SAT Exam Preparation Platform

Enterprise EdTech System Design with .NET 8

ExpertEdTech.NET 8ReactClean ArchitectureMySQLRedisDocker

This expert-level architectural design prompt guides you through building a comprehensive, production-ready SAT exam preparation platform with .NET 8 Web API backend, React frontend, accurate exam simulation, advanced analytics, and complete infrastructure setup. Perfect for EdTech platforms requiring robust assessment systems.

Realistic Exam Experience

Full-length SAT exams and section practice with accurate timing, section-based navigation, auto-submission, LocalStorage persistence, and resume capability

Advanced Analytics

SAT-accurate scoring (200-800 per section), subscores, percentile rankings, trend analysis, and personalized improvement recommendations

Clean Architecture

.NET 8 Web API with Clean Architecture layers (API, Application, Domain, Infrastructure), SOLID principles, dependency injection, and comprehensive middleware

Enterprise Data Layer

Complete relational schema with Entity Framework Core, Redis caching with cache-aside pattern, question bank management, and admin analytics portal

The Prompt

## **Prompt: Generate a Comprehensive Requirements & Architecture Document and Application for an SAT Exam Preparation Platform**

You are a **senior software architect, product manager, and EdTech domain expert**.
Your task is to generate a **production-ready, enterprise-grade requirements and system design document** for a full-stack **SAT Exam Preparation Web Application**.

### **1. Product Vision & Scope**

Design an SAT exam preparation platform that:

* Supports **full-length SAT exams** and **individual section practice**
* Accurately mirrors the **official SAT structure**, including:
  * Reading & Writing
  * Math (Calculator and No-Calculator)
* Provides a realistic **exam-like experience**, advanced analytics, and detailed performance insights
* Serves **students, instructors, and administrators**

---

### **2. Technology Stack (Mandated)**

Define the system using the following technologies:

**Frontend**

* React 18+
* TypeScript
* Vite
* Tailwind CSS
* React Router
* Axios + React Query
* React Hook Form + Zod
* Redux Toolkit or Zustand

**Backend**

* .NET 8 Web API
* Clean Architecture (API, Application, Domain, Infrastructure)
* Entity Framework Core
* FluentValidation
* JWT Authentication

**Database & Infrastructure**

* MySQL (primary database)
* Redis (distributed caching)
* Docker & Docker Compose
* GitHub Actions (CI/CD)
* Swagger / OpenAPI
* Serilog for logging

---

### **3. System Architecture**

Describe:

* Clean architecture principles and layer responsibilities
* Frontend–backend separation
* Dependency injection and SOLID principles
* RESTful API design
* Middleware for logging, validation, caching, and error handling
* Environment-specific configurations (Dev / Staging / Prod)

---

### **4. Database Design**

Design a complete relational schema covering:

* Users, roles, authentication, and security
* Exams, sections, questions, choices, explanations
* Student exam attempts and answers
* Section-wise scoring and subscores (JSON supported)
* Indexing strategy, foreign keys, constraints, and cascade rules
* Entity Framework Core mappings (annotations + Fluent API)

---

### **5. Authentication & Security**

Specify:

* JWT access + refresh token flow
* Role-based authorization (Student, Admin, Instructor)
* BCrypt password hashing
* Account lockout and email verification readiness
* Secure headers, rate limiting, and CORS configuration
* Secure secrets management via environment variables

---

### **6. Caching & Performance Strategy**

Define Redis usage including:

* Cache-aside pattern
* TTL strategies for:
  * Exams
  * Questions
  * Explanations
  * Sessions
  * Leaderboards
* Cache invalidation rules
* Cache warming
* Graceful degradation when Redis is unavailable

---

### **7. Logging & Monitoring**

Describe:

* Structured logging with Serilog
* Log levels and enrichment (correlation IDs, user context)
* Request/response logging middleware
* Slow query logging
* Cache hit/miss metrics
* Optional Elasticsearch integration

---

### **8. Frontend Architecture**

Define:

