The morning checklist.

The 6 things to confirm before you start

Run this list 24 hours out, then again the morning of. Most candidates who fail to start fail on items 1, 2, or 4.

1. Browser test. Run the proctoring software's pre-exam check at least 24 hours before. Most failures (camera, microphone, screen-share) surface here, not on exam day.
2. Corporate-domain login confirmed. Log into Skilljar using the corporate-domain email you registered with. If the login goes to the wrong account, you cannot fix this in the proctoring window.
3. Closed-book confirmation. No notes. No second monitor. No Claude open in another tab. Proctoring software detects multiple displays and tab switches. The exam terminates if violated.
4. Room and lighting. Solo room, door closed, even lighting on your face. The proctor scans the room via webcam before unlocking the exam. Have your ID ready for the same scan.
5. Stable internet. Wired connection if possible. If WiFi only, sit close to the router. A 5-minute disconnect can be recovered; a 20-minute disconnect aborts.
6. Bathroom + water before. Most candidates do not get a break. Eat well before, hydrate, and use the bathroom 5 minutes before login. Once the proctor unlocks the exam, the 120-minute clock starts.

5 tactics that move scores 700 → 760

The math: 60 questions, 120 minutes, 2 minutes per question average. The strategy is to bank time on easy questions and spend it on hard ones. Flag-and-return is the most-recommended single tactic across pass-takers.

1. 2 minutes per question is the average. 60 questions in 120 minutes is exactly 2 min/Q. Treat it as a soft budget, not a per-question cap.
2. Bank time on the easy ones. If a question reads as obvious, answer in 30-60 seconds and move on. The buffer is what lets you spend 4 minutes on the genuinely hard ones.
3. Flag-and-return for ambiguous Qs. If you're not certain in 90 seconds, mark the question for review and move on. Come back at the end with fresh eyes. The flag-and-return saves more candidates than any other tactic.
4. Watch for the canonical distractor patterns. Model vs Design (distractors suggest a bigger model; correct answer fixes system design) and Prompt vs Hook (for safety/compliance, deterministic hooks beat prompt-tuning). If you see one of these patterns, the right answer is usually the architectural one.
5. Don't change answers without a reason. First-instinct answers on this exam are typically right. Only change on review if you can articulate the specific evidence that contradicts your first pick.

Two patterns catch most candidates

What happens after you click submit

1. Immediate scaled score. You see passed / not passed and your scaled score (out of 1000) at submit. The cut is 720.
2. Certificate delivery: 2-10 business days. Anthropic guide says 2 business days; community pass-takers consistently report 7-10. The PDF and verifiable URL come from Skilljar.
3. Early Adopter badge. If you sat the exam during the beta cohort window (closed before public launch), you receive the Early Adopter badge with no expiration. Standard certificates issued post-launch expire in 6 months.
4. LinkedIn add. The verified URL is shareable. Add it as a Licenses & Certifications entry, not a Skill. The Skilljar URL is the canonical link.
5. If you didn't pass. Skilljar policy allows a retake; the cooldown and cost details are not publicly documented. Contact Skilljar support for the next-attempt window. Use your test result to identify the weakest 1-2 domains and spend a focused week there before re-sitting.

If the exam is still ahead of you