Graded Exam
A rigorous, auto-scored exam across three competency tracks — Knowledge, Design, and Operate. Each track is scored separately: a strong theory score does not paper over a weak design or operations score. Answer, submit, and the exam grades you on the spot with the worked reasoning revealed.
How this exam works
Every question checks the instant you submit it, marks correct or incorrect, and reveals the worked reason. Three running scores — Knowledge %, Design %, Operate % — are shown separately in the live scorecard; they are never averaged into a single number, because the three tracks measure different things. Your answers and scores persist in this browser, so a refresh keeps your state. Reuse the standard planning numbers from the course (0.25 dB/km at 1550 nm, 0.3 dB per connector pair, 0.1 dB per fusion splice; 17 ps/(nm·km) chromatic dispersion for G.652). Numeric answers grade against a tolerance — round sensibly. All figures here are illustrative teaching values; verify real optics against the exact Ekinops SKU data sheet.
Passing this exam marks the progress checkbox only. That is a self-administered practice signal, not a demonstration of competency — the real proof is producing correct design artifacts and running a clean turn-up. Note especially that the open Design-defense item is self-scored against a rubric: you grade your own answer honestly against the stated criteria, and that self-score folds into your Design %. Grade yourself the way a reviewer would, not the way you wish.
Track 1 — Knowledge
Quantitative problems (numeric input, graded to a tolerance) and concept multiple-choice. Threshold to pass this track: 70%.
Track 2 — Design
Scenario and design decisions, plus one open design-defense item you self-score against a rubric. Threshold to pass this track: 70%.
Track 3 — Operate
Troubleshooting, alarm/PM correlation, and a provisioning-order gate. Threshold to pass this track: 70%.
Completion gate
This checkbox is set automatically — and only — when all three tracks are fully attempted and each scores at least 70%. It cannot be ticked by hand.
Knowing the answers is the start; the real test is producing the artifacts. Take it to the Design Labs and build a full path end to end, then hold every deliverable against the six-gate design-closure checklist on Capacity & Design — loss, OSNR, dispersion, power balance, protection diversity, and baselines, all closing together. That is what separates "I can answer the question" from "I can design the network."