Exponent is now called Aced. The interview prep platform formerly at tryexponent.com renamed itself in August 2026, and the old address now redirects to aced.io. It combines courses, a question bank, peer mock interviews, AI practice and paid 1:1 coaching, and it is strongest for product management, system design and other tech-role loops. As of October 2026, Pro costs $79 a month or $149 a year, the new Expert plan with AI mock interviews costs $99 a month or $249 a year, and a single coaching session costs $249 ($200 each in a 5-pack). Our verdict: for several weeks of PM or system design prep, the annual Pro plan is good value; month to month it is steep for a short search, and human coaching costs extra.
We make CoPilot Interview, a different kind of interview tool, so read this with that in mind. Every fact below comes from Aced's own site (its pricing, practice and coaching pages and its rebrand announcement), checked in October 2026.
Exponent is now Aced: what changed
Aced announced the change in a post titled "Exponent is now Aced", published on August 17, 2026 and last updated on October 1, 2026. The short version:
- Same company, new name. The site footer still reads Exponent Labs, LLC, and pages carry a "formerly Exponent" label. The post says the company started eight years ago and now runs a family of brands that includes InterviewCake, Pramp, Resumes.fyi and APM List.
- A new AI coach, Ace. It draws on the company's courses, guides and resources to build a study plan, research questions for a role or company, and explain hard concepts from the lessons.
- A new Expert plan that bundles Ace with the AI practice tools, including a mock interviewer that scores your answers against criteria used in real interviews.
- New and revamped courses: an AI-first product management course, a Forward Deployed Engineer course and a System Design course rebuilt to cover AI and agentic architectures.
- Pramp lives here too. Pramp's homepage says that since July 2024 all new Pramp sessions run on Aced Practice, which we compare in CoPilot Interview vs Pramp.
If you search for "Exponent review", most of what you find predates the rename. The product is the same platform, so older reviews of the courses still apply, but the plan names and prices below are the current ones.
What Exponent (Aced) is
Aced describes itself as interview prep for product management, software engineering and other tech roles, and it has added finance with an investment banking track. Think of it as three layers: learn what interviewers want (courses and guides), practice with people and AI (peer mocks and AI feedback), and pay for an expert when the stakes are high (1:1 coaching).
Exponent (Aced) features
Courses
Aced lists courses for product management, software engineering, system design, engineering management, data science, machine learning, data engineering, AI engineering, Forward Deployed Engineering (beta), technical program management, solutions architecture, UX and product design, BizOps and strategy, security engineering and investment banking. The courses include interview rubrics, worked examples and expert video answers.
Question bank and guides
A database of interview questions you can filter by role and question type (product, behavioral, coding, system design, SQL, machine learning and more), company-specific interview guides, and candidate-submitted interview experiences.
Peer mock interviews (Aced Practice)
The practice page describes hour-long sessions: you pick a time, get matched with a peer preparing for the same kind of interview, take turns as interviewer and candidate, then exchange notes using rubrics, with AI feedback added. Session tracks include product management, data structures and algorithms, system design, behavioral, SQL, data science and machine learning, frontend and investment banking. Basic members get 5 peer mocks a month; Pro members get unlimited.
AI practice
You can answer real interview questions on your own and get instant AI feedback. The full AI suite (AI mock interviews, AI interview feedback and chat with the Ace coach) is listed under the Expert plan.
Coaching and referrals
Coaches, whom Aced describes as hand-picked and vetted product managers, engineers and industry experts, run 1-hour video or phone sessions for mock interviews, résumé reviews, career coaching and salary negotiation, with detailed written feedback. You can switch coaches at any time. Coaching doesn't include a membership. Members also get access to a job referral platform, with priority for Pro members.
Exponent (Aced) pricing as of October 2026
From Aced's pricing page:
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0 | $0 | Sample lessons and questions, 5 peer mocks a month, basic job referrals; no credit card |
| Pro | $79/mo | $149/yr (shown as $12/mo) | All courses, video and written solutions, company guides, real interview experiences, unlimited peer mocks, full question database, priority referrals, Discord community |
| Expert | $99/mo | $249/yr (shown as $20/mo) | Everything in Pro, plus AI mock interviews, AI interview feedback and chat with the AI coach |
Coaching is priced separately. A coach's booking page lists mock interview sessions at $249 for one, $675 for three and $999 for five ($200 a session), and career mentorship at $249 for one or $675 for three. Multi-session programs run from $999 to $1,499; the $1,499 program includes a year of course access.
Refunds and renewal: memberships get a full refund within 5 days of purchase and renew automatically until you cancel from your account page. For coaching, Aced promises a full refund if you don't love your first session, refunds unused sessions within six months (minus any pack discount), and counts a session as used if you cancel or reschedule less than 24 hours ahead.
Who Exponent (Aced) fits, and who it doesn't
Good fit
- Product managers. PM prep is the platform's deepest area, and our product manager interview questions guide pairs well with its course.
- System design candidates who want structured lessons plus a peer to explain trade-offs to. Our system design interview cheat sheet and system design interview practice page are useful companions.
- Anyone preparing over several weeks who will use courses, the question bank and unlimited peer mocks together.
- Candidates who want human practice partners rather than only AI.
Look elsewhere if
- Your interview is next week. $79 for one month buys a course library you won't have time to finish.
