30-day Software Developer exam study plan

Updated 16 September 2026 · 2 min read

This plan gives most of a month to software development topics, with shorter slots for cloud and emerging technology, security and Linux. It is built around a simple habit: study a concept, then write a little code that uses it. About an hour a day is enough, as long as the coding practice stays short and regular.

How this guide was made

Written for this site with AI assistance, then checked automatically before publishing. The topic table, sample questions, worked examples and study plan are generated from this site’s question bank: each worked example is recalculated by separate code, and each sample answer says where it came from.

The guide deliberately states no salaries, grades, pass marks or exam dates. Those change, and they could not be checked here, so take them from the advert itself.

This site is independent and is not affiliated with MIFOTRA or any employer.

The 30-day plan

Day	Focus	What to do
Week 1
1	Software development	Study, then answer 20 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
2	Cloud and emerging technology	Study, then answer 20 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
3	Cybersecurity	Study, then answer 20 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
4	Linux command line	Study, then answer 20 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
5	Software development	Study, then answer 20 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
6	Cloud and emerging technology	Study, then answer 20 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
7	Review the week	Redo every question you got wrong this week, without looking at the explanations first.
Week 2
8	Cybersecurity	Study, then answer 30 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
9	Linux command line	Study, then answer 30 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
10	Software development	Study, then answer 30 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
11	Cloud and emerging technology	Study, then answer 30 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
12	Software development	Study, then answer 30 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
13	Cloud and emerging technology	Study, then answer 30 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
14	Timed mock 1	50 questions in 60 minutes, in one sitting. Mark it, then list the areas you lost marks in.
Week 3
15	Software development	Study, then answer 40 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
16	Software development	Study, then answer 40 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
17	Software development	Study, then answer 40 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
18	Software development	Study, then answer 40 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
19	Software development	Study, then answer 40 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
20	Software development	Study, then answer 40 questions untimed and read every explanation, including for the ones you got right.
21	Review the week	Redo every question you got wrong this week, without looking at the explanations first.
Final stretch
22	Revise: Software development	40 mixed questions on software development, timed at about a minute each.
23	Revise: Software development	40 mixed questions on software development, timed at about a minute each.
24	Revise: Software development	40 mixed questions on software development, timed at about a minute each.
25	Revise: Cloud and emerging technology	40 mixed questions on cloud and emerging technology, timed at about a minute each.
26	Revise: Cybersecurity	40 mixed questions on cybersecurity, timed at about a minute each.
27	Revise: Linux command line	40 mixed questions on linux command line, timed at about a minute each.
28	Timed mock 2	50 questions in 60 minutes, in one sitting. Mark it, then list the areas you lost marks in.
29	Mock mistakes	Work through every wrong answer from both mocks until you can explain why the right option is right.
30	Light review	Skim your notes and formulas for an hour, then stop. Sleep matters more than one more set tonight.

How the plan is weighted

Software development carries by far the highest weight for this position, so most learning days in the table below cover programming fundamentals, object-oriented design, data structures, algorithms, databases, web development and development practice. Cloud and emerging technology get a smaller share, and security and Linux smaller still. The final week revisits development topics against the clock.

Where to spend your study time

The suggested emphasis reflects what this position works with day to day. It is a study guide, not a published exam blueprint.

Area	Suggested emphasis	Questions in the bank	Practise
Software development	56%	378	In the full bank
Cloud and emerging technology	22%	188	In the full bank
Cybersecurity	11%	541	Security
Linux command line	11%	360	In the full bank

Write code every day

Reading about a stack is not the same as using one. After each topic, write a short program that applies it: reverse a string with a stack, count words with a hash map, query a small database, or call a public API. Keep these programs in a repository, which doubles as evidence of practice for your CV.

Tracing on paper

Written tests do not come with a debugger. Two or three times a week, take a short program and trace its output by hand before running it. Over a month this builds the accuracy that output-prediction questions demand.

Common questions

Which language should I practise in?

Use the language named in the advert if there is one. Otherwise choose one you know well; the concepts transfer, and fluency lets you focus on reasoning rather than syntax.

What if I am already an experienced developer?

Take the first mock early. Experienced developers often lose marks on theory they rarely use, such as normalisation rules or specific status codes, so spend your days there.