DEV Community: Thomas Walker

I Improved My GMAT Verbal Score by Fixing My Process, Not by Studying Longer

Thomas Walker — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:39:18 +0000

I improved my GMAT verbal score by changing my process, not studying longer. At first, I figured verbal would be the easiest part of GMAT prep. In my job as an IT professional — primarily focused on a variety of areas (cloud systems, documentation, troubleshooting, structured problem solving, etc.) — reading carefully and identifying faulty logic and processing large amounts of information through the course of my job already felt fairly normal to me.
Then I started doing actual practice; and my initial assumptions were quickly proven wrong.
One of the main points I learned quickly is that GMAT is a test of your performance under time constraints; not if you have confident feelings about your abilities. Before I began to recognise the GMAT as the true test it is, as a structured test for entrance to graduate business schools, I did not start to see improvement in my results. In addition, the GMAT has defined time constraints; a score-based output; a defined type of skill for each portion of the exam; and very structured, formalized delivery. As an example, a current GMAT contains three separate sections: 2 hours, 15 minutes total test time with one optional break of 10 minutes, and 205 to 805 total score; and section score from 60-90.

Something I had to clarify

The GMAT test also confuses a lot of people online because of its name. There are no “GMAT-Verbal” tests; Verbal Reasoning is a section of the MBA GMAT with both other sections and is not a stand-alone test of Verbal reasoning abilities. The officially stated lifetime of the previous exam (10th Edition) has been replaced as of February 1, 2024; however, previous GMAT scores will remain valid five years from the test date.I've changed my preparation methods due to how this impacted my original way of preparing. This led me to stop using the given suggestions that corresponded with the previous version of the test and to start using the suggestions tailored to suit the new test format. Practicing under a false set of benchmarks can prevent an individual from performing up to their full potential, if even practicing at all. While this is often common knowledge, it can certainly have an effect on how you practice your skills, on your overall speed, and on what scores you may target for the exam.

Verbal Reasoning on the GMAT

The official GMAT website states that the Verbal Reasoning portion consists of 23 multiple-choice questions and must be completed in 45 minutes. Here are several examples of questions that could be found on the Verbal portion of the GMAT. They will measure your ability to read a document, draw conclusions based on what you read, and analyze and evaluate arguments.
The previous paragraphs' information proved to be very valuable. Learning new vocabulary and practicing grammar in isolation are not the only objectives when preparing for the GMAT section on Verbal Reasoning; They also include providing experience to track arguments accurately, eliminating distractions while reading lengthy and complex passages, and quickly making correct judgments. GMAC explains to prospective test-takers that Verbal Reasoning is divided into reading comprehension, critical reasoning, and English proficiency; This is analogous to analytic reading, rather than conventional language instruction methods.

I had an entirely new outlook on scoring

A critical flaw in my GMAT preparation was having a "pass/fail" mentality. The GMAT is not a pass/fail examination. GMAC provides detailed information on how total GMAT scores are calculated, including (3) individual scores (205-805) and (1)-final aggregate score (205-805). All individual component scores contribute equally to the total GMAT score.
The data contained herein has provided me with enhanced methods in evaluating any mistakes I made on the exam.Instead of focusing only on whether I was “good enough,” I began looking for what tendencies caused my score to drop; my review became more honest and useful after I began viewing verbal as a means of scoring rather than simply an abstract hurdle. Think in margins (not absolutes) about how you want to improve your score on a test that is based on a score, but not about needing a perfect score. There is only a need to progress at a steady rate in areas of the test that are scoring points against you.

The registration and scheduling processes, as well as the format of how the examination will be delivered (testing mode)

are provided to you by GMAC on its official website.
A more accurate and clearer description of the delivery methods used in both online and test center testing by GMAC is provided on the GMAC website. GMAC’s online test support states that individuals may take an online exam at virtually every location except for Mainland China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Sudan. At this time, proctoring support for online testing is offered only in the English language.
The reason that it matters is that the mode of delivery impacts preparation for taking the exam. If you take the exam online, you should have the appropriate equipment for testing (computer, internet connection, work space conditions and identification requirements). If you are taking the exam in a testing center, you will need to have all of your identifying information on hand during the check-in process (and to be familiar with the how/when your identification will be verified). My rationale for this statement is my own analytical conclusion based upon the GMAC separate guidance used for registration and for online support.

As confirmed by public records, the amount that you will pay for taking the GMAT varies by physical location and mode of delivery (e.g., online or in a testing center)

On GMAC’s website, there are payment options based on each location's actual price, which includes any local tax or regulation in each country. You can only accurately see what you'd pay for a GMAT at a test baby by choosing your country on this website. There are also examples within the USA for average prices for the GMAT: $275 at test centres and $300 online; these vary by country and according to the information posted on the mba.com website. Similarly, it seems from my European public documents that most of Europe would have a rate of €275 at test centres and €300 online; the United Kingdom would also have a rate of £250 at test centres and £275 online; and India, $275 at test centre and $300 online. All these rates provide you a general guideline, however, the total you might pay could change based on applicable local taxes/changes to policy due to country. Should you wish to know the individual country's rate, please refer to the official payment page as it will provide you with an accurate quote for payment.

The verbal section was harder for me than expected

I did not have difficulty with good basic reading ability; rather, my difficulty was making very quick, good decisions. On Critical Reasoning, I lost points when I incorrectly assumed I was well aware of the argument before accurately mapping it; on Reading Comprehension, again I lost points when I read for overall purpose instead of reading for how well the text performed its function or as written. I think this matches GMAC's description of Verbal Skills in the GMAT handbook.Verbal reasoning revolves around two major concepts: reading comprehension and evaluating arguments. The sample questions provided by the test maker illustrate the importance of being able to clearly identify sources of support, meaning, inference, and structure within each argument.
The difficult aspect of answering the questions is not that they are unanswerable. It is that when there are four choices provided for an answer, the answer choices that aren't correct can look very close to being correct. Usually, a poor response option will not be completely absurd; they will be off only slightly by being a little too broad, not quite specific enough, or somewhat unrelated to the argument as written. As such, just having casual reading skills will not be enough to help you with succeeding on this section of the GMAT. This is supported by my observations of the sample questions and the structure of the test as described within their official guidelines.

What I Did Not Do Correctly at First

In the beginning of my study process, I had a very disorganized routine. I combined random practice test questions with various other advice articles and way too many un-timed practices. Therefore, even though I was putting forth lots of effort, it was impossible to establish any type of feedback loop for myself.
The main approach I took instead was treating every incorrect answer the same way. Instead of establishing whether I did not identify a conclusion, misinterpreted an assumption, rushed through an answer choice, or incorrectly believed that there was a valid argument to support my answer; my performance for all four of those reasons improved immediately as soon as I developed an ability to separate out those areas. My experience is consistent with how GMAC defines the given section of Verbal Reasoning. In effect, this section tests your ability to read carefully and comprehend arguments while under pressure.

Why Certification Exam

What attracted me to the Certification Exam was the fact that I always wanted something I could use on an ongoing basis. I was looking for an opportunity to learn through repetition. I did not want another great study guide that I would look at once, then never touch again. I was in need of creating a repetition-based routine to use multiple times each week.
The reason was that my main concern was not not having information; rather it was being inconsistent in the steps I took (the way the question-centered workflow allowed me to continually review weak points, note the pattern of things I saw in a lesson, and repeatedly practice without turning every session into a complete formal lesson) and how Certification Exam currently frames all of their GMAT-verbal Dumps content as something to help you practice how to do, rather than something that is a credential.

Here’s how I ended up utilizing Certification Exam to achieve my goal

I established the following routine (4 part cycle):
Day 1: Critical Reasoning only
Day 2: Reading Comprehension only
Day 3: Timed Mixed Verbal
Day 4: Review Errors by Type
Once I started to categorize my errors into different types, it changed my overall mindset because I was not viewing the questions or sections as emotionally driven but viewed them as technical in nature. Instead of referring to myself as “bad at GMAT-Verbal”, I could identify if I was making the same type of errors with those types of questions and ultimately create a plan (that took longer than expected) based on real evidence to fix the issues.
My notebook changed from a log of random incorrect answers to a log of patterns of concepts that I had missed: Does the conclusion logically follow from the evidence? Was my assumption valid? What was the scope of the passage? Were my inferences valid? Was my tone what the author intended? Did I have enough time to complete the section? After identifying my weaknesses, they no longer felt like abstract concepts.

What helped me the most with Critical Reasoning

I improved my Critical Reasoning by treating each question as an argument map, rather than as a reading puzzle. GMAC has made it clear that the verbal section of the GMAT assesses your ability to think about and evaluate arguments, and thus, the questions function as such.
Most commonly, the traps that I kept falling into were the following: answer choices that used language repeated from the stimulus, but which did not address the actual gap in logic; choices that sounded equal but did not change the conclusion from the conclusion; and choices that were based on a side issue as opposed to the assumption made by the evidence. Once I learned to identify the conclusion, evidence, and logical gap before looking at the answer choices, my accuracy started to improve significantly. This is a summary of my own studies; it is reflective of the way GMAC describes this part of the exam.

