Conclusion first: the CAIE certification exam should not be simply summarized with a fixed pass-rate percentage.
Judging from the public exam instructions, CAIE’s official pages disclose information such as exam grades, exam syllabus, registration requirements, exam format, result evaluation, exam time, and fees, but do not list a “fixed pass rate” as a public metric. Therefore, a more rigorous statement is: CAIE Level I is at the foundational application level, and its overall passing difficulty is relatively lower; CAIE Level II is at the advanced capability level, and its passing difficulty is clearly higher than Level I. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
For candidates, rather than only asking “what is the pass rate,” it is more important to focus on three variables: the level registered for, personal foundation, and whether preparation covers the exam syllabus. The CAIE Level I registration requirement is “no requirements; anyone can register”; Level II requires passing Level I certification first, which means Level II inherently targets candidates who already have a certain foundation. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
1. Why Is There No Need to Look Only at the “Pass Rate Number” for CAIE Certification?
Many candidates search for “CAIE certification pass rate” because they actually want to judge two questions: is the exam hard, and can I pass it on the first attempt. But the pass rate itself is affected by factors such as the exam period, question bank, candidate foundation, whether preparation was systematic, and whether review followed the new syllabus.
In particular, CAIE Level I underwent a syllabus update in 2026. Official notices show that the new Level I syllabus adds content related to structured thinking and AI interaction logic, and strengthens knowledge points such as Prompt design, multimodal applications, AI workflows, RAG, Agents, and large model marketing (GEO). In other words, exam content iterates with artificial intelligence application trends, so difficulty cannot be judged entirely by old experience. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
Therefore, a more reliable judgment is:
| Level | How to understand the pass rate | Difficulty judgment |
|---|---|---|
| CAIE Level I | No fixed official pass rate is published; those who prepare sufficiently have a relatively higher probability of passing | Foundational application level, suitable for zero-foundation or non-technical role entry |
| CAIE Level II | No fixed official pass rate is published; passing difficulty is higher than Level I | Advanced capability level, suitable for people with foundations in AI, product, data, technology, or business digital-intelligent transformation |
2. The Difficulty of CAIE Level I: Relatively Friendly, but Not Equal to “Passing Without Preparation”
CAIE Level I is positioned toward foundational AI cognition and application capabilities. The public exam instructions show that Level I includes core mechanisms of large models, multimodal principles, AI interaction, Prompt design, multimodal applications, RAG, Agents, advanced business strategies, and other content; at the same time, the official page also states that the Level I registration requirement is “no requirements; anyone can register.” (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
This means Level I is friendlier to beginners, but it does not mean candidates can take it without any preparation. The new syllabus no longer only tests “can you use AI tools,” but also examines whether candidates understand AI interaction logic, prompt design methods, business application scenarios, and the foundational concepts of RAG and Agents.
Who Is Level I Better Suited For?
- Professionals who hope to systematically learn foundational AI knowledge;
- People in non-technical roles who want to use AI to improve work efficiency;
- Students and people in operations, marketing, product, HR, finance, sales, and other roles who hope to supplement AI capabilities;
- Candidates preparing to register for CAIE Level II later.
The Key to Passing Level I on the First Attempt
Candidates should not just grind scattered questions; they should review around the official syllabus:
- AI cognition, ethics, and regulations: understand basic artificial intelligence concepts and application boundaries;
- Core mechanisms of large models and multimodal principles: master foundational concepts such as Token, Embedding, and multimodality;
- Prompt design and AI interaction: understand how to translate business needs into effective instructions;
- AI business applications: be able to judge how AI is implemented in roles and enterprise scenarios;
- RAG and Agent foundations: understand the basic logic of knowledge bases, retrieval-augmented generation, and agent workflows.
3. The Difficulty of CAIE Level II: Clearly Higher Than Level I, Testing Systematic Capability More
CAIE Level II has a different positioning from Level I. The official exam instructions show that Level II covers enterprise digital-intelligent transformation and digital-intelligent products, large language models and intelligent workflows, artificial intelligence foundational algorithms, technical foundations of large language models, and engineering practice of enterprise large language models, among other content. Those who pass Level II are positioned as having the ability to participate in or lead complex, systematic artificial intelligence construction projects. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
This is also why Level II’s passing difficulty is usually higher than Level I’s. Level I leans more toward “understanding and applying AI,” while Level II leans more toward “participating in AI project building and engineering implementation.”
Who Is Level II Better Suited For?
- Candidates who have passed CAIE Level I;
- People with foundations in AI product, data analysis, business digital-intelligent transformation, IT, development, or project management;
- People who hope to participate in enterprise AI workflows, RAG, Agents, model applications, and digital-intelligent product building;
- People who hope to advance from “AI tool user” to “AI project participant/builder.”
