Will the reviewer budget cover the planned checks?
Check how a new participant changes the cost of independent review.
The question
A toy protocol divides its review budget equally among eligible independent reviewers who complete a verified check in the same window. The cost and budget use the same fictional credit scale.
| Planned value | |
|---|---|
| Credits per window | 12 |
| Cost per completed review | 5 |
| Eligible completed reviews | 2 |
These are test credits, with no market price.
“What can the owner expect the budget to cover?”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: Read the first budget
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Treat 6 credits as a fixed reward per reviewer.
Tempting, but it misses something. The fixed amount is the pool. The share changes with the number of eligible reviews.
Report the margin for the two planned reviews.
The strong move. The margin depends on how many eligible reviews share the pool.
See how a strong candidate says it
“With 2 completed reviews, each gets 6 credits. Each review costs 5, leaving a margin of 1 credit.”
Why it works: The margin depends on how many eligible reviews share the pool.
Step 2: Ask who shares the budget
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Confirm the eligible count before relying on the first margin.
The strong move. The number of completed eligible checks determines the share. A budget estimate does not prove coverage.
Use the budget as proof that the two planned reviewers will participate.
Tempting, but it misses something. The budget comparison gives a possible margin. It does not show who will complete a check.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I’d check how many reviews can share the budget and what makes a review eligible and independent.”
Why it works: The number of completed eligible checks determines the share. A budget estimate does not prove coverage.
Step 3: Apply the new count
A third independent reviewer now plans an eligible check in the same window. Assume all 3 complete verified reviews. The budget and cost stay the same.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Keep the original 6-credit share when a third review is added.
Tempting, but it misses something. Three shares of 6 would require 18 credits. The current pool has 12.
Recalculate the share and compare it with each review’s cost.
The strong move. The same pool now pays three review costs. The total cost is 15 under the case assumptions.
See how a strong candidate says it
“With 3 reviews each gets 4 credits and has a margin of −1. A 15-credit pool covers their costs. An 18-credit pool keeps the original margin of 1 each.”
Why it works: The same pool now pays three review costs. The total cost is 15 under the case assumptions.
Step 4: Give the planning decision
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Confirm the coverage target and what the owner can support.
The strong move. The arithmetic compares possible designs. Actual review coverage still needs observation.
Predict that no reviewer will participate because the three-review margin is negative.
Tempting, but it misses something. The calculation assumes all three complete a check. It does not predict each reviewer’s choice.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I’d tell the owner that the current pool no longer covers three planned reviews. I’d ask how many independent checks the test needs and confirm the budget before measuring participation.”
Why it works: The arithmetic compares possible designs. Actual review coverage still needs observation.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Recheck the budget and coverage target for three planned reviews.
- Because
- At 12 credits total, each gets 4 against a cost of 5.
- What would change it
- A 15-credit pool would cover the modeled costs. Actual coverage would still need a mock test.
Common traps
- Treating the pool as a per-review reward.
- Treating a modeled margin as observed participation.
Check your answer
- I computed the first share.
- I checked which reviews qualify.
- I recalculated costs for three reviews.
- I separated the budget from coverage.
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026