* Folder structure (components, pages, hooks, services, api, utils, types)
* Reusable UI components
* Exam-specific components
* Custom React hooks
* API abstraction layer
* Global state management strategy

---

### **9. Exam-Taking Experience**

Detail:

* Exam lobby and instructions
* Section-based timers with warnings
* Auto-submission on timeout
* Strict vs Learning navigation modes
* Question navigator with status indicators
* LocalStorage persistence and resume capability
* Keyboard shortcuts for power users

---

### **10. Scoring & Analytics**

Implement:

* SAT-accurate raw → scaled scoring (200–800 per section)
* Total score (400–1600)
* Subscores and cross-test scores
* Percentile rankings
* Trend analysis across attempts
* Strength/weakness detection
* Personalized improvement recommendations

---

### **11. Question Bank & Content Management**

Cover:

* SAT-style question metadata
* Difficulty, domain, and skill tagging
* Explanations with optional video links
* JSON-based content authoring
* SQL seed scripts and migrations
* Admin-driven bulk imports

---

### **12. Admin & Analytics Portal**

Specify:

* Question CRUD and preview
* Exam template configuration
* User and role management
* Platform-wide analytics dashboards
* Question difficulty calibration
* Engagement and retention metrics

---

### **13. Validation, Error Handling & API Standards**

Define:

* Backend validation with FluentValidation
* Frontend validation with Zod
* Global exception handling
* Consistent API response envelope
* Retry logic and graceful failure handling

---

### **14. Performance & Scalability Targets**

Ensure support for:

* 1,000 concurrent users
* 100 active exam sessions
* Sub-200ms cached responses
* Async, non-blocking backend operations
* Frontend optimizations (code splitting, memoization, virtualization)

---

### **15. DevOps, Deployment & Reliability**

Describe:

* Docker multi-stage builds
* Docker Compose for local development
* CI/CD with GitHub Actions
* Health check endpoints
* Backup and disaster recovery strategy
* Environment promotion (Dev → Staging → Prod)

---

### **16. Documentation Deliverables**

Generate:

* README.md
* API documentation
* Developer guide
* User guide (students & admins)
* Database documentation
* Testing strategy overview

---

### **Output Expectations**

* Produce a **single, cohesive, professional requirements document**
* Use **clear headings, structured sections, and precise language**
* Assume this document will be used as a **single source of truth** for:
  * Engineering
  * QA
  * Product
  * DevOps
  * Future scaling

---

Comprehensive Architecture Sections (16 Areas)

Product Vision & Scope
Technology Stack
System Architecture
Database Design
Authentication & Security
Caching & Performance
Logging & Monitoring
Frontend Architecture
Exam-Taking Experience
Scoring & Analytics
Question Bank Management
Admin & Analytics Portal
Validation & Error Handling
Performance & Scalability
DevOps & Deployment
Documentation Deliverables

Tips for Using This Prompt

  • Requirements Document: This prompt generates a comprehensive requirements and architecture document that serves as a single source of truth for engineering, QA, product, and DevOps teams.

  • Clean Architecture: Design .NET 8 backend with proper layer separation (API, Application, Domain, Infrastructure), dependency injection, SOLID principles, and comprehensive middleware for cross-cutting concerns.

  • SAT Accuracy: Ensure accurate SAT exam simulation with proper section structure (Reading & Writing, Math Calculator/No-Calculator), realistic timing, and accurate scoring (200-800 per section, 400-1600 total).

  • Advanced Analytics: Implement comprehensive scoring system with subscores, percentile rankings, trend analysis, strength/weakness detection, and personalized improvement recommendations.

  • Performance Strategy: Design Redis caching with cache-aside pattern, appropriate TTL strategies, cache warming, and graceful degradation. Target sub-200ms cached responses for 1,000 concurrent users.

  • Complete Infrastructure: Include Docker multi-stage builds, Docker Compose for local development, CI/CD with GitHub Actions, health checks, and comprehensive documentation for all system components.