diff --git a/api/QuestionsApi.Tests/DashboardTests.cs b/api/QuestionsApi.Tests/DashboardTests.cs
index 7765d42..a3ae6f1 100644
--- a/api/QuestionsApi.Tests/DashboardTests.cs
+++ b/api/QuestionsApi.Tests/DashboardTests.cs
@@ -199,4 +199,35 @@ public sealed class DashboardTests
     {
         Assert.Equal(expected, DashboardStore.ReadinessLabel(passProbability));
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void SelectLatestReadinessScoreSkipsSampleSimulationsEvenWhenMostRecent()
+    {
+        var today = new DateTime(2026, 7, 25, 0, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
+        var simulations = new[]
+        {
+            CompletedSimulation(isSample: true, completedUtc: today, passProbability: 0.98),
+            CompletedSimulation(isSample: false, completedUtc: today.AddDays(-3), passProbability: 0.12)
+        };
+
+        var score = DashboardStore.SelectLatestReadinessScore(simulations);
+
+        Assert.NotNull(score);
+        Assert.Equal(0.12, score.PassProbability);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void SelectLatestReadinessScoreReturnsNullWhenOnlySamplesExist()
+    {
+        var simulations = new[] { CompletedSimulation(isSample: true, completedUtc: DateTime.UtcNow, passProbability: 0.98) };
+
+        Assert.Null(DashboardStore.SelectLatestReadinessScore(simulations));
+    }
+
+    private static ExamSimulation CompletedSimulation(bool isSample, DateTime completedUtc, double passProbability) => new()
+    {
+        IsSample = isSample,
+        CompletedUtc = completedUtc,
+        Score = new ExamSimulationScore { PassProbability = passProbability }
+    };
 }
diff --git a/api/QuestionsApi/Services/DashboardStore.cs b/api/QuestionsApi/Services/DashboardStore.cs
index f823a7f..3cb77de 100644
--- a/api/QuestionsApi/Services/DashboardStore.cs
+++ b/api/QuestionsApi/Services/DashboardStore.cs
@@ -79,10 +79,10 @@ public sealed class DashboardStore
         var ccsAllAttemptsTask = _ccsAttempts.Find(value => value.UserId == userId).ToListAsync();
         var completedCcsCountTask = _ccsAttempts.CountDocumentsAsync(value => value.UserId == userId
             && value.State == CcsAttemptStates.Completed && value.CompletedUtc.HasValue);
-        var simulationsTask = _simulations.Find(value => value.UserId == userId && value.CreatedUtc >= trendStart).ToListAsync();
-        var latestScoreTask = _simulations.Find(value => value.UserId == userId
+        var simulationsTask = _simulations.Find(value => value.UserId == userId && !value.IsSample && value.CreatedUtc >= trendStart).ToListAsync();
+        var completedSimulationsTask = _simulations.Find(value => value.UserId == userId
             && value.State == ExamSimulationStates.Completed && value.Score != null)
-            .SortByDescending(value => value.CompletedUtc).FirstOrDefaultAsync();
+            .SortByDescending(value => value.CompletedUtc).ToListAsync();
         var bookmarkCountTask = _bookmarks.CountDocumentsAsync(value => value.UserId == userId);
         var notepadTask = _notes.Find(value => value.UserId == userId).FirstOrDefaultAsync();
         var reviewAttemptsTask = _reviewQueue.GetReviewsSinceAsync(userId, weekStart);
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public sealed class DashboardStore
         var flashcardReviewsTask = _flashcardSchedules.GetReviewsSinceAsync(userId, weekStart);
         var dynamicReviewsTask = _dynamicQuestions.DueReviewsAsync(userId, nowUtc);
         await Task.WhenAll(attemptsTask, ratingTask, ccsRatingTask, ccsAttemptsTask, ccsAllAttemptsTask, completedCcsCountTask,
-            simulationsTask, latestScoreTask, bookmarkCountTask, notepadTask, reviewAttemptsTask, flashcardCountsTask,
+            simulationsTask, completedSimulationsTask, bookmarkCountTask, notepadTask, reviewAttemptsTask, flashcardCountsTask,
             flashcardReviewsTask, dynamicReviewsTask);
 
         var attempts = attemptsTask.Result;
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public sealed class DashboardStore
         var ccsTotalTask = _ccsRatings.CountDocumentsAsync(FilterDefinition<CcsUserRating>.Empty);
         await Task.WhenAll(qbankHigherTask, qbankTotalTask, ccsHigherTask, ccsTotalTask);
 
-        var latestScore = latestScoreTask.Result?.Score;
+        var latestScore = SelectLatestReadinessScore(completedSimulationsTask.Result);
         var accuracySampleSize = recentAnswered.Count;
         var firstAttemptAccuracy = Percentage(recentAnswered.Count(value => value.IsCorrect), recentAnswered.Count);
         var performanceTrend = BuildPerformanceTrend(attempts, ratingTask.Result, ccsAllAttemptsTask.Result, ccsRatingTask.Result, today);
@@ -190,6 +190,13 @@ public sealed class DashboardStore
     public static string ReadinessLabel(double passProbability) =>
         passProbability >= 0.7 ? "High" : passProbability >= 0.4 ? "Medium" : "Low";
 
+    // completedSimulationsByRecency must already be sorted newest-first (by CompletedUtc).
+    // Sample simulations (QA-only, seeded via the SUPER-role "preview results" tooling with
+    // scripted answers) never reflect real performance, so they're skipped here rather than
+    // in the Mongo filter - keeping the "which one counts" decision unit-testable.
+    public static ExamSimulationScore? SelectLatestReadinessScore(IEnumerable<ExamSimulation> completedSimulationsByRecency) =>
+        completedSimulationsByRecency.FirstOrDefault(value => !value.IsSample)?.Score;
+
     public static int CalculateCurrentStreak(IEnumerable<DateTime> activeDates, DateTime todayUtc)
     {
         var dates = activeDates.Select(value => value.Date).ToHashSet();