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ExamVitalSigns2.0

Methodology

How we read what candidates tell us.

Researched, reviewed and sourced — with the limits stated plainly.
  1. 1

    Research: public accounts are gathered for one exam version.

  2. 2

    Review: each is checked, deduplicated and graded.

  3. 3

    Publish: only approved findings appear, linked to sources.

Our evidence rules

Self-reports, not a sample

Reports are written by candidates who chose to share. They are not representative of everyone who sat the exam, and we never predict your result.

Both outcomes, equal weight

Accounts from successful and unsuccessful candidates are gathered and presented with equal care.

Outcome is separate from verification

Whether someone passed is one field. How well we could verify their account is a separate grade.

Counting only those who mention a topic

Each finding's denominator is the number of reports that discussed that topic. Reports that didn't mention it are excluded, not counted as disagreement.

Counts, not percentages

Findings are shown as plain counts, such as “2 of 41”. No current finding shows a percentage, and a percentage would never be shown when fewer than 10 accounts are eligible.

Unknown stays unknown

If a report doesn't say something, we record it as unknown rather than guessing.

Sitting date vs posting date

We separate when the exam was taken from when the account was posted, and mark dates as exact or approximate.

One version at a time

Findings never mix reports from different exam versions.

Deduplication

The same candidate posting in several places is counted once.

Official outline vs perception

What the official exam content outline says is kept distinct from what candidates felt.

No recalled questions

We never reproduce live exam questions — only broad experience categories.

Mock scores without thresholds

Mock scores are tied to the provider the candidate named, split by first attempt and retake, and never presented as a passing line.

Spotted something wrong?

If an account is yours, misrepresented, or should be removed, tell us and we will review it.

Request a correction →