Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Guardian Foundry.
Plans & Upgrade Paths
What is the difference between Trial, Adventurer, and Guardian?
When should I upgrade from Adventurer to Guardian?
Is Guild another learner plan?
Legacy & Platform Questions
How does Guardian Foundry relate to older Level Effect courses or subscriptions?
I am an existing Level Effect customer. Where should I start?
Can I start free and upgrade later?
Getting Started
What is Guardian Foundry?
Guardian Foundry is a gamified cybersecurity training platform. You take a discovery quiz to explore your strengths, train through quests and challenges, earn XP, and build a Skill Sheet that proves what you can do — all mapped to the NIST NICE workforce framework.
How does the Discovery Quiz work?
The quiz takes about 5 minutes. It presents scenario-based questions across cybersecurity domains, then maps your strengths to Guardian Roles — 41 archetypes representing real cybersecurity career paths. You can explore multiple roles and retake the quiz anytime.
Do I need cybersecurity experience to start?
Not at all. Guardian Foundry is designed for complete beginners through experienced professionals. The discovery quiz and personalized paths adapt to where you are.
Is there a free tier?
Yes. The free tier gives you access to the discovery quiz, a starter quest, select training modules, XP earning, and a basic Skill Sheet. No credit card required.
Training & Content
What kind of training is available?
Six training modes: read-and-study content, free-text answers, code challenges, multiple choice, report submissions, and hands-on labs. All mapped to real NICE competencies.
How does AI grading work?
When you submit answers, our AI evaluates your response against detailed rubrics and gives you instant, specific feedback — what you got right, what to improve, and why. Available on Adventurer and Guardian tiers.
What about human review?
Guardian tier subscribers can submit work for review by real cybersecurity professionals via our ticket system. Great for skill checks, reports, and complex challenges where expert feedback matters most.
How often is new content added?
Regularly. We drop new training modules, quests, and challenges on an ongoing basis. Follow our blog for content updates.
Skill Sheets & Career
What is a Skill Sheet?
Your Skill Sheet is a living portfolio of cybersecurity competencies. It tracks every skill you've demonstrated, maps them to the NICE framework, shows your progress across Guardian Roles, and can be shared with employers via a unique link.
Can I share my Skill Sheet with employers?
Yes. Adventurer and Guardian tier subscribers get a shareable link to their Skill Sheet. Guardian tier adds full analytics, gap analysis, and detailed role-match information.
What is the NICE framework?
NICE (National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education) is a federal workforce framework maintained by NIST that categorizes cybersecurity work into roles, competencies, and tasks. All Guardian Foundry training maps to NICE, so your skills are recognized industry-wide.
Pricing & Billing
How much does Guardian Foundry cost?
Trial is free. Adventurer is $29/month and is the main self-paced learning plan. Guardian is $79/month and adds coaching, walkthroughs, and higher-touch instructor support. Annual billing saves 15%. The Guild tier for teams ($119/month per seat, minimum 5 seats) is a sales-led team plan.
Can I change plans or cancel?
Yes. Upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime from your account settings. When you cancel, you keep access through the end of your billing period.
Is there a team or enterprise plan?
Yes. Guild is the team plan at $119/month per seat with a 5-seat minimum. It is designed for organizations and includes Guardian-tier access for each seat plus team dashboards, cohort tracking, and aggregated NICE-mapped reporting. Contact the team at leveleffect.com/enterprise to discuss Guild setup.