CompTIA AI Certifications (2026): SecAI+, DataAI, AgentOps+ and Every AI Course Compared

CompTIA has two AI certifications you can take today: SecAI+ (CY0-001), an AI security exam that launched February 17, 2026 and costs $298 in the US, and DataAI (DY0-001), the expert-level data science and machine learning exam that was called DataX until January 2026. A third, AgentOps+ (AG0-001), is in development, with draft objectives but no launch date or price yet.

Everything else CompTIA sells with AI in the name, including AI Fundamentals, AI Essentials and seven other short courses, is a learning product that ends in a CompCert (Competency Certificate), not a certification. This guide compares all of them, with exam codes, prices, length and status checked on comptia.org, and shows which one fits your job.

CompTIA AI certifications at a glance

Checked against CompTIA’s SecAI+, DataAI and AI Fundamentals pages, the Essentials course pages, the AgentOps+ draft objectives and CompTIA’s CE fee and CEU tables on October 8, 2026.

Every CompTIA AI certification, compared

These are the three credentials CompTIA itself calls certifications and that are built around AI. The details come from each exam’s page or objectives document.

Two names cause most of the confusion. AutoOps+ (AT0-001), which launched June 2, 2026, is CompTIA’s IT automation and scripting certification, not an AI one. And CertNexus, which runs the AIP-210 AI practitioner exam, is a separate company, not part of CompTIA. Our AIP-210 study guide covers that one.

CompTIA SecAI+ (CY0-001): the AI security certification

SecAI+ (CompTIA’s FAQ says the name stands for Security Artificial Intelligence Plus) is the first certification in CompTIA’s Expansion Series: an add-on that extends a security foundation you already have into AI. It tests whether you can secure AI systems, defend against AI-driven threats, use AI in security operations, and apply AI governance, risk and compliance.

The published objectives get specific. Objective 2.1 names the threat-modeling resources you’re expected to use: the OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications and Machine Learning Security Top 10, MITRE ATLAS, the MIT AI Risk Repository and the CVE AI Working Group. Objective 2.6 lists attacks such as prompt injection, data and model poisoning, model inversion, membership inference and excessive agency, each to be matched with a compensating control. Our SecAI+ study guide walks through all four domains with a 4-week plan.

• No formal prerequisites, but CompTIA says SecAI+ is not entry level and is meant to sit alongside a core cert such as Security+, CySA+, PenTest+ or SecurityX.
• Where you test: a Pearson VUE test center, or online with remote proctoring where available.
• Renewal: valid for three years. Renew with 15 CEUs plus a $75 CE fee, or by passing a qualifying higher-level CompTIA exam.
• It counts toward your other CompTIA certs. CompTIA says earning SecAI+ grants 15 CEUs toward Security+ and 10 each toward CySA+, PenTest+, SecurityX, CloudNetX and DataSys+.
• Government recognition is pending. CompTIA has applied for ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation and is mapping SecAI+ to DoD 8140 and NICE work roles, and it tells candidates to treat both as pending until they are officially granted.

What SecAI+ costs, and 4 ways to pay less

1. Buy Retake Assurance if you have any doubt. CompTIA charges the full exam price for every attempt and offers no free retakes, so two plain vouchers cost $596. Retake Assurance covers both attempts for $332.
2. Bundle only if you want CertMaster Perform anyway. Perform plus a Retake Assurance voucher costs $840 separately, or $628 as the Complete Bundle.
3. Check student pricing. CompTIA says actively registered students at US four-year (and some two-year) institutions can get 35–55% off store products after verifying through SheerID at checkout.
4. Ask about training programs and your employer. CompTIA lists college courses and training programs (up to 100% off, eligibility varies) and employer reimbursement as other routes.

Prices vary by country. To compare SecAI+ with what other AI exams cost, see what AI certifications actually cost.

CompTIA DataAI (DY0-001): the data science and machine learning certification

DataAI is CompTIA’s expert-level data science certification. It launched as DataX on July 25, 2024, and CompTIA renamed it DataAI on January 21, 2026 to reflect its focus on advanced data science, machine learning and AI-driven analytics. CompTIA says existing DataX holders keep their certification under the new name with no extra testing.

CompTIA says DataAI is vendor-neutral, accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and approved under DoD 8570 for specific workforce roles. At $544 for the voucher and 165 minutes of testing, it is built for working data scientists, not as a starting point. CompTIA estimates it will retire in 2027, so check for a new version before you buy study material.

CompTIA AgentOps+ (AG0-001): in development

AgentOps+ is an AI agent operations certification CompTIA is building for its Expansion Series. CompTIA has posted draft objectives (document version 1.1) on its Exam Objectives Under Development page. The question count, time, passing score and domain weights are all listed as TBD, and CompTIA hasn’t published a price or launch date.