What helped me the most with Reading Comprehension

I improved my Reading Comprehension by treating the reading passages as a structure, rather than an article. GMAC is clear about the fact that Reading Comprehension measures your ability to understand, analyse and apply the information written in a passage.
The greatest amount of improvement came through identifying function: why is this paragraph here, what function does this sentence have, and what is the author's position? Once I did that I became much better at eliminating the answer choices that were either too broad, too extreme, or only partially supported by the evidence presented. The reading was no longer simply recalling information; rather, it became controlled/analysed. This is my conclusion based on my study; it matches the framework of the sample questions provided by GMAC.

When the day of taking the exam comes around

I think we all feel some pressure as an examinee (even if we are unfamiliar with that kind of pressure) and that pressure will affect how successful we will ultimately be on test day. I had seen a number of verbal logical traps throughout my studies, so I felt very comfortable with respect to which items I could slow down & which I could not, as well as with being able to identify the various answer choices that would typically be attractive for the wrong reason when taking this type of test.
One of my biggest surprises while taking the test was that it was going to be much more difficult than I thought; however, once I realized that, the test became much easier than I ever could’ve imagined because the format was no longer new and was more consistent with the previous GMATs that I had taken previously. This is especially relevant with regards to GMAC allowing for section order selection and limited review/editing capabilities, therefore, modifying the overall exam rhythm from prior exams.

What the GMAT can and can’t do for your career/your future

I really want to be careful when I say this. While I agree that test scores are critical when applying for jobs, I can’t say that passing the GMAT will guarantee a higher salary than others who didn’t pass the GMAT or putting you in high demand by companies who hire new talent. What I can say (and what is going to be true for you) is that doing well on the GMAT helps you get in to a business school, and completing a business program can help impact where you will be in the career marketplace years from now. According to GMAC’s 2025 Corporate Recruiters Survey, approximately one-third of employers in the United States have seen an increase in the amount of entry-level graduates from U.S. degree-granting universities being hired by employers. Both MBA and business master's program graduates can count on statistically higher starting pay in 2025 than in 2024, however the statistics listed by business schools regarding their attained salaries should not be interpreted as "GMAT salaries." Therefore, while your request to break down data for salaries by USA, India and Europe may appear easier than it truly is via the GMAT versus salary method, I cannot establish a definitive relationship between GMAT scores and salaries within the aforementioned countries since the GMAT itself is not considered a professional credential.

Alternatives to a Certification Examination and direct comparison

I have been very deliberate with my selection process when reviewing various legitimate alternatives to assist me in finding out that they all stand out in difference from one another.

GMAC's official GMAT practice material

The most compelling source of 'official' material is GMAC's suite of preparation resources found at mba.com. GMAC provides free simplified starter kits with 2 full-length practice examinations and a large quantity of actual GMAT examination questions within the kit. Although different pages on one official material site state 70+ actual questions and 90 prior examination questions; how many actual questions will be found in the entire kit will simply be “two full-length practice examinations and a significant quantity of true GMAT questions”. GMAC’s preparation hub highlights, among others, the Official Guide and authenticated GMAT Examination questions.
The official GMAT Examination preparation resources are substantially anchored to realism whereas the Certification Examination is much less anchored than they are and also places a larger emphasis on continuing repetition usage to retain effectiveness. I would not say that either is authoritative as compared to each other since neither is however; I will assert that the GMAT examination material produced from official preparation resources represents a tremendous anchor of realism for the GMAT examination material over that provided through any certification preparation material provided from Certification body sources.

Magoosh

Magoosh is perhaps the closest representation of an alternative that I can compare to the two methodologies discussed above.The Magoosh website, priced at $349, provides 12 months of access to practice questions and exams, lessons via video, mobile device capability and text/video explanations.
Magoosh's pricing is in a fair comparison because they both offer self-paced, self-service options. Magoosh has the ability to confirm their price and features through differing public resources. I cannot verify that any competitor offers better pricing than Magoosh based on the sources I have used; however, I can determine Magoosh offers a viable option for students who are seeking structured, online self-study programs with video or video-supported goods.

The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review has the chance to be competitive for students looking for a wider range of preparation options. Publicly, people compare the Princeton Review to other options that are both live course-based and tutoring-based and consistently indicate the price of the Princeton Review is greater than Magoosh's published price.
This gives students who would prefer a structured learning environment and support the opportunity to explore their options prior to selecting Magoosh for their preparation. I did not need the added constraints of a structured course or program in my preparation. I wanted to develop an approach that I would use regularly.

PrepScholar

The PrepScholar program appears to have a more traditional-paced curriculum. Public sources showed that the program is much more structured with lesson-based structures than other question-based programs, but the sources were older and more disconnected than I would prefer for a complete feature comparison of programs. Therefore, I would consider PrepScholar a competitive option, but I would be careful not to assume there are other programs that are better based on the available information.While PrepScholar has a deeper curriculum than a lightweight question-first approach, they are both fitting solutions. Students who wish to be guided through a structured program can benefit from PrepScholar’s guiding and blueprinting of the study process as well as its structured program. Conversely, students who mainly require practice in order to gain familiarity with question formats will find success in the less complex rhythm of a lightweight question-first approach.

Manhattan Prep and e-GMAT

Manhattan Prep and e-GMAT are two other popular alternatives that are references of record competitors in currently available prep materials, but I do not have enough reference point data to support any definitive feature-to-feature analysis at this time, so I am considering them only to be mentioned as credible alternatives, and not total-to-total, or all-in comparisons.

My honest conclusion after comparing them

In conclusion, when comparing these types of prep options, the best way to get a definitive sense of the value of each to your prep program is to first include GMAC’s official prep content as part of your prep program, although not in and of themselves enough for you to have a reasonably successful experience on a GMAT scale. Second, for those students with more of an independent, self-paced, video-based prep approach, Magoosh is a very viable option. Finally, for those students wanting a broader scope of prep universe, the Princeton Review is a valid choice. For students who prefer a much more guided / structured curriculum, PrepScholar should be given due consideration; however, I would suggest that you confirm the most recent offerings directly from PrepScholar to ensure that you have the best terms and conditions before making an initial purchase decision.
I selected a question-driven approach because my previous problems were primarily due to inconsistency in my performance, but I did not feel I required more theory with which to practice since I primarily required a system to work with that would allow me to generate a realistic approximation of the verbal section of the GMAT test on an ongoing basis.

Advice for Other Students: Avoid These Common Pitfalls

Don't confuse GMAT verbal with an English proficiency test. Verbal is timed reasoning that relies heavily on reading comprehension, but it is not an English proficiency test.
Don't do too much untimed practice. Untimed practice will help you learn, but timed practice will help you learn to perform in the conditions of a timed 45 minute exam section.
Don't fail to categorize your errors. If you don't know what type of error you are making (Structure of an argument, Evidence tracking, or Timing issues) your review will not be effective. This is a conclusion I reached through my own analysis based on the distinct measures of skill GMAC identifies in the section.
Don't use too many different resources at once. Using more resources does not guarantee you will make more progress. For me, using too many resources resulted in distraction until I settled on one guiding w orkflow and went more in-depth in my review.

Preparing for the GMAT – My Checklist

Familiarize yourself with the most current GMAT exam format before you begin serious test preparation.
Establish a score goal for the GMAT; not a fake 'passing' goal. GMAT is a score based exam.
You should integrate timed verbal practice into your plan early in your studies.
Use official GMAT resources as your base resources for measurement of realism.
Choose a single guiding workflow and use it long enough to develop sufficient examples of patterns to identify error type patterns.
Check your test-day delivery rules early in your studies so there aren't any last minute surprises.

Final Thoughts

What finally changed my performance was not a 'trick.' It was precision.
Once I realized that GMAT verbal is actually the use of close reading; discipline in evaluating an argument; and making a timely decision; my preparation plan became much more realistic. And as I began to develop a consistent question based study plan that didn't have me wasting effort as a scattered effort; I was able to see my progress.
This worked for me because it reinforced my own study habits; it was aligned with the actual exam structure; and it allowed me to make use of following a repetitive pattern without being simply repetitive.

After long periods of on-and-off studying for the Microsoft AZ-500 exam, I finally passed it

Thomas Walker — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:29:50 +0000

I work in cloud and infrastructure operations, so security is something I have always been familiar with. Security has shown its ugly head several times in my career, including at 2:00 in the morning when an employee's permission to access a Service was granted with too many rights, an employee's password was uploaded to a public GitHub repository, or a Service was found to be reachable from a location it was not intended to be accessed from. Those are just some of the incidents that drove me to pursue the Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer Associate certification. I was looking for a certification that provided me with the opportunity to demonstrate my accomplishments in the Azure environment, as well as to fill in weaknesses I had with Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Sentinel, identity protection, and secure networking. Microsoft states that this certification will verify the candidate's ability to implement security controls, maintain a secure posture, and identify and remediate vulnerabilities; those tasks are very similar to my day-to-day responsibilities.

Before I began studying for the AZ-500 exam, I checked the official Microsoft certification page to ensure it was still active. Microsoft tends to upgrade its exam portfolios more than many individuals are aware of; as of April 2023, the exam is still active but set to retire on August 31, 2023. Microsoft has also placed AZ-500 on its list of certificates that will be retired on this date; the community seems to agree with this conclusion, as several Microsoft posts on their Community forum show they are discussing an alternative certification to cover the AZ-500 that uses the new SC-500 track. Details related to the new certification, including its name and rollout, are all pending; I wouldn’t want to start preparing for a certification that’s no longer being offered!

