Course 1 lab · QR-1
Quantum Readiness Track This is not a personality quiz and it is not a hiring test. It maps the expertise you already have onto eight WISER-aligned pathways so you can see where you fit — applied SME, algorithms, software, hardware, security, sensing, business, or education.
The primary Course 1 lab is the Career Navigator (profile × interest × goal → a board-game pathway). Use this quiz as the complement: it is shorter, WISER-taxonomy-aligned, and stays in this browser. Public source: QuantumKev/ibm-quantum-navigation · GitHub Pages .
Open the Career Navigator
01 What is the subject-matter expertise you already bring?Pick the closest fit. This is about the work you can already do, not a quantum job title.
Finance, risk, or quantitative analysis Portfolios, pricing, operations research Software engineering or data / ML platforms APIs, pipelines, products Physics, electrical, optical, or lab engineering Devices, instruments, materials Cybersecurity, cryptography, or networks PKI, compliance, secure comms Operations, logistics, energy, health, or manufacturing The problem lives in a real workflow Strategy, product, policy, or investment Decisions, roadmaps, capital Teaching, curriculum, or community building You already translate hard ideas Mathematics, CS theory, or academic research Proofs, models, papers
02 How do you actually spend most of your working time?Choose the pattern that feels most true in a typical month.
Building systems, models, or experiments Analyzing data, risk, or process performance Leading people, programs, or vendor decisions Defending systems, identity, or compliance Measuring, calibrating, or running instruments Teaching, writing, or facilitating others
03 How comfortable are you with the math that shows up in quantum?Be honest. The month is designed so every track can start from here.
I want plain language first; equations later I can follow probability, vectors, and matrices with a refresher Linear algebra and complex amplitudes are already in my toolkit
04 Where are you with programming?Week 4 uses a real hybrid lab. Coding is useful, not a gate.
Little or no coding — I contribute in other ways I can script in Python or similar and read other people's code I ship production software or research code regularly
05 What is pulling you toward quantum right now?Select all that apply.
Finding where quantum might beat a classical method on a real problem Getting a hands-on feel for qubits, superposition, and entanglement Preparing my organization for post-quantum cryptography Working close to hardware, control, or precision measurement Building talent pathways, curriculum, or community Knowing enough to make budget, partnership, or policy calls
06 When a quantum project is healthy, what is your best contribution?This is about how you like to create value, not a hierarchy.
I map a messy real-world problem onto a model someone can run I implement, debug, and make the pipeline reproducible I insist on a baseline, a metric, and an honest comparison I make the work understandable to executives, students, or partners I own the roadmap, risk, and who needs to be in the room
07 Which time horizon matches how you need to use this month?All four courses still run. This only changes the emphasis we recommend.
I have a live problem or team that needs a next step this quarter I am building skills for a role or program in the next 12 months I want to enter the quantum field and need a legitimate on-ramp
See where you fit Start over Answer every question to generate a pathway map.