Intermediate

Exam Strategies

Knowing the material is only half the battle. These exam-day techniques can add 5-10% to your score by helping you make better decisions under time pressure.

The Two-Pass Strategy

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Pass 1 (60-70% of time): Read each question. Answer immediately if confident (under 60 seconds). Flag and skip if unsure. Goal: answer 70-80% of questions.

Pass 2 (30-40% of time): Return to flagged questions. Eliminate wrong answers. Make your best choice. Review all answers if time permits.

This strategy ensures you collect all the "easy points" first, then spend remaining time on harder questions. It prevents getting stuck on one hard question and running out of time.

Question Elimination

Most certification questions have 4 options. Typically, 2 options are clearly wrong if you know the topic. Eliminating them gives you a 50% chance even when guessing.

  1. Read the question stem carefully — Identify what is being asked before reading options
  2. Look for absolutes — Options with "always", "never", "only", or "must" are often wrong (but not always)
  3. Identify the constraint — Keywords like "most efficient", "least effort", "best practice", "NOT correct" narrow the answer
  4. Eliminate clearly wrong options — Cross out options you know are incorrect
  5. Choose between remaining options — Consider the context and constraints

Time Management

Calculate your per-question budget before the exam starts:

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Formula: Total minutes / Total questions = Minutes per question

Examples:
• 60 questions in 120 minutes = 2 min/question
• 65 questions in 90 minutes = 1.4 min/question
• 50 questions in 90 minutes = 1.8 min/question

Rule: If you have spent more than 2x your per-question budget on one question, flag it and move on.

Time Checkpoints

  • 25% of time elapsed: You should have answered at least 25% of questions
  • 50% of time elapsed: You should have answered at least 50% of questions
  • 75% of time elapsed: First pass should be complete. Begin second pass on flagged questions.
  • 90% of time elapsed: Answer all remaining flagged questions (guess if needed). Never leave blanks.

Handling Different Question Types

Scenario-Based Questions

These present a business scenario and ask for the best approach. Read the last sentence first to understand what is being asked, then read the scenario for relevant details.

"NOT" or "EXCEPT" Questions

These ask for the incorrect option. Read carefully. Consider each option as a true/false statement. The one that is FALSE is the answer.

"Select ALL That Apply" Questions

Evaluate each option independently as true or false. Do not let other options influence your judgment of each one. These questions often have 2-3 correct answers out of 5.

Code-Based Questions

Trace through the code mentally. Focus on what the code DOES, not memorizing exact syntax. Look for common traps: wrong method names, incorrect parameter order, missing required steps.

Common Exam Traps

  • The "too simple" trap: If an answer seems too obvious, it might actually be correct. Do not overthink.
  • The "partial truth" trap: An option may be partially correct but does not fully answer the question. Look for the BEST answer.
  • The "familiar but wrong" trap: An option uses correct terminology in the wrong context.
  • The "change your answer" dilemma: Only change your answer if you have a clear, specific reason. Gut feelings are usually correct the first time.
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Never leave a question blank. There is no penalty for guessing on any major AI certification exam. Even a random guess gives you a 25% chance. Elimination can raise that to 50% or higher.