Day 13 — Paper 08 & Consolidation
Plan
Date: Sun Sep 20, 2026 · Mode: mixed — one timed paper, then open book
Paper: paper-08.md (balanced; held back as the spare all fortnight)
The last day with any flexibility in it. Tomorrow is two full-length papers and nothing else, and the day after is the exam. Whatever is still broken gets fixed today or goes into the exam with you.
Paper 08 is balanced across all eight sections — the closest half-length approximation of the real blueprint. It has been held in reserve precisely so there is a fresh, representative measurement available on the last flexible day.
Timing
| Block | Time | What |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 08 | 45 min | Strict timer, closed book, no venv |
| Grade 08 | 45 min | paper-08-answers.md |
| §7 consolidation | 60 min | Job lifecycle, statuses, service.job(id), result anatomy, counts analysis |
| §8 consolidation | 45 min | qasm3.dumps/loads, QASM2 interop, reading a QASM program cold |
| Break | 60 min | |
| Cheatsheet pass | 60 min | final-review-cheatsheet.md end to end, marking anything that reads as new |
| Logistics | 30 min | See the checklist below |
| Debrief | 15 min | Fill in debrief.md |
If Day 12's debrief said consolidation comes first, swap the first two blocks with the §7/§8 blocks and sit Paper 08 in the afternoon. Sit it either way — a fresh score today is what tells you whether tomorrow's full-length papers are a rehearsal or a diagnosis.
Why §7 and §8 get the consolidation slot
They are the two sections most likely to still be soft. §7 (10%) was split across Day 5 and Day 8 rather than getting a day of its own, and §8 (6%) shared Day 7 with §6. Together they are 16% of the exam — roughly 11 questions — and they are almost entirely recall. There is no cheaper place to find marks the day before the dress rehearsal.
Anything from your Day 11 rules that has stopped feeling automatic gets re-read here too.
Logistics — do this today, not on exam morning
- Confirm the exam appointment time, and whether it is test-centre or online-proctored.
- Test-centre: route, travel time, what ID you need.
- Online-proctored: run the system check, clear the desk, confirm the room meets the proctor's rules.
- Set two alarms.
Targets
- Paper 08: ≥27/34 (79%). It is balanced and it is your eighth paper — this should be your best half-length score.
- Every section at or above half marks. A section still below half on your last balanced paper is the one thing worth spending tomorrow morning on.
- End the day with
final-review-cheatsheet.mdcontaining nothing that surprises you. If something on it reads as new, that is tonight's reading — not tomorrow's.
Stop rule
Finish by 9pm. Tomorrow is three hours of strict-timed examination plus grading, and it needs a rested brain more than tonight needs another hour of revision.