SDC Certified Practitioner Exam

Everything you need to know about the certification exam - format, coverage, requirements, and what happens after you pass.

Exam Overview

Format

Online, open-book, not proctored

Duration

90 minutes

Questions

40 multiple-choice items, including scenario-based sets, drawn fresh for every attempt from a reviewed item bank

Pass Mark

80%

Retake Policy

Up to 3 attempts within 90 days of purchase. A failed third attempt, or a lapsed 90-day window, requires a new $500 payment to continue.

Cost

$500, one time. Includes up to 3 attempts within 90 days.

What the Exam Covers

The exam tests conceptual understanding and diagnostic reasoning; judgment with a client is assessed by the capstone. Every attempt is 40 items drawn from a reviewed item bank in the weights below, so no two attempts share a question. 32 correct (80%) passes.

Weights are rounded to the nearest whole percent, so the column reads 101 when added by hand. The item counts are exact.

Note: Modules 2 and 3 are hands-on skills verified through the capstone project rather than by exam questions. That is where modeling in SDCStudio and capturing a draft from a domain expert with SDCBench are assessed.

Module 8 is examined on concepts, not on installation: how client credentials are handled, what an introspection actually reads, and what a reuse count means. The hands-on install is verified by the Module 8 lab, which you submit with your capstone.

What You Need

Before taking the exam, make sure you have completed the following:

• Completed all 9 modules in the curriculum
• Completed the Module 8 hands-on lab, with its outputs saved
• An SDCStudio account with a funded wallet ($10 minimum, which shows as 10,000 credits)
• Module 9 capstone proposal ready to submit

After Passing

Upon passing the exam and having your capstone approved, you receive:

• SDC Certified Practitioner credential - a numbered, signed credential with a public verify page, the seal for your own materials, and a prefilled LinkedIn entry
• Directory listing - opt-in public visibility to potential clients at sdcstudio.axius-sdc.com/practitioners/directory
• Access to the practitioner private community - peer support, case discussions, and direct access to the SDC team
• Full templates library - proposals, contracts, sales decks, and leave-behinds ready for client use
• Quarterly framework updates - stay current as the SDC specification and tooling evolve

How to Take the Exam

1. Complete all 9 modules and the per-module exercises
2. Ensure you have an SDCStudio account with a funded wallet ($10 minimum, which shows as 10,000 credits)
3. Complete the Module 8 hands-on lab and save its outputs: your sdc-agents.yaml with credentials redacted, the introspection results, the assembly review manifest, and the running application
4. Pay the $500 certification exam fee (a one-time fee, separate from your SDCStudio wallet) via our secure Stripe checkout Certification adds a one-time 100,000 credits ($100 of SDCStudio use) to your wallet.
5. When ready, open Settings → Practitioner in SDCStudio and click Start exam
6. Answer the 40 questions within the 90-minute window. The clock starts when you click Start, answers save as you go, and closing the tab does not stop the clock
7. After a pass, submit your Module 9 capstone proposal and Module 8 lab outputs from the same Practitioner tab. A checklist there verifies the modeling work against your SDCStudio account before you can submit

Results: The exam is scored the moment you submit, with a per-module breakdown. Capstone proposals are reviewed within 5 business days; the decision and any reviewer feedback appear on your Practitioner tab.