- You need expert feedback on a budget. At $200 to $249 a session, coaching adds up fast.
- You want practice built from your own résumé. Aced's AI practice is built around its question bank and courses. If you want questions drawn from both your résumé and the job description, use a tool that reads both.
- You want practice with no scheduling. Peer mocks run at set times with another candidate, so they don't suit a spare ten minutes.
Exponent (Aced) alternatives, including CoPilot Interview
Disclosure: we make CoPilot Interview. Prices are from each vendor's own site, checked in October 2026.
| Tool | What it is | Free option | Paid from | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoPilot Interview | Desktop app for Windows 10+ and macOS 12+ with a scored Mock Interview mode, plus a free browser mock interview | 15 minutes every day, all four modes, no card or signup | $14.99/mo Standard (sale; regular $19.99); hour packs from $5.99 | Best choice for rehearsing out loud from your résumé and the job description, scored out of 10 with a model answer |
| Aced (formerly Exponent) | Courses, peer mocks, AI practice and coaching | Basic: 5 peer mocks a month | Pro $79/mo or $149/yr | PM and system design courses with human practice partners |
| interviewing.io | Anonymous mock interviews with senior engineers | AI Interviewer for coding and system design | Human mocks from $179 each | A realistic technical round before a big-tech onsite |
| Huru | AI video mock interview app | Everything for job seekers | Enterprise only | Unlimited free spoken practice on video |
| Yoodli | AI roleplay and speech coaching | Starter: up to 5 roleplays in total | Pro $8/mo billed annually | Delivery feedback such as pacing and filler words |
Aced teaches the frameworks; an AI mock checks whether you can deliver them out loud under time pressure. CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview builds the session from your résumé and the job description, lets you pick the level, 3, 5 or 8 questions and a mix of behavioral, technical, system design and coding questions, reads each one aloud and scores your spoken answer out of 10 with what to fix and a model answer, then a report card. The free plan covers 15 minutes a day, and the free browser AI mock interview needs no install. CoPilot Interview also has a live Candidate Mode for real calls. Follow the rules of the employer or assessment you're in — many people use it only to practice, which works on the free plan.
For the full field of FAANG prep resources, see our best FAANG interview prep tools roundup, and for the PM round specifically, our PM interview help page.
How to get value from an Exponent (Aced) membership
- Start on Basic. Use the free sample lessons and your 5 monthly peer mocks to see whether the course style suits you before paying.
- Buy annual if you'll study past six weeks. The math in the tip above favors the $149 plan, and the 5-day refund window protects you.
- Read the company guide first. Before any course, read the guide for the company you're interviewing with so you know which round types to prioritize.
- Book peer mocks early in the week. Practice the round you fear most, and use the rubric feedback to choose your next lesson.
- Save coaching for the final stretch. One paid session a week before the onsite, after peer and AI reps, gets more from a $249 hour than booking it on day one.
Rehearse your course material out loud
CoPilot Interview's Mock Interview builds questions from your résumé and the job description and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Free for 15 minutes a day on Windows and Mac, no signup needed.
Download CoPilot Interview freeFAQ
Is Exponent free?
Partly. Exponent, now called Aced, has a Basic plan at $0 with no credit card: sample lessons and questions, 5 peer mock interviews a month and basic job referrals. All courses, unlimited peer mocks and the full question database need Pro, which costs $79 a month or $149 a year as of October 2026.
Is Exponent legit?
Yes. It is an established, active company: the site footer names Exponent Labs, LLC, the product was renamed Aced in August 2026, and its announcement says the company started eight years earlier and also runs InterviewCake, Pramp and Resumes.fyi. Its pricing page publishes plan prices, a 5-day refund window and its auto-renewal terms.
Why does tryexponent.com redirect to aced.io?
Because Exponent renamed itself Aced. Its post "Exponent is now Aced", published on August 17, 2026, announced the new name along with an AI coach called Ace, a new Expert plan and new courses. When we checked in October 2026, tryexponent.com returned a permanent redirect to aced.io.
How much does Exponent coaching cost?
Coaching is sold separately from membership. As of October 2026, a 1-hour mock interview session with an Aced coach is $249, a 3-session pack is $675 and a 5-session pack is $999, which works out to $200 a session. Aced offers a full refund if you do not like your first coaching session, and unused sessions can be refunded within six months of purchase.
Does Exponent have a refund policy?
Yes. For memberships, Aced says it offers full refunds within 5 days of purchase, and plans renew automatically until you cancel from your account page. For coaching, it promises a full refund if you do not love your first session, and unused sessions are refundable within six months, minus any multi-pack discount.
Exponent vs CoPilot Interview: which is better?
They do different jobs. Exponent, now Aced, teaches you what interviewers look for through courses, guides and practice with other people, and it is strongest for product management and system design. CoPilot Interview is a desktop app whose Mock Interview builds questions from your résumé and the job description and scores each spoken answer out of 10, with 15 free minutes a day. Many candidates study with Aced and rehearse out loud with an AI mock. We make CoPilot Interview, so weigh our view accordingly.
Is Exponent good for system design interviews?
It is one of its core areas. Aced lists a System Design course, revamped in 2026 to cover AI and agentic architectures, plus system design questions in its question bank and system design peer mock sessions. If you want feedback from an engineer who conducts these interviews at a large tech company, a paid mock from a service such as interviewing.io adds what peers cannot.