Performance-Based Questions (PBQs) Strategy

Performance-Based Questions (PBQs) are interactive simulation questions that require you to demonstrate practical skills in a virtual environment, rather than simply selecting the best answer from four text choices. CompTIA introduced PBQs to address the gap between knowing facts and being able to apply them — a technician who truly understands firewall rules should be able to configure one, not just describe what they do. PBQs count toward your score just like multiple-choice questions and are worth the same points. They appear at the beginning of the SY0-701 exam and typically consume more time than multiple-choice questions.

The Security+ exam features several distinct PBQ formats: Firewall rule configuration — given a network diagram and requirements, add ACL rules to allow/deny specific traffic; Network diagram labeling — place firewall, IDS, DMZ, and other components in the correct locations in a network diagram; Log analysis — examine provided log excerpts (syslog, Windows event log, web access log) and identify attack types or answer specific questions; Drag-and-drop ordering — arrange incident response phases, forensic steps, or PKI components in correct sequence; and Matching — connect attack types to descriptions or tools to their functions.