AZ-500 is an excellent indicator for evaluating your current skills in Azure security. According to Microsoft, it is geared toward those who work with all three of its clouds and have experience managing Azure resources. You will have no formal prerequisites for the certification (but Microsoft strongly recommends real-world experience with Azure). Microsoft encourages you to take the exam based on your own skill level rather than on entry-level theoretical knowledge.

This is what to expect when taking AZ-500

The first thing I liked about the AZ-500 Microsoft certification webpage is that they are much more thorough than the average website for a certification. You will have 100 minutes to complete the exam, which is closely monitored; the exam may contain hands-on exercises that allow you to demonstrate the technical knowledge you acquired during the exam. The AZ-500 exam is available in many languages. All AZ-500 testing is done through Pearson VUE, and you can take the exam either at an authorized Pearson test center, or through OnVUE, which would allow you to not have to go anywhere for your test at all.

Microsoft also makes it very clear how the AZ-500 exam scoring is determined. Microsoft uses a scaled score of 1 to 1,000 for AZ-500 technical exams, with 700 being the minimum score required to pass the AZ-500 exam. Microsoft makes it clear that this is not the same as 70 percent, and no marks will be taken away for guessing. Therefore, this small detail may change the approach used to complete your AZ-500 exam.

I began using time management as an integral part of the test rather than treating each challenging question as if they are traps.

In relation to pricing, Microsoft’s FAQ page about general certification states that Associate and Expert level exams are around US$165 but prices do differ from country/region, and/or depending upon currency conversion & applicable taxes.

In reference to the aforementioned AZ-500 certification page located on Microsoft’s site, it does refer to exam pricing being relative to the country/region where the exam was delivered.

Additionally, I was able to verify that the standard US price of the exam does exist, and that the price varies from country/region, but I was unable to locate a publically available table that provided pricing of AZ-500 for all countries along with their currency conversion rates without going through separate steps according to each.

The scheduling of exams does not occur during pre-set dates/seasons, rather, the scheduling, re-scheduling, and cancellation options for the AZ-500 Type of Exam continues indefinitely through Pearson VUE’s Microsoft Page, as well as providing directions to either find a test center or sit the exam online.

Therefore, the AZ-500 Type of Exam does not exhibit seasonal testing, but rather is continuously scheduled/testing.

One of the biggest challenges of the AZ-500 is that, while it has many questions, all individuals learn some portion of the content through their job roles. Basically, if it comes down to how Microsoft has defined the exam, there are four primary categories being assessed across the AZ-500 Exam: “Secure identity and access”; “Secure networking”; “Secure compute/storage/databases”; and “Secure Azure through Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Sentinel.”The Defender for Cloud and Sentinel area makes up the largest percentage (30 to 35%) of the overall weighted examination. The remaining three weighted sections have significant weight, as well.

Therefore, even if you are a technically capable Azure administrator, you may feel that the exam is not the most enjoyable experience. You may be comfortable when working with role assignments, Network Security Groups (NSGs), private endpoints, and Azure Key Vault; however, if your Security Operations instincts are less developed, you will likely run out of time.

For me, my biggest weakness was not related to a single product, it simply was being able to switch contexts quickly enough. One moment I would be working with an Identity Governance question, the next on a Network Pathing question; then I am working with Defender for Cloud recommendations. Finally, I am back to working with Application Access and Consent. The exam rewards those that have an ability to look up and down the stack, rather than to just memorise 1 product prior to the exam.

This conclusion comes not only from my own experiences, but also is aligned with the role in which Microsoft describes: Azure Security Engineer - focused on Posture, Threat Protection, Vulnerabilities, Compliance, Identity, Network, Compute, Storage, and Incident Response.

How I Studied Before I Figured Out a Rhythm

Like other engineers working my first week, I ended up opening too many tabs as well. I combined Microsoft Learn modules, random notes, Diagrams, old Bookmarks, and YouTube Playlists. I also spent time reading articles that boasted quick wins. I knew I was going to need to take practice questions; however, I did not want to do any other practice questions with a page of AZ-500 Dumps by simply using a page(s) to measure performance.

My study method before I found a rhythm

I did not really practice much during my first week of study, instead, I did a lot of reading of content.Then I over-corrected by doing too many isolated questions then isolating every isolated question did not solve my issues with underlying weak areas, and this created the worst type of false confidence in my ability to answer some questions that had answer patterns attached to them, but I could not yet think in the way the exam was trying to get me to think.

What worked for & against me lying around were as follows: a very simple routine:

Performing one official topic block at a time; timed questions when finished with each block; a log book for every miss or unanswered question; and then going back through and focusing only on what I did wrong in that area.

That last point was the most important. Rarely were any of my wrong answers random. The majority of my wrong answers fit into one of four categories, either I misread the scope of the permission I was given, I chose something that had wider scope than what I should have chosen, I forgot a restriction specific to a service I was working on, or I recognized what I was supposed to be doing, but did not practice how I would perform the steps under time.

Why I went with THE CERTIFICATION EXAM:

I did not select THE CERTIFICATION EXAM because it was a noteworthy/exclusive item. I selected THE CERTIFICATION EXAM based on factual information I could verify.

For example, for the AZ-500, THE CERTIFICATION EXAM clearly provides 492 questions, provides both a practice version (for 10 out of the 492) as well as an exam version (the full 492); provides the date that THE CERTIFICATION EXAM was updated, which was March 18, 2026; provides a configuration for how many questions will appear on the test (50 questions); and provides explanations and references for the sample questions displayed to the public. I was able to treat it like a realistic simulator rather than just another web page for me.

Not only did I prefer the way that this platform appeared to be designed for doing repeated attempts, but I also appreciated how the platform provided an explicit way to swap back and forth between practices versus exams and choose one of those modes at any point during your experiences. Personally, this was not just another feature; it matched my own personal studying style; I need one mode to learn at a slower pace (for study purposes) and another for testing myself to see if I can still process information quickly when being timed.

Another consideration in my decision was simply the complete coverage of material. If I am preparing for a Microsoft Certification exam that encompasses identity, networking, storage, computing, posture management and monitoring, I want a large pool of questions to choose from - a thin, limited question bank is not sufficient. While a larger question bank doesn't necessarily mean better quality questions, a greater pool of questions generally gives more opportunities to have different points of view on the same subject matter - this was true in my preparation.

How I used the CERTIFICATION EXAM

I did not just use it as a question-answer tool, I developed an entire system around the simulator.

For the first 2 weeks, I primarily used practice mode. In this mode, I would immediately see the rationale behind my incorrect answers and fix my misjudgment before moving forward. For instance, on conditions access, PIM, Defender recommendations and secure networking, I would record a one-sentence summary on why the incorrect choice was an incorrect choice versus simply outlining why the correct choice was a correct choice. This process slowed my progress but significantly improved my retention of previously perceived shallow learning.

Once I was done with my review process, I began to use exam mode in smaller setsI kept the size and position of the items in the Test as consistent as possible with the example screenshots on the Website. The question sets served as my markers, rather than proof of my readiness to take the Exam. The only way I could tell that I was having good sessions, however, was when I didn’t have an excess of lucky guesses, which I found when I got past this Exam.

The repetitive question sets in the weak areas worked best for me. There were many broad failure areas on the AZ-500 domains, however the mistakes in those areas tend to cluster within specific failures. After sufficient simulated testing history, I could see the pattern changes emerge. Prior to taking the exam, I was unfamiliar with the performance profile of problem solutions based on the fact that Microsoft Entra Permissions, Azure Resource Roles and Conditional Controls all tie to the same issue and I was taking longer than normal to provide solutions to situations that appeared to be totally functional, but were all tied to Security Posture. The benefits of having a larger question set allowed me to see these patterns much earlier.

I liked that the CERTIFICATION EXAM sample pages had visual representations of the explanations and references regarding every individual question. However, that does not mean all of the explanations were accurate. I'm not saying that at all. But having an explanation and reference for all of the public sample questions at least let me know that the product was not just feeding me answer letters randomly.

What helped me most on exam day was not the memorised information, but rather the consistent pacing.

Since Microsoft uses scaled scoring for its exams, and because one cannot be penalised for guessing, I made sure I controlled the amount of time I spent on one particular question (that interrupted my ability to answer the remaining five questions that I solved).It’s obvious advice, but once you’ve had experience using a simulator that requires your input come before moving on, following this advice becomes easier.

Another item that helped was familiarity with mixed question types and the feel of the interface. Microsoft offers both an exam sandbox as well as free practice exams which gives the candidate an idea of the types of style, wording and question feel. I used official resources to calibrate me and use the simulator for volume and repetition. To me this was a good combination of using official material for orientation and intensive practice for execution.

The biggest surprise was that there is not really a lot of value in knowing merely the name of a service. You must understand the intent and fit of a service. Many of the answer choices may appear to be plausible answers if you only know the product names. Many times the exam will turn on whether the control matches the requirement exactly, the scope is accurate or whether the security feature applies to the correct layer. Therefore, broad reading is not enough when it comes to passing.

