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An AI feature will reach ten million registered users. Estimate its monthly inference cost and defend the assumptions.

Try it in the practice workspaceDraft your answer before comparing it with the rubric.

Turn a registered-user count into active usage, model calls and billable tokens. Compare an uncached baseline with a stated caching scenario without inventing a vendor quote.

Updated Nov 2026 · Original practice questions with worked answers and teaching rubrics. Our editorial policy explains the sources, review process and limits.

Case briefRead the inputs, then make your call

All figures, including prices, are fictional planning assumptions. Retry calls have the same token shape as primary calls in this base case. Estimate the model bill separately from full operating costs.

Scenario inputs
Registered users10,000,000
Monthly active share20%
Tasks per active user per month8
Primary model calls per task2
Extra retry calls as share of primary calls5%
Input tokens per call1,500
Output tokens per call300
Uncached input price per million tokens$2
Output price per million tokens$8
Successfully completed share of attempted tasks90%
Separate cache scenario40% of input tokens are qualifying hits at a 75% discount; no additional cache-write or storage charge in this fictional tariff.

Your task. Calculate monthly calls, input and output volumes, the uncached and cached model bill, and cost per successful task. Identify the next assumptions to measure and the missing capacity and operating-cost inputs.

Turn a registered-user count into active usage, model calls and billable tokens. Compare an uncached baseline with a stated caching scenario without inventing a vendor quote.

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