12/4/2002 -- On Monday, CompTIA launched its latest certification, Security+. The highly-anticipated, entry-level security title comes with the highest price point for a standard, proctored CompTIA exam: $225 U.S. non-members ($175 U.S. members).

Currently, most of the organization's exams cost $199 U.S. non-member.

Chief Operating Officer Brian McCarthy told CertCities that the new price point was associated with the increased cost of development of this exam, due to factors such as the topic matter and more industry and partner involvement, including the U.S. government. "There's extra costs associated with that..." McCarthy explained. "We have to look at all our costs...and how to recover them" on an exam-by-exam basis.

He also said that although the company literature the price point is labeled as "introductory," there are no current plans to increase the cost of the exam. He said that the organization is currently reevaluating its exam pricing, as it does every year, but that it hadn't made a decision yet on whether to increase exam prices overall in 2003 -- or whether, if it does, Security+ would be included.

Last year, CompTIA raised most of its exam fees by $9 U.S. non-members

McCarthy said that whatever the company decides to do, it will notify candidates of any planned fee increase at least 30 days in advance.

More information on Security+ can be found here.

More information on CompTIA's current exam pricing structure (not including Security+), click here. -B.N.