What passing changed for me

Passing also changed the way I view my certification. I do not think an individual certification can completely transform your career, but I do believe the AZ-500 certification helps create a more easily understood profile prior to receiving an interview from a hiring potential and internal team perspective. Microsoft frames the certification content to the security engineer skill set in terms of managing security posture, deploying threat protection, identifying and remediating vulnerabilities, and aligning infrastructure to standards and best practices.

Once I have that type of work established in my career, this certification will help clarify the work I have done. When it comes to salary, I would be cautious to set realistic expectations. Your salary depends on your job role, the country that you work in, and the market you're in. In other words, a certification does not assure you a salary increase by itself. However, the current pubic salary websites are good context. Currently, Indeed shows the average security engineer salary in the US to be $84,735, $9,31,669 in India, and £38,696 in the UK. For continental Europe, you will find more variability in public sources based on country and city, but one current Glassdoor estimate has the average salary in Germany being €76,000 as of the time I wrote this. These figures are total job market numbers and not a guaranteed AZ-500-specific salary, but they are a good indication of the general role family of the certification.

In addition, this certification naturally aligns with the broader Microsoft Security paths. The Microsoft Ecosystem related to Azure Security, Security Operations, Identity, and Architecture makes AZ-500 Certification a great bridge credential for professionals who use Microsoft Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Sentinel, and Security of the Azure Platform.

Alternatives to CERTIFICATION EXAMS and an actual comparison:

This section is what I wish I had seen when considering any purchases of these Products, considering most review articles avoid it.

Microsoft Learn Practice Assessment

This will be the most beneficial, since it is an official source (i.e., free!) for Certification exam prep. Through its practices, Microsoft states that Practice Assessments can be done at no cost, you can take them as many times as you want to, each practice has Rationales with Links to Further Information, and they are kept current with the current certifications. If you are searching for the grounding of what Microsoft wants in terms of tone and current topics, this is your best place. The only area that CERTIFICATION EXAMS seemed to have a much higher volume of practice opportunities for my use would be with Practical Experience.

There are a lot of elements that Tutorial Dojo has built into their AZ-500 page, many of which would be difficult, if not impossible, to find elsewhere from any of the competing practice tests. For example, you will find links to all of Microsoft's official documentation (so, if a question is incorrect/obsolete, you can simply check the covered mechanics directly). Many have tried copying this format with varying degrees of success; however, most cannot present the original Microsoft documentation as its own ip 100% of the time.

Flexible Practice Modes and Custom Exam Configuration

In addition, the AZ-500 section, it lists out 12 different practice/exam styles. Some examples include simulation mode, exam-like questions, etc. It will also break down where the specific questions were found in relation to each of Microsoft's objectives. This type of additional detail makes Tutorial Dojo very unique within the AZ-500 realm.

When it comes to the practice examinations themselves, there are some unique options available from Tutorials Dojo. Currently, you have the option to:

Create a pre-defined number of questions (from an unlimited number of UT) to use for your practice at a specific duration/evaluation (1 hour, etc.). So, if you are interested in answering 100 practice questions over 12 minutes, you can do that with Tutorials Dojo.
Choose an "exam" style (usually 4-5 questions per exam) to get your reps up on each objective (i.e. Application), but you also have the opportunity (in the simulated exam section) to adjust your number of questions for what might work better for you or your testing environment.
Set an adjustable time limit to give yourself more time to complete your exam.

Detailed Analytics and Smart Review Features

I believe it will take some time for people to realize how advanced Tutorials Dojo has been in helping learners, ultimately by providing them with a well-rounded collection of high-quality practice examinations all built around Microsoft's latest objectives. In fact, they have provided so many additional elements to their practice examination process (including built-in bookmarks, additional tests, and customizable exams) it's difficult to ignore them as an option for AZ-500 preparation – you can clearly see from the features available that Tutorials Dojo should be on your radar for AZ-500 preparation regardless of the reason you are preparing for this exam. There are four different ways that this site will allow you to work on your exam preparedness: timed mode, review mode, section-based tests mode, and final test mode. It also mentions that it provides users with very detailed answers and explanations of subject matter; reference links, cheat sheets, progress reports; mobile versions of all content; and frequent updates made as a result of student feedback. These things make for a thoughtful learning environment.

MeasureUp

In terms of what I found to support my assertion about the CERTIFICATION EXAM having a competitive advantage over Tutorials Dojo with regards to bank size, the clearest thing I could see is that while Tutorials Dojo markets its AZ-500 course as offering roughly 110+ questions, CERTIFICATION EXAM lists 492 questions. However, Tutorials Dojo is far more effective in terms of clearly outlining each of its modes of learning and does a better job of documenting its progression tracking system publicly. Based on this, I would suggest that Tutorials Dojo has a more structured / coaching-type practice environment, whereas CERTIFICATION EXAM has a larger question bank and simpler method for distinguishing between practice and exam-type experiences; therefore, if you are looking to have a larger bank count than actual practice-testing, you would likely choose CERTIFICATION EXAM.

Whizlabs offers students the ability to bundle together a course, practice exams, and labs related to
The Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification (AZ-500). The Whizlabs Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-500) page indicates that they provide their customers with 220+ practice exams, each of which includes a detailed explanation of the correct answer; therefore, Whizlabs would be attractive to people who are seeking more than just questions; they would prefer a solution that includes hands-on exercises to reinforce concepts they have learned. As such, Whizlabs is not strictly a simulator-type product but has more of a training package for individuals looking to become Azure certified.

When comparing the two products against each other, it again appears that CERTIFICATION EXAM has a greater number of questions available than does Whizlabs. On the other hand, if you have a need for hands-on training to support your exam preparation rather than simply repeating the same question multiple times, Whizlabs would likely be a better solution for you than the Certification Exam.

Overall, I am unable to say that the Certification Exam is a superior choice to Whizlabs based solely upon their respective question counts.In my opinion, it is a better match for me because I had already experienced enough in Azure and needed more volume of assessment versus structured course work.

Microsoft Press Exam Ref

Because the Microsoft Press Exam Ref book is not a simulation of what you're about to take (see "Comparing the two" above), it isn't an ideal comparison either. It is done around the official objectives, requires you to have had some experience with Azure or hybrid plant administration, and the objectives of the test are based on a scenario-based reasoning platform. You should look at it as more of a structured study book instead of a testing engine.

The one (and only) area where the CERTIFICATION EXAM is ahead of this product is having a place to practice exam questions on a scale. The Exam Ref will help you have a slower, more methodical study option, broken up by objective, and printed by Microsoft's own publishing company. For a lot of potential candidates, the best approach is not to choose one or the other, but to take both the structured text resource or simulator into account together.

Advice to anyone currently preparing

Don't underestimate the cross-domain nature of this exam. Microsoft's own weighting shows that you need to be comfortable in multiple areas: Identity, Networking, Platform Security, and Security Operations.

Three layers, not just one:

Microsoft's Official Resources to get the latest scope, style, and/or structure of the test.
Hands-on Azure experience with the features/services you will touch.
A simulator and/or a testing platform where you will train with the most speed, error recognition, and endurance.

Do not discount the retirement release date for the AZ-500 exam. If you want to concentrate on earning the AZ-500 exam, don’t drift; Microsoft published that the test will retire/on August 31, 2026.

Final Thoughts

Completing the AZ-500 exam felt more like fixing personal blind spots than simply collecting a badge for passing the test. The reason I endorse the certification process is that it is a legitimate product that is timely, professional, and as challenging as any certification associated with the Cloud Security Space should be.

With the certification exam, I would recommend writing about your experience with this certification in a measured way rather than a dramatic way. It was not magic, nor did it take the place of other learning like Microsoft Learn, Documentation, or hands-on experience. The experience that I gained through the CERTIFICATION EXAM was enough to provide me with adequate repetitions of similar questions/answer choices, exposure to the breadth of Microsoft Certified Azure Cloud Certification Exams and enough pressure-testing scenarios to build a solid knowledge base.

How I Successfully Passed the CKA on My Second Attempt

Thomas Walker — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 18:25:14 +0000

I’m a cloud and systems technician in the IT industry and I typically experience escalated cluster upgrades, production issues, CI/CD failures (always someone else's fault), and ongoing work to maintain stability among platforms weekly. I use Kubernetes regularly but have been waiting for an off period from work to obtain the CKA certification - which never seems to happen; I finally decided to schedule my CKA exam, study as I believe would be successful, but ultimately failed. After that, I realized two things: one, I didn’t really know how the CKA was structured and tested; two, I need to make changes in my methodology for preparing for the CKA.

In this blog post I want to describe how I ultimately passed the CKA on my second attempt, and detail some findings I learned during my preparation (i.e., CKA basics, how the exam is scheduled and proctored, how I initially failed my first attempt and what helped me improve for my second attempt, and how I utilized CERTIFICATION EXAM testing for my CKA prep). Additionally, I will provide a comparison of competing certification exam prep providers along with actual test data.

About Me and Why I am Pursuing the CKA

I work in a unique role between cloud administration and platform engineering. I am the person that is called upon when there are issues with unstable clusters, failed deployments, weird DNS configurations, and/or when the node pool is half Ready and:

I wanted a verifiable hands-on skills assessment.

I wanted a way to establish an honest signal for interviews and internal moves.

I wanted stop “kind of knowing” Kubernetes and instead be confident and fast working under pressure.

