The difficulty of the computer-based test for IT certification has significantly increased. Predicting essay topics is no longer effective, as the exam scope now covers cutting-edge technologies across all textbook sections. The proportion of past questions in case studies and comprehensive exams has decreased, while the focus on emerging technologies has grown, requiring candidates to have broader knowledge backgrounds. For example, in the Advanced Information System Management and Advanced System Architect exams, essay topics on cutting-edge technologies such as uncertain performance domains, cloud operations, and multimodal databases have stumped most candidates. Case studies now assess technical stacks like Redis and MongoDB, affecting embedded and front-end developers. Overall pass rates have dropped, reflecting the new challenges that the computer-based test reform poses to IT professionals.