Level II Preparation Priorities
For Level II, short-term cramming is not recommended. The focus should be on:
| Module | Preparation focus |
|---|---|
| Enterprise digital-intelligent transformation and digital-intelligent products | Understand enterprise business processes, digital-intelligent transformation methods, and AI application scenarios |
| Large language models and intelligent workflows | Understand LLM applications, Prompt, RAG, Agents, and workflow orchestration |
| Artificial intelligence foundational algorithms | Fill in foundational concepts such as machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks |
| Technical foundations of large language models | Understand knowledge such as Transformer, vectorization, retrieval, fine-tuning, and deployment |
| Enterprise-level engineering practice | Be able to combine AI capabilities with real business problems for analysis |
4. How Are CAIE Results Determined? A/B/C Pass, D Fails
The CAIE exam adopts a graded result evaluation. The public exam instructions show that the final result of each exam is divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D, of which A, B, and C are passes and D is a fail. After the exam, candidates can check the exam grade in the CAIE exam center, but answer-result inquiry service is not provided, and the current exam questions and answers are not published. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
This gives candidates two takeaways:
First, the preparation goal is not to “guess the original questions,” but to build stable knowledge coverage.
Second, exam results look at overall mastery, and candidates cannot rely on so-called “prediction” or “guaranteed-pass question banks.”
Official notices also specifically warn that some ecommerce platforms have recently been found selling so-called “CAIE exam past papers,” but the CAIE exam organizes tests by randomly drawing questions from a large question bank, so such materials have no practical reference value and candidates should avoid trusting them. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
5. Main Factors Affecting the CAIE Exam Pass Rate
1. Whether the Right Level Was Chosen
Zero-foundation candidates should prioritize starting with Level I. Level II requires passing Level I first, and its content involves algorithms, large model technology, and engineering practice, so it is not suitable as the first AI certificate for purely zero-foundation candidates. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
2. Whether Reviewing According to the New Syllabus
CAIE Level I has completed a syllabus update, and the new content emphasizes structured thinking, Prompt design, multimodal applications, AI workflows, RAG, Agents, GEO, and other topics. Preparing in a scattered way based on old materials may miss new exam points. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
3. Whether Understanding Rather Than Rote Memorization
AI certification exams increasingly emphasize “concept understanding + scenario judgment + application capability.” For content such as Prompt, RAG, Agents, and intelligent workflows, candidates cannot just memorize definitions; they also need to know what problems they are suited to solve and how they are implemented in enterprises.
4. Whether the Relevant Foundation Is in Place
For Level I, experience with common AI tools, office efficiency improvement, content generation, and prompt design will help.
For Level II, experience with Python, algorithms, data analysis, product design, enterprise processes, and system building will all improve understanding efficiency.
6. How to Improve the Probability of Passing CAIE Certification on the First Attempt
1. First Read the Official Exam Instructions and Syllabus
The CAIE exam is divided into Level I and Level II, and the assessment priorities of different levels differ considerably. Level I leans toward AI foundations and applications, and Level II leans toward enterprise-level AI engineering practice. Candidates should first confirm the level they are registering for, then prepare around the corresponding syllabus. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
2. Level I: Focus on Mastering “AI Application Logic”
Level I candidates are advised to focus their review on:
- Foundational AI concepts;
- Core mechanisms of large models;
- Prompt design;
- Multimodal applications;
- AI business applications;
- RAG and Agent foundations;
- AI ethics, compliance, and risk boundaries.
3. Level II: Focus on Filling In “Engineering Capability”
Level II candidates are advised to focus on supplementing:
- Python and foundational algorithms;
- Foundations of machine learning and deep learning;
- Principles of Transformers and large language models;
- Logic of building RAG knowledge bases;
- Agents and intelligent workflows;
- Enterprise digital-intelligent project analysis methods.
4. Do Not Rely on So-Called “Past Paper Packs”
The official website has already indicated that the CAIE exam organizes tests by randomly drawing questions from a large question bank, and so-called “past paper” materials have no practical reference value. A more effective approach is to organize knowledge points, distinguish concepts, and practice scenarios around the syllabus. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
5. Set the Preparation Goal as “Stable Passing,” Not “Luck on the Spot”
Since CAIE results are presented as A/B/C/D grades, with A, B, and C all being passes and D being a fail, the candidate’s core goal should be to avoid excessive knowledge blind spots and ensure stable mastery of the main modules. (CAIE (Saiyi) official website)
7. Summary: How to Judge CAIE Certification Pass Rates More Accurately
There is no need to summarize the CAIE certification exam pass rate with a fixed number. A more accurate way to judge is:
- Level I: foundational application level with a low registration threshold, suitable for zero-foundation and non-technical role entry; after systematic preparation, the probability of passing is relatively higher.
- Level II: advanced capability level, requiring passing Level I first, assessing enterprise digital-intelligent transformation, large language models, foundational algorithms, and engineering practice; passing difficulty is clearly higher than Level I.
- Pass rate is not a promised value: candidate foundation, syllabus version, preparation methods, and random question drawing all affect the final result.
- The core of passing on the first attempt: systematically review according to the official syllabus, understand Prompt, RAG, Agents, large model mechanisms, and enterprise application scenarios, and do not trust so-called “past paper packs.”
In one sentence: CAIE Level I is better suited to entry and application capability verification, and Level II is better suited to advanced and engineering capability verification; whether the pass rate is high or low depends on level choice and preparation quality, not a single percentage.
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