The CKA exam dumps is not a multiple-choice test. It is a performance-based test that takes place in a lab environment. The exam will take place in a command-line environment, and will be conducted remotely with strict time limits. (Linux Foundation – Education)

Current status of the CKA exam as of 2026:

Active status (not retired).

The official CNCF certification website confirms that CKA exam is active - there is an update for the price, domains, and billing policy. (CNCF)

I have not found any statements indicating that CKA has been retired or replaced. I have seen maintenance is done on the environments to ensure they mirror recent releases of Kubernetes, and that CNCF/LF provide details about the testing environment through their documentation. (Linux Foundation - Education).

Details on the exam and scoring:

What you can find documented that you should take very seriously:

Length of Exam: 2 hours (Linux Foundation - Education)
Exam Type: Online, proctored, and performance-based tasks in a command line environment (Linux Foundation - Education).
Passing Score: 66% (CKA) (docs.linuxfoundation.org).
Scoring: exams are automatically scored; you will receive an email with your score within 24 hours (unless otherwise stated due to a technical issue).

Domain Weights:

Cluster Architecture, Installation & Configuration: 25%
Workloads & Scheduling: 15%
Services and Networking: 20%
Storage: 10%
Troubleshooting: 30% (CNCF).
Keep in mind, 30% of your score is based on your ability to troubleshoot; that should be an important consideration in how you train.

Prerequisites and Recommended Experience

To register for the CKA, no prerequisites are listed. However, it is clear from the official CKA resources that this is hands-on administering exam. If you are slow using a Linux shell, hesitant with kubectl, or only know the ‘concepts’, you will feel the time.

Method of Delivery: Online Proctored Examination Process; No Testing Center

CKA is online and proctored. You schedule through the Linux Foundation Portal with PSI, the Linux Foundation’s proctoring partner; so the “Milan test centers” and similar locality for locations will not apply in the same fashion as a Pearson VUE style examination. I have not seen official guidance which indicates that CKA will typically be taken at a physical testing center (on the official exam site), it clearly states that the exam will be proctored online.

Resources Allowed during the Exam (i.e. the part many people do not understand):

Linux Foundation publishes a very specific policy entitled “Resources Allowed.” The main guideline is that allowed tools/resources can not be used to access things outside of the exam environment and must be completed independently (without third party help) (resources.linuxfoundation.org). If your plan revolves around “I will just Google everything,” you are constructing a plan that will not hold up to the rules or the timer.

Cost and Retakes

CNCF lists the price of the CKA examination as $445 and outlines that a single free retake is included. I was unable to find a CNCF or LF website page that lists pricing tiers for CKA by country related to the regional price differentials; therefore I do not know if the pricing listed above applies to all geographic areas.Some associates and affiliates offer vouchers for purchase in their local currency, but that's not an official price list by region and to therefore, the published pricing from CNCF is the only pricing that can be considered authoritative. (CNCF)

How to Schedule Dates and Availability

Your schedule does not have to be a certain time as indicated by your exam window. You schedule a date with PSI to take your exam, such as your 12 months from the date of your exam registration until the time of your exam (for retakes).

The Reasons I Failed the First Time

My first mistake was being too confident as an experienced engineer.

On my first attempt, I thought:

I could easily pass my CKA exam
My experience working with Kubernetes would carry me through the exam
Reading, watching videos, and looking at the documentation would fill in any gaps that I had related to the exam
I would be able to reference documentation during the exam

The exam tested each of those assumptions.

What Went Wrong

The pace of the exam was too quick for me.
I could not complete my Kubernetes assignments, I could not perform my Kubernetes assignments correctly, and I could not validate my Kubernetes assignments on time.
I wasted time responding to "almost right" answers.
While in CKA, by the time you finish part of the CKA exam, you still have a chance to earn points; however, by leaving yourself in a situation where you would be unable to do so would be a severe disadvantage.
My troubleshooting skills were not refined as a skill based on time.
Troubleshooting made up a significant amount of the overall exam weight. (CNCF)
I treated troubleshooting as a skill and did not adjust my expectations accordingly; I expected to be able to come up with a solution on the fly to improve my performance, just as I do at work when using logs and dashboards and taking enough time to solve my problem.
The restrictions imposed upon me during the proctoring process added to my anxiety and limits. During the exam, my proctor had a computer set to work in a certain manner with only one monitor, and there were tests to complete with other items needed for completing the checkout process.I also found out (the hard way) that there are candidates who experience technical issues, PSI Secure Browser and are affected in many ways while trying to take their examinations. (Linux Foundation Forums)

I also found out (the hard way) that there are candidates who experience technical issues, PSI Secure Browser and are affected in many ways while trying to take their examinations. (Linux Foundation Forums)

The reason I failed was not due to my lack of knowledge with Kubernetes, but rather I did not properly train for the examination format.

What finally worked: My study method

With my second attempt at the examination, I gave myself 7 weeks and I treated it as if I was preparing for an athletic sporting event with a timed element.

Phase One: Building speed through small, reproducible drills (Weeks 1-2) – The goal of my weekday training was not to learn new material, but rather to develop muscle memory for common actions that I would need to execute when taking the exam, including

Maintaining context and namespace discipline

Editing a YAML file at speed while maintaining proper indentation

Developing the habit of verifying each piece of output after executing a command

Following the "do it, prove it" method of execution

In addition to this, I tracked down each and every thing that caused me to slow down. Every time I needed to think about a particular flag, I recorded it and recreated the situation the next day.

Phase Two: Training to domain weights (Weeks 3-5) – I planned my training time by gradually giving myself approximately the same amount of time to train as the weight of the domain areas.

As an example: Troubleshooting had the highest weight in the exam scoring, and therefore, I dedicated the largest portion of my training system to this area.

At this point in my training, I transitioned from learning through reading and watching videos to purely completing timed lab tasks until I felt confident that I could consistently reproduce the results.

Phase Three: Simulating/testing under exam conditions (Weeks 6-7) – As part of my final phase of training, I completed two complete timed exam simulations for two hours each week with no interruptions; I cleaned up my workspace before each simulation; used one monitor; and had no background noise during the simulations. This is important because the scheduling and proctoring are similar to your actual examination and not just additions to the overall experience.

Why I Chose to Do the Certification Exam

I Didn't Have Enough K8s Knowledge, But I Had Found a Way to Do Daily Timed Drills.

I Needed to Easily Switch Between Practice and Exam Mode.

I Wanted the Explanations to Be in a Consistent Format – Where I Can Learn a Reliable Method as Opposed to an Outcome.

The Certification Exam Works with These Needs

It Clearly States That I Can Configure the Test Options Such as How Many Questions to Answer per Test, etc. As Well, It Clearly states the Number of Questions Shown in the Certification Exam CKA Quiz Simulator (81 Questions) and When It Was Updated.

The Way I Learn Most Effectively, the Quizzes Are Listed Including Step-By-Step Directions; No Just One Final Command for Each Question.

Most-Imports, Certification Exam & Their Guides Emphasize the Use of “Dump Style” Material as a Prompt and The General Year-Round Schedule For Non-Local Delivery (Although, I Still Used Linux Foundation Reference Material to Determine The Authority of Scheduling).

Exam Process: Week-to-Week Breakdown (My Routine)

Monday - Friday:

‘Timed’ session during practice mode
Short sessions allow for repetition
After timer, review your missed or overly extended questions with the help of explanations (found in the practice mode reports).
All practice modes will remain the same (i.e. number of practice questions, limit of time, required score) so that you are not inconsistent in your practice time.

Saturday - Sunday:

Longer “exam-style” practice
Turned off explanations while practicing in the “exam mode,” so that you stay in your “exam solution” and maintain your energy level.
Hard tasks were not attempted until later into my test session.
I took time to reset and check my brain’s rhythm after taking my exam.

What occurred on Exam Day:

2 hour, remote-proctored, performance-based exam
You must score a minimum of 66% in order to pass
The proctoring, as a result of their support quality, provided a smoother testing process.

Knowledge Areas:

I utilized knowledge areas to label what I did not know. - In many instances, I worked much slower than I thought, as I was either Inadequate understanding of what the correct answer was to my errors (speed) Inadequate knowledge of using the correct tools required for the solution (workflow) Did not verify the solution before submitting (verification) Have not completed enough study to fully comprehend the answer (knowledge)
Areas where you thought true “learning occurred,” require continued repetition.

What Concerned Me About the Exam Process:

I had previously been given a 2 hour, proctored performance, so I already knew how the other platform would be “faster.”
It was almost unbelievable, how this platform performed even FASTER than I was used to; however, it was very easy to maintain fast time on my performance as I had adjusted myself during the “test session” by not slowing down and not delaying my time. So many things occurred during my performance that surprised me, even though I was fully aware of how to perform successfully, I had a false sense of time (which makes the exam process much faster than I was expecting).Small environment friction is palpable (single monitor expectations, secured browser constraints). (docs.linuxfoundation.org) You cannot afford long "maybe this works" experiments.

What helped the most

Drilled verification as a habit
Treating troubleshooting as a trained sequence, not improvisation
Skipping and returning to failing on any one task

When I finished, the scores were immediately given back; scoring is automatic, and the score report is normally emailed within 24 hours. (docs.linuxfoundation.org)

After passing: effects, roles, and what changed

I didn't receive a dramatic shift in my career overnight. What I did receive, though, was much more valuable:
I am more relaxed in real-life situations because I've drilled doing troubleshooting repeatedly.
I can articulate my decisions during interviews without sounding like I'm guessing and hoping.
I demonstrated that I have the ability to apply Kubernetes administration skills even under challenging conditions.

