Common questions
Questions, answered.
The honest version of every question people ask before they sign up. If yours isn't here, send it over and we'll add it.
How is this different from other cert prep tools?
Most cert prep is a fixed bank someone wrote years ago. You churn through it, memorise the answers, and end up confident on the bank but shaky on the exam. CertAnvil writes fresh questions every time you study, so you can't shortcut it.
A static bank isn't a bad thing. Some people prefer working a fixed set linearly, and plenty of our users keep one for breadth and use CertAnvil to drill the weak spots. Whatever works for how you study.
Can I really study for free?
Yes, properly free, not a 7-day trial. You get 15 fresh AI-generated questions, 5 spaced-review cards, and 1 Reword Gauntlet run every day (the Gauntlet sits on top of the 15, it never spends them), plus the diagnostic, your Pass Plan, your streak tracker, and your analytics. Enough to keep a real daily habit going.
Unlimited questions, unlimited Reword Gauntlet, the Why-Not drill, the Full Exam Simulator, and advanced analytics are Pro. When 15 a day stops being enough, or you want unlimited drilling and full timed mock exams, that's when most people upgrade.
What's the difference between Free and Pro?
Two tiers, both paid for forever. No annual nonsense, no hidden quotas inside Pro.
Pro is $9.99/mo or $89/yr (saves ~26%) and covers every cert in the lineup, not just one.
What's a Performance-Based Question (PBQ)?
PBQs are the hands-on parts of the exam: configuring a topology, typing CLI commands, sorting items into the right place. They're worth roughly 40% of your score. They're the next thing we're building, a CLI sim, a topology builder, and an ACL builder, all landing in Pro. For now, the question engine and its explanations cover the concepts each PBQ tests.
How do I know when I'm actually ready for the exam?
Your readiness score tracks coverage and accuracy across every exam objective, including a full timed mock exam. When it reads green you've shown consistent mastery of the whole blueprint. That's your signal to book, instead of guessing. If Pro isn't right for you, there's a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Do I need my own AI key or anything?
Nope. The AI cost is on us, Free and Pro both. You don't need to set anything up, paste any keys, or know what an API is. Just sign up and study.
What if my exam isn't on the list?
Hit "Notify me" on the cert tile and we'll email you the day it goes live: no marketing list, just that one email. Network+ and Security+ are live now; AZ-900, CCNA, AWS SAA, and AZ-104 are next in the queue.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes, from your account in two clicks. Monthly plans stop at the end of the current month; annual plans stop renewing but you keep Pro for the rest of the year you paid for. No cancellation form, no "are you sure" nonsense.
How do you keep the questions original?
Every question is generated from scratch, then put through seven separate checks before you see it. The reference set the AI learns from is 320+ exemplars we wrote ourselves from the public exam blueprint. We don't train on or scrape questions from any paid prep company. It's clean, original, and tied directly to the exam objectives.