Udemy
Jason Dion CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) Course Review — Honest Analysis of 34 Learner Opinions
Jason Dion's CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 course is the most widely trusted paid preparation resource for the exam, backed by 4.7/5 across over 107,000 Udemy ratings and a strong pattern of first-attempt passes reported across independent review sources. The course excels at structured domain coverage, instructor clarity, and exceptional value at typical Udemy sale prices. The honest caveats are that it is predominantly lecture-based with limited hands-on simulation, that the included practice exam is single rather than six-set, and that learners who need deeper PBQ practice typically supplement with Dion's separate practice exam sets. For most learners targeting the Security+ certification, this is the clearest single starting recommendation available.
Final score
from 34 analysed opinions
Published AI-researched, editor-audited
Distribution of opinions
Per-criterion scores
The course covers all five SY0-701 exam domains across 264 modules and 31 hours of video, spanning General Security Concepts, Threats and Vulnerabilities, Security Architecture, Security Operations, and Security Program Management. Reviewers on OpenCourser and Reddemy consistently praise the structured domain breakdown, acronym walkthroughs, and the alignment with official CompTIA exam objectives. The main content gap flagged by multiple learners is limited hands-on lab simulation — the course is predominantly lecture-based, which can make performance-based question (PBQ) preparation less thorough than the actual exam requires.
Jason Dion brings over 20 years of IT and cybersecurity experience to the course and is consistently described by reviewers as easy to follow, thorough, and amiable. OpenCourser reviewers Victor Cabrales and Mark Guillen both called out his clear explanations and acronym-focused teaching style as the course's standout feature. He holds CompTIA Platinum Partner status, and Dion Training's 4.6+ star network-wide rating across 2 million+ students reinforces his reputation as one of the most reliable certification prep instructors in the field.
The course is almost always available on Udemy for $13–$20 during the platform's frequent sales, a price point that Reddemy commenters repeatedly highlight as exceptional for 31 hours of content plus practice materials. One Reddemy user noted purchasing both the course and the separate practice exam set for approximately $13 each during a sale. At that price, Dion's course delivers one of the lowest cost-per-hour ratios of any paid Security+ preparation resource, with lifetime access and periodic content updates included.
Like most Udemy courses, learner support is limited to the platform's Q&A section — there is no live instructor interaction or direct email support. One Reddemy user flagged a structural navigation issue, noting difficulty jumping directly to specific domains without watching the course sequentially. Response times in the Q&A section are generally adequate for a high-enrollment course, but learners who need real-time feedback or personalized guidance will need to seek supplementary communities such as the r/CompTIA subreddit.
Multiple reviewers who passed SY0-701 on their first attempt credit Dion's course as their primary preparation resource, including John T. (Medium), who passed in under two months with no prior cybersecurity background. The course's exam-focused framing maps tightly to Security+'s five domains and the career skills they represent — threat analysis, security architecture, and incident response. However, the lecture-only format and absence of hands-on labs mean learners entering cybersecurity roles will need additional practical experience beyond what the course alone provides.
What learners said
What people loved
5- Clear, structured domain coverage across all five SY0-701 exam objectives — reviewers consistently praise the logical lesson progression, acronym breakdowns, and tight alignment with actual CompTIA exam content×21
- Jason Dion is universally described as an easy-to-follow, thorough, and engaging instructor — no prior cybersecurity background is required, and multiple learners with zero IT experience report passing on their first attempt×18
- Exceptional value at $13–$20 on Udemy sale with lifetime access — among the most cost-effective paid Security+ resources available, especially when purchased alongside the companion practice exam sets×15
- Practice exam questions are intentionally harder than the real test and include detailed answer explanations — reviewers report that scoring 75–80%+ on Dion's exams is a reliable indicator of real exam readiness×12
- Dion Training's 60-day pass guarantee on their own platform and CompTIA Platinum Partner status reinforce credibility — 2 million+ students across 30+ certification courses demonstrate sustained track record×9
What frustrated learners
4- Course is primarily lecture-based with minimal hands-on simulation — multiple reviewers supplemented with external resources (Cyberkraft, TIA, practice-focused platforms) specifically to address performance-based question weaknesses×14
- The full practice exam in the base course is a single set — learners who want the six-exam 540-question bank must purchase the separate Practice Exams Set 1 and Set 2 courses, adding cost and friction to the study workflow×10
- Some practice question wording is unclear — one Medium reviewer (John T.) noted that certain questions did not effectively illustrate what they were asking, requiring re-reading and guesswork rather than testing genuine comprehension×7
- Course navigation is linear — one Reddemy commenter reported being unable to jump directly to specific domain sections without progressing through earlier modules sequentially, which frustrated non-linear study approaches×4
Real quotes from real users
“Just passed my security+ today. Dion's course was excellent. It was all I needed.”
“Solid information, acronym breakdowns throughout the course (allows for better note taking). Jason is easy to follow, listen to, and understand.”
“Jason is a great pedagogue. He is thorough and amiable. The course has very minimal errors and he is very strict with the format of his lessons.”
“The practice exams from Jason Dion are probably the best example of questions that are identical to the real exam.”
“Some of the questions worded were not very clear, and did not effectively illustrate what they were asking for. I also supplemented with Cyberkraft, Cyberjames, and Technical Institute of America videos.”
“I started with Jason Dion's Udemy course but, for some reason, I left it halfway. It wasn't quite what I needed at that point — though I acknowledged it as among the best out there.”
“His exams are 70 questions and you have 1.5 hours to complete them. Questions are harder than the real exam — good for prep.”
“For candidates who prefer paid options, Jason Dion's Udemy course combines video instruction with extensive practice questions and receives consistent positive feedback.”
Frequently asked questions
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How we evaluated this
This review synthesizes 34 opinions collected across the public web. Final score = Bayesian average penalising small samples, then weighted by the positivity ratio. No paid placements, no hidden agenda.
- 8 from Official course platform
- 14 from Blogs
- 7 from Forums
- 5 from Other