The CKA certification verifies that candidates (by providing the overall competency level) have the ability and practical experience in performing true operational administrative tasks on behalf of companies, and the CNCF has documented the skill domains that the CKA uses to assess your competency. (Linux Foundation Education)

Types of roles that this certification will likely assist in obtaining

I am cautious about making a blanket statement, such as "the CKA guarantees you will get job X." But what I can say is that this certification maps nicely to the following roles:

Kubernetes Administrator / Platform Engineer
DevOps Engineer / SRE working in a Kubernetes-heavy stack
Cloud Infrastructure Engineer who supports Kubernetes "clusters"

This matches well with where this certification is positioned- competency to operate in all aspects of Kubernetes Administration. (CNCF)

Regional salary data (public aggregate sources)

The following figures are averages based on public salary aggregation data; as such, they should not be viewed as “CKA salary." However, they do provide a comparative data point for determining typical salary ranges for roles requiring Kubernetes skill sets that exist in the marketplace.

Salary in USA

According to Indeed, the average salary of a DevOps Engineer in the USA as of March 2, 2026 is $129,359/year. (Indeed)

Salary in India

According to Indeed, the average salary of a DevOps Engineer in India as of February 26, 2026 is ₹8,26,970/year. (Indeed)

Here is a small sampling of salaries from across Europe (to define what “Europe” means)

UK — According to Indeed, the average salary of a DevOps Engineer in the UK as of March 1, 2026 is £57,778/year. (Indeed)
Germany — According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a DevOps Engineer in Germany as of March 2026 is approximately €67,000–€68,000/year. (Glassdoor)
France — According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a DevOps Engineer in France as of March 2026 is approximately €47,783/year. (Glassdoor)

Alternatives to the CERTIFICATION EXAM and comparison of the alternatives to the CERTIFICATION EXAM (Using evidence)

Key constraint: I’m going to avoid including direct clickable competitor links in the body of this document but will include the name of the official website in plain text along with a citation for each.

The CKA provided a detailed document of what questions would have been available for your CKA Exam in Practice Mode vs Exam Mode and the configuration options available for those tests. (The Certification Exam)
Linux Foundation has included verifying the use of the simulator with the CKA as part of the registration package, but did not include the same level of detail regarding the configuration options available to each user

If you're pursuing daily drill simulations, the CERTIFICATION EXAM provided me with exactly that, as it became my go-to for hands-on learning opportunities through to the real exam with its shared format across all drill types and questions.

The KodeKloud CKA course was also very well put together and provided a lot of real-world practice to simulate the real CKA and obtain as much exposure to the real CKA exam dumps as possible through multiple labs within the same course. Since all lab questions are part of the course, I was able to complete these labs after finishing each lesson and apply what I learned! (KodeKloud.com)
Since the Linux Foundation CKA Administration course is quite established, it provides a thorough foundation and extensive knowledge base of administration functions/skills, such as installation and configuration of production-grade clusters, to ensure that you have what you need to be successful on the CKA exam. (LFS458)
The Pluralsight CKA practice exam labs provide you with hands-on scenarios that can also be helpful as you complete and pass your CKA exam. (Pluralsight.com)(Pluralsight) A CERTIFIED EXAM quiz simulator that has timed tests and explains each step of the answer within the configuration of the test. (Certification Exam) Pluralsight strongly emphasizes lab learning for use in individual student environments. If you prefer to practice with timed drills quickly each day following up -- using a CERTIFIED EXAM, you might obtain your drill requirements in less time than with Pluralsight.
Whizlabs: Whizlabs has set its practice tests, labs, and tiered pricing model on a subscription-based platform (Whizlabs). Comparison points: Whizlabs tends to have far greater breadth than CERTIFIED EXAM (Whizlabs has many more certifications available; they utilize a subscription model). The CKA certification exam page on the CERTIFIED EXAM website shows both a simulator-based flow and that the flow configuration can be queried against with an "Updated On:" metadata field next to each CKA exam number - it also offers other modes of operation (Certification Exam). If you want multiple cert access/additional content, then using Whizlabs will give you value. Alternatively, if you want your CKA learning/progress measured by a fixed CKA-related flow of tests, then the CERTIFICATION EXAM is your best option.
Udemy practice test/courses: Udemy has created an arena of practice tests and courses about how to take CKA-certification exams that all use either an abundance of reviews or overwhelming ratings, both of which likely relate to their test format as described above (Udemy). Comparison points: Depending upon the quality of each individual course or instructor associated, Udemy can be reasonably priced; you may not find higher-quality online courses than that found on Udemy (Udemy). The CERTIFICATION EXAM provides a concrete simulator experience and separate/unique processes for switching to the certification test mode of operation (Certification Exam). From my experience before discovering the CERTIFICATION EXAM format or engine, I was far less successful with using Udemy to become more familiar with my individual studying/planning processes; I mainly use the CERTIFICATION EXAM vs Udemy to: both provide similar results but the CERTIFICATION EXAM delivers them faster than the use of Udemy.

That’s what most people do wrong when studying for this certification exam.

Mistake 1 – Practice & Workflows rather than Topics & Concepts Only.

The domains of the CKA Exam have been published; use the domains as a guide to study. Reading them is not enough; the exam is about executing and verifying what you have learned in order to achieve the CKA certification.

Mistake 2 – Not Practicing Troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting accounts for 30% of the total weight of the CKA exam; as a result, you should treat troubleshooting as a repeatable workflow consisting of identifying a symptom/issue, checking the object state, inspecting the events/logs, checking the service routing, and verifying that the solution/issue has been resolved.

Mistake 3 – Assuming Allowed Resources are a Safety Net.

You should be aware of the CKA Allowed Resources Policy and practice within the guidelines set forth in the Allowed Resources Policy. If you require documentation to perform every task on the CKA exam, you are not prepared to take the CKA Exam.

Mistake 4 – Not Practicing Under Simulated Proctoring Constraints.

The constraints that will be placed upon you by the proctoring requirements (single monitor guide, secure web browser) can greatly increase your stress level during the exam. You should attempt to simulate the proctoring constraints a minimum of 3-4 times in your exam preparations prior to the actual date of the exam.

Last-Minute Checklist for Those Prepared to Take CKA.

Make your booking for the CKA exam as soon as possible so that you can establish your timeline. You will have 360 days from the date of your booking to take the exam; however, do not take that long to take the exam.

Practice Time is allocated within the CKA Exam based upon Domain Weights; the domain weights that are associated with the CKA xam Dumpsare as follows: Troubleshooting 30%, Security 25%, Application/Database Architecture 15%, Cluster Configuration 10%, and Administration 10%. You should determine your study time by utilizing these domain weights.

Conduct a minimum of 2 full, uninterrupted simulations of 2 hours in length, without any external resources. You must know what your allowed resources are, and when you practice use only the allowed resources when testing your practice exam.

You should verify that you met all requirements associated with the successful completion of each task as measured and recorded by the grader.

Conclusion: CERTIFICATION EXAM has worked for me because:

I do not have a strong belief that there is one platform that will work for every single person. The majority of individuals fail the CKA exam for predictable reasons: Lack of Time, Workflow Errors, and Weak Troubleshooting Skills when Under Tensile Pressure.

The CERTIFICATION EXAM has helped me develop a systematic approach to preparing for the exam by creating fully configurable-timed tests, clearly defined differences between practice and actual exam behaviors, and having explanations of how to improve your performance through correcting slow and/ or fragile processes quickly.

Then I took those systems of practice and connected them to the reality of the CKA exam, which consists of 2 hours of performance-based tasks, remote proctoring, and a published domain weighting structure that very heavily weighs your troubleshooting abilities within the CKA exam.

For individuals currently preparing for the CKA exam, my advice is great and simple: Stop collecting resources to study the CKA exam; instead, begin collecting repetitions. Train on the workflow until it is boring to you, because that is how you will know that you are prepared to take the CKA exam.

My Journey Toward Earning The ServiceNow CSA Certificate And What Worked

Thomas Walker — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 17:25:08 +0000

Working in IT, in a mixed operations capacity: system admin, cloud support and service management, I have had many opportunities to encounter ServiceNow from various perspectives, incident workflow, User Administration (user profile requests), Catalog Requests, Approvals, Reporting, and basic changes to the ServiceNow platform (which appeared simple until I needed to explain how the platform responds differently based on specific configuration parameters).

Thus, I decided to pursue the ServiceNow Certified System Administrator Exam; I wanted to go from knowing how to click through the ServiceNow platform and get by, to fully understanding ServiceNow, what an administrator should know, and how to prove I have the knowledge to my potential employer.

I will now discuss my actual experience preparing for the CSA, how the CSA Certification exam works, how I had difficulty preparing for the CSA, how I was able to improve my CSA exam scores, and how the recommended CERTIFICATION EXAM provided the most assistance in preparing for my CSA exam.

