PQC Exam Practice
Test what you know about post-quantum cryptography: the threat, the NIST standards and parameter sets, the final NIST IR 8547 transition dates, hybrid key exchange, CBOMs and the policy in the US, EU, UK, Canada and Germany. 60 questions across 10 topics. Every answer cites the public source it comes from.
Practice gives feedback straight away. The timed mock is 20 questions in 30 minutes. This is practice material, not an official exam, and it is not affiliated with any certification body. New to the topic? Start with the PQC Practice Path.
Practice
See the answer, the explanation and the source as soon as you pick. Questions come in sets of 10.
Timed mock
20 random questions from all topics, 30 minutes. No feedback until you submit or the time runs out. Then you get your score by topic and every explanation.
- You can move between questions and change answers.
- Unanswered questions count as wrong.
Independent practice material for self-study, built from public NIST, US government, EU, UK, Canadian, German and CycloneDX sources. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sourced from any certification body. It is not an official exam and passing it does not certify anything.
TL;DRWhat this practice exam covers
5 points
- 60 multiple-choice questions on post-quantum cryptography, across 10 topics, each with a cited source.
- Practice mode shows the answer and explanation straight away, in sets of 10.
- The timed mock draws 20 random questions with a 30-minute limit and scores you by topic.
- Built on NIST IR 8547 (final, October 2026), FIPS 203/204/205, EO 14412 and OMB M-26-15, and CycloneDX 1.7.
- Practice material only. Not affiliated with any certification body.
Frequently asked questions
Is this an official post-quantum cryptography exam?
No. It is practice material for self-study. It is not affiliated with any certification body, and passing it does not certify anything. Every question is built from a public primary source, which each answer cites.
What topics do the questions cover?
The quantum threat and "harvest now, decrypt later", Mosca's inequality, FIPS 203, 204 and 205 and their parameter sets, NIST IR 8547 (final, October 2026), symmetric and hash impact, hybrid key exchange and RFC 10024, CBOM in CycloneDX 1.7, US policy (EO 14412, OMB M-26-15, M-23-02, NSM-10), the EU, UK, Canadian and German guidance, and migration practice.
What is the difference between practice and the timed mock?
Practice shows the answer and its source as soon as you pick an option, in sets of 10, for all topics or one topic. The mock draws 20 random questions, gives you 30 minutes, and shows your score by topic only at the end.
Do the questions use the 2024 draft of NIST IR 8547?
No. They use the final version published on 27 October 2026, in which RSA, ECDSA, EdDSA, DH, ECDH and MQV are deprecated after 2030 and disallowed after 2035 at every strength. The 2024 draft split some of these by strength.
Why are there no questions on CNSA 2.0 dates?
The NSA pages could not be read when the sources were checked on 13 November 2026, so those dates are not verified. Questions only cover facts read from the primary source.
Can I download my results or the answer key?
You can see every answer and explanation on screen. Downloading your results or the full answer key as Markdown is part of a paid plan.
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