CompTIA CEU Requirements: Maintaining Certifications Without Retaking Exams

What is this page about?

A guide to CompTIA's Continuing Education Unit (CEU) system for renewing certifications without retaking exams, since CompTIA credentials expire every three years. It explains the four CEU categories (higher-level certifications, training and coursework, work experience, professional development), the CEU requirements per certification (A+ 20 up to CASP+ 75), how to submit via the CertMetrics/CE portal step by step, the annual renewal timeline and grace period, how the CEU path compares with retaking, and how to build a CEU strategy from the start.

What has been corrected on this page?

Every accepted correction to this page is recorded with the exact change, so readers can see how the page improved over time.

1. 11 July 2026 · corrected by Melik Can Sariyer

   2 flagged issues verified: a quote attributed to 'Diane Barrett, CASP+, security educator and CompTIA CE contributor' had no verifiable source and was de-attributed; a claim that 'CEUs are added immediately upon submission (no approval delay)' was found internally inconsistent with a sibling article in the same folder stating a roughly two-week CompTIA review process, so it was corrected to reflect a review-based process.

   Before

   <blockquote> <p>&quot;The CEU system rewards exactly the behaviors that keep security professionals current, taking courses, attending conferences, earning new certifications. Candidates who are genuinely growing professionally accumulate CEUs organically. The problem is documentation. I've seen professionals lose certifications not because they didn't do the activities but because they didn't track and submit them.&quot; - <em>Diane Barrett, CASP+, security educator and CompTIA CE contributor</em></p> </blockquote> --- <li><p>CEUs are added immediately upon submission (no approval delay)</p> </li>

   After

   <p>The CEU system rewards exactly the behaviors that keep security professionals current: taking courses, attending conferences, earning new certifications. Candidates who are genuinely growing professionally tend to accumulate CEUs organically. The problem is often documentation, since professionals can lose certifications not because they did not do the activities but because they did not track and submit them.</p> --- <li><p>Submitted CEUs go through a CompTIA review process before being credited to your account, so expect a short delay rather than instant approval</p> </li>

   Why: De-attributed an unverifiable quote attributed to Diane Barrett to plain prose, and corrected an internally-inconsistent claim that CEUs are added immediately upon submission with no approval delay to reflect a real CompTIA review-based crediting process.

   View the full record →

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