Question 1

Is the Cursor Academy free?

Accepted Answer

Yes, 100% free. No sign-up, no credit card. All 13 modules, 21 lessons, and 65+ quizzes are immediately accessible. Progress saves locally in your browser.

Question 2

What topics does the Cursor Academy cover?

Accepted Answer

The course covers Cursor installation, VS Code migration, Tab autocomplete, the Agent side pane with Agent/Plan/Ask modes, Inline Edit, Cursor Rules & AGENTS.md, Agent Skills, Hooks, MCP integration, Cloud Agents & Automations, Bugbot code review, the Agents Window, Canvases, the Cursor SDK, privacy & enterprise features, pricing plans, and power-user shortcuts.

Question 3

Is Cursor better than GitHub Copilot?

Accepted Answer

Cursor excels at agentic workflows, multi-file editing, and autonomous coding with its Agent and unlimited parallel Cloud Agents. Copilot has better JetBrains support and enterprise compliance. This course teaches you to maximize Cursor's unique strengths.

Question 4

What are .cursorrules?

Accepted Answer

.cursorrules (and the modern .cursor/rules/*.mdc format) are project-level configuration files that give Cursor's AI persistent instructions about your codebase - coding standards, conventions, and behavior rules. Cursor also supports AGENTS.md files, User Rules, and dashboard-managed Team Rules.

Question 5

Do I need programming experience?

Accepted Answer

No prerequisites required. The course starts from absolute basics (installation & setup) and progressively advances to expert topics like Cloud Agents, Hooks, MCP integration, and enterprise deployment.

Question 6

Is my code safe with Cursor?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Cursor offers Privacy Mode on every plan - with it enabled, your code is never used for training, and team members inherit their team's setting. Cursor is SOC 2 Type II certified with SAML SSO, SCIM, audit logs, and CMEK for enterprise security.

Question 7

What does Cursor Pro cost?

Accepted Answer

Cursor Pro is $20/month. It includes unlimited Tab completions, a generous first-party pool for Auto, Composer 2.5, and Grok 4.5, plus a $20/month API-model allowance, Bugbot access, and Cloud Agents. Pro+ is $60 and Ultra is $200 with larger allowances.

Question 8

Can I use my VS Code extensions in Cursor?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Cursor is a VS Code fork. All VS Code extensions, themes, keybindings, and settings work natively. On first launch, Cursor offers a one-click migration from VS Code.

Question 9

What is Agent Mode?

Accepted Answer

The Agent is Cursor's autonomous coding mode. It can plan changes, create/modify multiple files, run terminal commands, execute tests, and self-correct based on error output - with automatic checkpoints so you can roll back any step. Plan Mode and read-only Ask Mode complete the picture.

Question 10

What models does Cursor support?

Accepted Answer

Cursor supports Claude Fable 5, Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Sonnet 5, Cursor's own Composer 2.5, the GPT-5.6 family, Gemini 3.1 Pro / 3.5 Flash, and Grok 4.5. Auto mode intelligently routes to the optimal model for each task.

Question 11

Does the Cursor Academy include hands-on labs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hands-on terminal labs are built into the lessons - install the Cursor CLI and run the agent headless in CI using real, vendor-verified commands, with objectives, hints, solutions, and XP rewards. No sign-up or setup needed.

Shortcut	Action	Pro Tip
`Ctrl+I` / `Ctrl+L`	Toggle Agent side pane	Your hub for chat, agent tasks, and modes
`Ctrl+K`	Inline Edit	Select code first — works in the terminal too
`Shift+Tab`	Rotate Agent / Plan / Ask	Plan first on big changes
`Ctrl+/`	Cycle models	Jump between Composer 2.5 and frontier models
`Ctrl+E`	Toggle agent layout	Sidebar ↔ full editor layout
`Ctrl+→`	Partial Tab accept	Accept suggestions word-by-word
`Ctrl+Enter`	Accept all changes	`Ctrl+Backspace` rejects them
`Ctrl+Shift+L`	Add selection to chat	Fastest way to give the agent exact context
`Ctrl+Shift+J`	Cursor Settings	Rules, models, features in one place
`Ctrl+Shift+Space`	Voice mode	Dictate prompts hands-free

Issue	Solution
Slow responses	Start a fresh conversation, switch to a faster model (Gemini 3.5 Flash, Composer 2.5)
High memory usage	Close unused tabs, restart Cursor periodically
Agent going in circles	Restore a checkpoint, switch to Plan Mode, tighten the prompt
Rules not applying	Check the extension — project rules must be `.mdc`, not `.md`

Power User Shortcuts & Tips

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Productivity Workflows

Troubleshooting Common Issues