• 1.0 AI Agent Architecture, Deployment, and Configuration
• 2.0 Agent Governance, Security, and Compliance
• 3.0 Agent Observability, Performance, and Cost Management
• 4.0 Agent Operations

The draft is aimed at DevOps engineers, cloud engineers (or Cloud+ holders), systems administrators (or Linux+ holders), network engineers and general IT administrators with at least 3–4 years of experience, some programming or scripting background, and 6–12 months of exposure to AI and machine learning concepts. Topics include deploying and orchestrating AI agents, RAG pipelines and knowledge graphs, guardrails, observability and cost measurement, and CI/CD for agent platforms. Draft objectives change before launch, so wait for the final version before you buy study material.

Don’t mix it up with AI Agent Essentials, a $99 course for non-technical staff (covered below).

Is CompTIA AI Fundamentals a certification?

No. CompTIA’s own FAQ answers that directly: AI Fundamentals is a course, not a certification. It is a three-credit, hands-on AI literacy course of about 50–56 hours, built mainly for colleges and non-technical learners. Pass its built-in Competency Assessment and you earn a CompTIA CompCert (Competency Certificate). There is no exam code, voucher, test center or proctor.

• Price: $189 on CompTIA’s US store. CompTIA’s academic page lists $99 per learner for institutions that adopt it.
• Access: 12 months after you activate it.
• Available: since June 2026.
• Prerequisites: none. CompTIA says no technical background is required.

Studying for its assessment? Our AI Fundamentals study guide and free AI Fundamentals practice questions follow CompTIA’s published course objectives.

CompTIA AI Essentials courses (CompCerts, not certifications)

CompTIA’s Essentials Series includes eight short AI courses. Each costs $99 in the US and ends in a Competency Assessment that awards a CompCert. They teach practical AI skills for specific jobs. None of them is a certification.

Want several? Essentials All Access costs $199 for 12 months of every Essentials course, including the AI titles and new ones as they launch. CompTIA describes the difference this way: AI Fundamentals is a full, credit-bearing course for colleges, while AI Essentials is a shorter, workplace-focused course.

AI topics inside CompTIA’s core certifications

If you want a full CompTIA certification with some AI in it, several core exams now include AI in their published objectives:

• Tech+ (FC0-U71): CompTIA’s entry-level exam, with no experience needed. Its objectives include AI tools such as chatbots, assistants and generative AI. The US voucher is $129.
• Data+ V2 (DA0-002): includes understanding AI concepts such as AI models, natural language processing and robotic automation. The US voucher is $264.
• Security+ V8 (SY0-801): expected on or around November 17, 2026, with an objective on the security risks of AI. The current V7 exam (SY0-701, $439) retires in English on June 11, 2027.
• SecurityX (CAS-005): covers the impact of emerging trends such as AI on security, and generative AI in automation. The US voucher is $544.

Which CompTIA AI credential should you get?

• You work in security: SecAI+. If you don’t have Security+-level knowledge yet, get that first.
• You’re an experienced data scientist: DataAI.
• You run cloud, DevOps or sysadmin work and your team is adopting AI agents: watch for AgentOps+. AI Agent Essentials is a quick primer in the meantime.
• You’re new to tech and want a certification: CompTIA doesn’t have an entry-level AI certification. Tech+ covers AI tools as one topic, and our guide to AI certifications for beginners covers entry-level exams from other vendors.
• You want proof of AI skills for work or school: AI Essentials ($99) or AI Fundamentals ($189). On your resume, list it as a CompTIA CompCert, not a certification.
• You manage a security program: compare SecAI+ with ISACA’s AAISM in our AAISM study guide.
• Your job is AI policy, privacy or compliance: see our guide to AI governance certifications.

How CompTIA compares with other AI certifications

CompTIA’s AI certifications are vendor-neutral, which helps if your company runs more than one cloud. If you want a cert tied to a specific platform, or a cheaper first step, look at the wider field. Our AI security certifications roundup compares SecAI+ with the other AI security credentials, the AI certification cost and requirements index compares prices and formats across vendors, and our ranking of AI certifications helps you pick. On a tight budget? Start with free AI certifications, and see how renewal works across AI certs.

Practice before you pay

CompTIA publishes 10 free SecAI+ sample questions with answers, and the full exam objectives are free after a short form on the SecAI+ page. For more, our free, original practice questions for AI certifications are on the AI exam prep hub →

HOW TO // AI is not affiliated with or endorsed by CompTIA. SecAI+, DataAI, AgentOps+ and the other product names here are CompTIA’s, referenced descriptively. Our practice questions are original and written from published objectives, never from the live exam. Prices are US list prices on comptia.org and vary by country, so check CompTIA’s site before you buy.

Related guides

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• CompTIA SecAI+ Study Guide (CY0-001): All 4 Domains, Weights and a 4-Week Plan
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• Free AI Certifications in 2026: 15 Free Programs, Honestly Labeled
• CompTIA AI Fundamentals Study Guide & Cheat Sheet