacher (Messer), one source of varied practice questions, and at least one resource that exposes you to PBQ-style tasks before exam day.
| Resource | Cost | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Messer free videos | Check price | Full concept coverage |
| Adaptive practice questions | Check price (PrepForCerts) | Daily active recall, weak-area focus |
| One PBQ-focused resource | Check price | Hands-on simulation prep |
| Messer's paid practice exam set (optional) | Check price | Final readiness check |
How to Tell If You're Actually Ready
Stop studying when all of these are true:
1. Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam. You can complete the PBQ section of any practice tool without using a hint. 3. You can teach any acronym (NIST, SAML, OCSP, IPSec) to a non-technical friend in 60 seconds. 4. Your last three practice attempts came from different question banks (not the same source repeated).
If any of those is false, you are not ready — regardless of how many Messer videos you've watched.
1. Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam. 2. You can complete the PBQ section of any practice tool without using a hint. 3. You can teach any acronym (NIST, SAML, OCSP, IPSec) to a non-technical friend in 60 seconds. 4. Your last three practice attempts came from different question banks (not the same source repeated).
Pro Tips
Watch each Messer video at 1.25x speed on the first pass — your retention is usually identical and you save hours.
After every Messer video, take a 10-question practice quiz on that exact objective while it's fresh.
Build a single one-page acronym sheet as you go — don't download someone else's. The act of writing locks it in.
Take at least one timed 90-question practice exam in one sitting before exam day — fatigue is a real factor.
Use fresh practice questions to find weak topics; no practice percentage proves that you will pass the certification exam.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Watching every video twice instead of replacing the second watch with active practice.
Skipping PBQ prep because the videos never mention them.
Only using Messer's 270 practice questions — too small a pool to expose blind spots.
Taking the exam without ever doing a full 90-question timed run.
Believing high YouTube comprehension means you'll recall the same material under exam pressure.
The candidates who pass Security+ on the first try with Messer as their primary resource almost always layer in two things he doesn't provide: a second practice-question source for variety, and at least 5 hours of PBQ-style task practice. That combination — not more videos — is what closes the gap.
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