Exam #3: synthesis
Items fuse two mechanisms where earlier exams fused one mechanism with a trap — find the minute-solvers in the first pass.
Exam #3 raises synthesis: items fuse two mechanisms where Exams #1–2 fused one mechanism with a trap. Expect a trace that requires an object AND a static, an implementation that requires string parsing AND list mutation, a debugging item whose symptom appears two behaviors away from the bug. The rules are identical — timed halves, no blanks, justification on every MCQ — but expect to FEEL the difference: these items consume their entire budget by design.
Triage matters most here. Two of the four MCQs are solvable in a minute; the other two are budget-eaters. Finding which is which in the first pass is worth more than raw speed anywhere.