# Run a GPU cloud trial before you commit

A practical method for choosing a GPU cloud: write a brief and an acceptance rule, run a reproducible trial, compare total cost and put vendor answers in writing.

- Level: Practitioner
- Length: 60 minutes
- Exam questions: 8, pass mark 80%, up to 3 attempts
- Certificate: valid for 12 months

## What you will learn

- Write a workload brief and a pass condition before you start a trial.
- Make a trial reproducible: pinned images, saved commands, checkpoints and a spending limit.
- Compare candidates by total cost per accepted result, not by the headline rate.
- Send each vendor the same written questions and keep the answers with the quote and its expiry date.

## Lessons

1. [Write the brief and the pass rule](https://gpuclouds.fyi/academy/run-a-gpu-cloud-trial/write-the-brief-and-pass-rule.md) (12 minutes)
2. [Run a reproducible trial](https://gpuclouds.fyi/academy/run-a-gpu-cloud-trial/run-a-reproducible-trial.md) (15 minutes)
3. [Compare total cost](https://gpuclouds.fyi/academy/run-a-gpu-cloud-trial/compare-total-cost.md) (15 minutes)
4. [Ask vendors in writing](https://gpuclouds.fyi/academy/run-a-gpu-cloud-trial/ask-vendors-in-writing.md) (12 minutes)

## Questions

### Do I need to write code to follow this course?

No. You write the brief, the acceptance rule and the vendor questions. Some trial steps are easier with a technical colleague.

### Does a passed trial mean that a provider is approved?

No. The certificate of completion records that you passed this site's exam. Approval is your organisation's decision, based on your own tests.

### Will the course give me current prices?

No. Rates and capacity change. The course shows you how to get a dated written quote for your own workload.

Also on the [web page](https://gpuclouds.fyi/academy/run-a-gpu-cloud-trial).