Last updated September 1, 2026
Step 1 is a full day: seven hours of testing time, made up of question blocks with a pool of break time you manage yourself. The endurance is a real part of the challenge, and it is the part least addressed by ordinary question practice.
The exam is delivered as a series of question blocks with a fixed time limit each, plus a total pool of break time you allocate as you choose across the day. There is also a short optional tutorial at the start, which you can skip to add its time to your break pool if you already know the interface — which is a good reason to have done the official practice session beforehand.
The break pool is finite and shared across the whole day. Two common mistakes:
A workable default is a short break after every block or two, with one longer break for food somewhere near the middle. Decide your plan beforehand rather than in the moment, when you are tired and a poor judge.
Bring food that will not make you sluggish and that you have eaten before a long task previously. Test day is the wrong day to discover how something affects you. Caffeine at your usual dose, at your usual time, is safer than more than usual.
Roughly a minute and a half per question. The main risk is spending five minutes on one item and losing three easy ones at the end of the block. Flag and move on; returning with fresh eyes is usually faster than grinding.
Nearly everyone has one block that feels like a disaster. It is almost never as bad as it feels, and the score is built from the whole exam. The genuine risk is not the bad block itself but carrying it into the next one. Take a break, reset, and start the next block as though the last had not happened.
A full day, with seven hours of testing time made up of question blocks plus a pool of break time you allocate yourself. Adding the optional tutorial and check-in, plan for a longer day than the testing time alone.
Plan it in advance rather than deciding in the moment. A short break after every block or two, with one longer break for food near the middle, works for most people. Banking all your break time often costs more in afternoon fatigue than it saves.
Sleep. Nothing you learn the night before will meaningfully change your score, and poor sleep will. Have your logistics sorted days in advance so the morning holds no surprises.
Nearly everyone has one. It is rarely as bad as it feels, and your result comes from the whole exam. The real risk is carrying it into the next block, so reset during your break and start fresh.
Ten full length exams, fourteen blocks each, with a simulated score. Free to start.
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