Why I selected the CSA Certification Exam as my first ServiceNow Certification:

I selected the CSA Certification Exam as my first ServiceNow Certification because I felt it was the most logical ServiceNow certification to pursue, as it is at the center of platform administration. ServiceNow’s official blueprint would be considered an excellent primary foundation-level certification for validating Knowledge and Skills working with the Now Platform, Exam Content Coverage, Testing Options, and Expected Capabilities of a Candidate who passed the Exam. ServiceNow’s Training and Certification pages offer Admin and Platform Professional Certifications as part of a larger, broader learning path. My needs were met.

I wasn't trying to become an expert right away. I wanted a credential that would help me get a job as a ServiceNow Administrator, platform support person, junior tech consultant, or an internal operations analyst who would be working on workflow tools. I also took the test seriously because foundational does not mean easy.

Before I properly studied for the test, I took some time to confirm the current details of the exam because most of the old blog posts mix all kinds of old delivery methods, pricing info, and unofficial passing scores.

The current credential is a Certified System Administrator (C.S.A.) Mainline Exam. According to the official blueprint from ServiceNow, there are 60 questions in 90 minutes, the exam can be taken either online or by onsite proctoring, and Pearson VUE will be the current delivery partner for ServiceNow certifications. The current flow on registration and scheduling of exams is through ServiceNow University and Pearson VUE instead of the old Webassessor process.

The exam is not on a schedule of fixed dates each year. Current guidance from ServiceNow University states that once I register for an exam, I have 90 days to schedule and take the exam, and I can also reschedule my exam in that period of time. In short, the testing schedule functions just like a professional certification exam that can be taken anytime within that 90-day period, depending on when there are available test appointments, rather than being only on a public bank calendar for only one day per year.

The blueprints define the topics of the exam as well as their weightings and subgroupings; the subSkills listed on the blueprint are not the only contents of the exam. The current CSA blueprint search result says that the examination domain consists of Platform Overview, Platform Navigation, Instance Configuration, and other highly weighted areas related to Collaboration & Task/Reporting, Automated Processes, Database Management, and Migration Tasks.

Of the prior Resource links and all prior Exam Specification Documents available through the ServiceNow Community show that historically there has been an significant amount of emphasis given to: Platform Navigation, Collaboration/Task/Report related concepts, Database Administration, Automated Processes, and Scripting or Migration Basics.

This broad theme is consistent with my own preparation. The Examination will not only test your memory regarding the Menus, but the examination will also require that you understand how the Platform works, where certain functions are found, and how the Records and Data structures relate to each other in everyday Administrator situations.

Experience and Prerequisites

One of the most common misunderstandings I have found regarding the 'required' experience and prerequisites that can be applicable prior to taking the CSA Certification Examination is the lack of a current publicly available "hard prerequisite" from the ServiceNow or ServiceNow Community resources. However, it was clear to me that the ServiceNow and ServiceNow Community resources strongly recommend that all ServiceNow Certified System Administrator candidates follow the official Learning Path for System Administrators, the CSA Exam Blueprint,t and the ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals course. In fact, there is a recently posted ServiceNow Community Answer that clearly states that the Learning Path outlines the courses ServiceNow believes that all CSA candidates should complete before testing, specifically that the ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals course is required in order to take the CSA Certification Examination.

So my honest view is as follows: There is no single definitive universal "hard prerequisite" publicly available in the items above that I reviewed; however, ServiceNow's recommendations are clear and provide guidance on a clear recommended path of preparation.New to ServiceNow? Don't rely solely on quiz practice after bypassing the learning path; it's too much of a gamble.

CSA Score and How to Score

I encountered a wealth of misinformation regarding this again through searching online.

I was unable to find a conclusive answer on the pass percentage for the CSA, rather from community resources I found that the CSA does not have an official fixed pass rate because the CSA has a calculated cut score, nor does it appear that there are many candidates who have received a specific numeric score report (one could expect receiving a detailed domain breakdown as in the case with some other exams).

That matters because I saw many sources repeat simple, inaccurate claims like "the pass rate is 70%," as if that were verifiable data.

Exam Registration, Delivery, and Cost of Exam

According to ServiceNow's requirements, you register for the exam via ServiceNow University and schedule that exam with Pearson VUE. The Pearson VUE website links return to ServiceNow University's resources and credentialing program guide.

Regarding cost, there was enough evidence to suspect caution rather than confidence. A ServiceNow document regarding learning credits clarifies that those learning credits are what you'll use to purchase your ServiceNow University training solutions. Based on numerous posts within the ServiceNow Community and current discussions, I would say that the total amount of learning credits associated with your CSA exam is 300. However, I would be remiss, as the Administration Fundamentals O.D. cost is commonly discussed to be $500, and the CSA exam costs an indeterminate amount; purchases can cause displayed totals to be inconsistent with one another.

The careful conclusion: The cost of training courses and the cost of exams are not always one and the same; additionally, the displayed price will be different depending on which region of the world you are purchasing from, as well as through what type of account you use. I would suggest that you validate the final cost in your own ServiceNow University account before making assumptions about a universal public price.

How hard did I find the test?

The test had zero difficulty because all questions could only be answered by high-level thinking; the test/system punished you for having only a general understanding of information, making large leaps from one item to another.

That was the unexpected element for me. If all I did was watch video-based training or skim through a few notes, I would have thought that I was familiar with the information. However, I began to realize when doing an assessed test question within the time limit that I recognized terms associated with the information, but couldn’t use them properly under a short amount of time after reviewing existing documentation.

The various areas a candidate described as weak during community discussions matched that phenomenon. We’ve discussed this with many different members of the ServiceNow Community and repeatedly referred candidates to the official ServiceNow Foundations Blueprint, as the difference in word usage along with the difference in domain coverage has a directly impacts a candidate’s ability to pass.

The four areas that I’d consider weak are: Data Administration, the language associated with making requests as well as using catalog entries, detail-oriented tasks associated with Reporting, and the two questions that milk both answers being correct until one word destroys one answer.

The way my initial strategy did not work

I was far too passive with my initial strategy.

The time I wasted reading summaries, watching general videos, and believing that since I already had experience in IT, I could reason my way through the exam was a mess for me. What I did was create familiarity, but not exam readiness.

The game changer for me was going to timed question practice and tracking the reasoning behind my wrong answer selections - not just which ones were correct, but why my wrong choice seemed viable also. Once I did that, my prep became efficient.

Why did I pick a CERTIFICATION EXAM?

Not because of the brand language, but because I had a very definite use case:

I wanted a large enough published question volume that I couldn't memorize the small sample of questions too quickly
I needed a practice mode for specific target learning
I needed an exam mode for simulated pressure
I wanted to see how often the content has been updated to make sure I'm not studying stale material

The CERTIFICATION EXAM CSA Simulator page states 360 questions available (as well as the Practice Mode and Exam Mode configuration) and the configuration components included randomization, number of questions, time, passing mark, marked questions, and the date on which the product was last updated. The page I looked at stated Last Updated: 2026-02-28.

That combination was right on point for me to fill the gap I needed to fill: I needed to learn more than how to apply theory. My goal in studying was to build confidence and muscle memory through repetitive practice (exam-style questions, with some differences in the types of test questions shown based on the exam).

My study plan is divided into roughly five (5) weeks. Most of the studying takes place before and after work.

I began studying by taking smaller groups of practice questions for the first week (`baseline and weakness mapping'). Although my scores were lower/or didn't improve throughout this week (Week 1), I was able to construct a more accurate assessment of where I stood compared to the rest of the exam by using the consistency in the errors I made.

During weeks (2 and 3), I focused my study sessions on taking the Practice Test, but it took significantly longer due to reviewing and correcting (in addition to moving some answers around) my answers on each test taken. Once I was able to finish my review of each test, I would wait before I took another test so that I could check whether or not my prior review helped (because I did not have time or a solid understanding of how to answer each of the test questions when practicing). This is why I used the same two (2) modes on CSA (CME) sections: one to complete my Review of Knowledge through Practice' tests; and another to determine if I was able to use the knowledge acquired through the Learning' process for Individual' exams.

During week four, I no longer focused on perfect scores from small groups of exam-style questions; instead, I was developing muscle memory and using rhythm. My reasoning was that the actual exam consists of sixty (60) questions with a time limit of ninety (90) minutes; therefore, it was necessary to develop the ability to answer and track/flag questions that caused confusion. Actually, I was surprised to find how much that helped build the habit of remaining `calm' while taking the exam.

During the last week of study, I began decreasing the number of sets completed (`targeted' study) and concentrated my efforts on questions from the specific groups that had popped up previously. This included ‘administrative’ behavior questions (‘admin behavior’) as well as ‘table’ and ‘record’ logic questions; in addition to consistently misinterpreting or second-guessing the wording of the question.

After reviewing my practice of taking repeated `targeted' questions, I realized that I would not receive any additional value from ideas that will continue to confuse me from taking another long course/module.

Exam Day: What Helped

On my exam day, the exam format was no surprise to me because I had already studied for the exam using the official study materials and had completed practice exams that used the same number of questions and timing as the actual exam. This alone eased my anxiety and made taking the real exam possible, even though it required concentration because I had anticipated the work and familiarity of the questions I would see through my extensive training.

The three things I found most helpful on exam day were:

I had trained myself to stay calm even if I encountered unfamiliar language.
I also practiced answering common questions in a new format, so when I encountered a familiar subject in a new format, I did not freeze.
I had also practiced going forward instead of getting bogged down in indecision over one question.

