diff --git a/api/QuestionsApi/Controllers/ExamSimulationsController.cs b/api/QuestionsApi/Controllers/ExamSimulationsController.cs
index 6752192..b4a75cb 100644
--- a/api/QuestionsApi/Controllers/ExamSimulationsController.cs
+++ b/api/QuestionsApi/Controllers/ExamSimulationsController.cs
@@ -44,10 +44,12 @@ public class ExamSimulationsController(ExamSimulationStore simulations) : Contro
     public async Task<IActionResult> Completed([FromQuery] int limit = 20, [FromQuery] string? before = null)
     {
         DateTime? cursor = null;
-        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(before) && !DateTime.TryParse(before, null, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind, out var parsed))
-            return BadRequest("The completed-simulation cursor is invalid.");
-        else if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(before))
+        if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(before))
+        {
+            if (!DateTime.TryParse(before, null, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind, out var parsed))
+                return BadRequest("The completed-simulation cursor is invalid.");
             cursor = parsed;
+        }
         return Ok(await simulations.GetCompletedAsync(UserId(), limit, cursor));
     }