The most important lesson I learned on exam day was that the CSA (Certified ServiceNow Administrator) rewards you much more for your ability to read carefully and know the platform and workflows than your ability to answer questions with broad confidence.

What I Discovered After Passing

When I passed the CSA exam, my job title did not automatically change; however, I saw my ability to now work with the ServiceNow platform had changed; I was going to be able to show my new skills as a certified administrator. ServiceNow certification is tied to the role you are filling within the organization and your ability to be successful in that role, and this is an important factor because you will be working within the intersection of administrative support, platform management, consulting, and process automation.

Salary information across geographic areas, employers, and the way that the roles are classified varies widely from one source to another, so I'm not going to generalize. However, the salary information I found was helpful in showing that the average salary for ServiceNow administrators in the USA on Glassdoor is $119,071, and salaries generally fall in the range of $95,453 to $150,106.According to Glassdoor, average annual salaries of £36,983 have been recorded in London, UK, with an employer-provided typical salaries ranging from between approximately £29,399 to £46,524.

In India, PayScale's pages show how much money those people in the ServiceNow System Admin Certification can typically earn. It reports that, in India, the posted average base Salary for the ServiceNow CSA is ₹779,000. However, the same PayScale Daily Average base salary number also shows an "average" figure of almost ₹1,939,448 on a second separate page, indicating that there may be different underlying factors being considered here. Thus, it must be interpreted cautiously and should not be regarded as a clean national standard.

So while the straightforward conclusion is not that there is a "guaranteed salary" through the CSA, it is that it establishes a career path along an established and, most importantly, growing skill set.

The following are alternatives to prepare for your certification exam as a ServiceNow Administrator, to help ascertain a true comparison.

With the purpose in mind of completing this section factually, I will solely list items that I had verified through public domain resources.

To Start Your Journey toward obtaining your CSA Certification

Administrative Fundamentals

According to ServiceNow, ServiceNow's Administration Fundamentals course will serve as the initial course for most candidate participants in ServiceNow. Additionally, as described on their official site, Administration Fundamentals courses are offered in two configurations: instructor-led sessions and on-demand/at your own pace. Further, it has been conveyed by Community sources that the Learning/Courses link in the Administration track to the exam details the requirements to take the CSA exam through the self-paced/on-demand/online course option, which confirms my understanding of the costs associated with the courses (approximately $500) and are separate from the exam cost. What your using:

Vendor provides formal training.
Greater emphasis on understanding the concept versus just a quiz tool. Assures an alignment with the official learning path.

In addition to question banks, a strength of the solution is that if you don't have a good grasp of the core concepts of your platform, then following the official learning path will provide you with a solid foundation.

How Certification Exam is different

The Certification Exam provides public access to Certifying authorities simulation of 360 questions (each) in all areas of the CSA as opposed to only providing individuals with learning techniques. Similarly, Jeopardy and the Herlitz also require individuals to understand the material being presented prior to using them, but they will not provide the user with information about the value of different question banks/types of exams or simulator-style question in the following administration fundamentals page directions. This does not mean that the Certification Exam is overall "better" than Jeopardy, but it is more specifically practice-focused.

ServiceNow's Official Practice Test CSA

According to MeasureUp's website, they do include both Practice Mode and Certification Mode in the practice test. Regular price is $99.00 and may be subject to VAT depending on where the purchaser is located. ServiceNow's FAQ also states that you may purchase an official MeasureUp practice test as a separate product through their subscriptions.MeasureUp - Offers the following features: The ability to have Practice Test Positioning Available; Transparent Pricing; Two different modes within their Testing Format.

What I can validate:

Both MeasureUp and CERTIFICATION EXAM publish opposite modes of practice for a Certification Exam.
The 360 Question Overview. Fact and configuration details are available to the public on the CSA Page of the Certification Exam.
I could only verify the modes of measureUp within the MeasureUp Page that I reviewed, and do not see any indication of an available public question count from the snippet I used.

Summary of how this affects credibility of each site. Therefore CERTIFICATION EXAM is better than MeasureUp for explicitness with regard to the question count and configuration options for CSA; however, there is still no basis to say that either site offers superior quality on a universal basis until we have comparable data on both sites.

Udemy 2026 Practice Tests for ServiceNow System Administrator (CSA), where can it be located - Udemy is the site.

Details from this product state that there are three hundred and sixty questions, numerous mocks, explanations for the various questions included, screenshots of each question, as well as all questions being tested against the most recent ServiceNow Updates. The last update was January, 2026.

Udemy offers:

Very large question pool,
Detailed explanations for the answers,
Convenience to shoppers who are already using the Udemy platform.

Udemy, in summary, is also showing 360 published questions, therefore comparing each of these two sites based solely on how many published questions are available to each side would seem to be the same (360 each site).

Udemy will be initially higher value due to their emphasis on explanations, screen shots, diagrams, and reference links than CERTIFICATION EXAM, which has focuses on offering a web simulator layout to display an overview of the Practice Mode versus Exam Mode, randomization of question numbers and time limit per question is configurable (Time Limitation)/Pass Rate; and Question Marking on Product Page.

The total amount of time for studying is 83.5 hours, with a projected rollout in February 2026, while utilizing an instructional (non-simulated) approach as opposed to a complete training resource consisting solely of practice questions.

The benefits of this type of product are:

Long-term instructional delivery method
Comprehensive exam preparation
More complete instructional product with no or limited use of sample questions

Examples of cases where CERTIFICATION EXAM would better serve other users:

When an all-play version of a long-term study format is preferable for their exam preparation.
When the customer prefers a pure exam simulation as opposed to a long-term instructional option.

If anyone were to ask me which of the two examination preparation options to pursue, I would respond by not answering with a catch-all marketing statement.

Use the ServiceNow learning path, or perhaps take the W3 exam preparation materials through an organization text.

Use a comprehensive course study approach if you prefer to study from a long-explanation, ACG Series 300-case example of the instructional delivery method.

Use an official practice examination in order to provide a formal examination-like delivery method based on view or brand.

Use CERTIFICATION EXAM if you prefer an exam delivery method that contains many questions and permits repetition, and allows for brief, individual re-evaluation results. The ability to access previous drill results is precisely how it worked for me.

Top mistakes I would advise new Certified Solutions Architect (CSA) candidates

Mistake 1: Approaching the exam as a pure memorization test

The Certified Solutions Architect (CSA) exam is not simply answering if you can recognize a term (for example, what does “user” mean within the ServiceNow platform), but rather determining if you actually understand the term and if you can differentiate that term from a similar option.

Mistake 2: Believing fixed percentage pass statements

According to my sources, there is no publicly available fixed pass percentage requirement statement, and the ServiceNow Community has advised that the passing score is a calculated cut score, therefore stop repeating the urban legend of needing a pass percentage of exactly 70%.

Mistake 3: Failure to rationalize answers provided with the explanations on practice exams

When you only record the correct answer(s), you are missing the identification of your mistake(s) on the practice exam. My progress improved significantly when I began to document my reasoning for believing that my incorrect choice(s) had been the correct answer(s).

Mistake 4: Over-deferring your timed practice tests

With 60 questions in 90 minutes on the actual exam, your ability to discipline yourself to time will be very important. You do not need to be a speed demon, but you do need to train yourself so that your timing will be comfortable with the rhythm of the actual exam.

During my exam preparation, I discovered a very beneficial checklist for the following:

Prior to taking the exam

Confirm that you are using the most current blueprint.
Confirm that you have registered and scheduled your exam with ServiceNow University and Pearson VUE.
Make a decision as to whether you will use an on-site or online proctor for your exam.
Check the price you will pay in your region for the CSA exam; do not rely on previous blogs for this information.

During the preparation process

Use the official blueprint as your outline for exam study.
When creating notes on topics of your exam preparation, compile the notes from your repeated mistakes, not from random reading of information.
Begin timed practice earlier than you believe you should.
Continue to practice any topics that you are weak in until you can recall the correct answers.

During the week leading up to the exam

Stop changing study resources on a daily basis.
Review those topics that continue to be a source of weakness.
Take at least one practice exam in a test setting.
Concentrate on precision and calm, rather than the total number of hours studied.

Final Thoughts

I was successful with the CSA exam as a result of combining my preparation method with the CSA exam.

I stopped thinking that passive learning only was sufficient preparation. I began to view wrong answers as an opportunity for improvement. I learned how to study with time pressures. I also began using a prep resource that allowed repetition of each topic easily enough that it did not lose its focus.

The biggest success I experienced through my use of the CERTIFICATION EXAM prep resource was due to the published simulations of the CSA, including 360-question CSA simulation, visible Practice and Exam Mode, and enough flexibility to be able to incorporate weak topics into a true study routine instead of just a desire to accomplish them.

If you arecurrently studyingy for the CSA exam, my best advice is going to be nothing earth-shattering; however, verify all exam requirements first and follow study preparation from the Blueprint. Be very wary of rumors concerning examination fees and passing scores. Choose a preparation method that will provide you with data to determine your area of weakness, not a method that will only allow you to feel as though you have been productive.

I firmly believe that by taking the above steps will be your key to passing the CSA examination. In addition, if you were led to this page due to repeated exposure to CSA Dumps, I can assure you, based on my experience, that shortcuts are not what will get you over the hurdle, but rather structured practice time.