diff --git a/.Rbuildignore b/.Rbuildignore
index 1c85620..b85d639 100644
--- a/.Rbuildignore
+++ b/.Rbuildignore
@@ -15,3 +15,5 @@
 ^registered_agents\.json$
 ^task_agent_mapping\.json$
 ^\.gitleaks\.toml$
+^\.jules$
+^\.jules/.*
diff --git a/.jules/bolt.md b/.jules/bolt.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..780242c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.jules/bolt.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+## 2024-07-25 - Prevent redundant expensive operations (mirt::fscores)
+**Learning:** In the `aFIPC` package, calculating `mirt::fscores(..., method = 'MAP')` is an expensive operation. Previously, it was called redundantly: once to calculate expected scores (`mirt::expected.test`) and once again to return the `Theta` variables.
+**Action:** Always pre-calculate expensive operations like `fscores` and store them in variables to reuse them, avoiding redundant CPU cycles.
diff --git a/R/aFIPC.R b/R/aFIPC.R
index 81b6cc9..c60048f 100644
--- a/R/aFIPC.R
+++ b/R/aFIPC.R
@@ -1002,28 +1002,28 @@ autoFIPC <-
     #   stop('Estimation failed. Please check test quality.')
     # }
 
+    # calculate theta
+    ThetaOldform <- fscores(oldFormModel, method = 'MAP')
+    ThetaLinkedform <- fscores(LinkedModel, method = 'MAP')
+    ThetaNewform <- fscores(newFormModel, method = 'MAP')
+
     # calculate expected score
     ExpectedScoreOldform <-
       mirt::expected.test(
         x = oldFormModel,
-        Theta = fscores(oldFormModel, method = 'MAP')
+        Theta = ThetaOldform
       )
     ExpectedScoreLinkedform <-
       mirt::expected.test(
         x = LinkedModel,
-        Theta = fscores(LinkedModel, method = 'MAP')
+        Theta = ThetaLinkedform
       )
     ExpectedScoreNewform <-
       mirt::expected.test(
         x = newFormModel,
-        Theta = fscores(newFormModel, method = 'MAP')
+        Theta = ThetaNewform
       )
 
-    # calculate theta
-    ThetaOldform <- fscores(oldFormModel, method = 'MAP')
-    ThetaLinkedform <- fscores(LinkedModel, method = 'MAP')
-    ThetaNewform <- fscores(newFormModel, method = 'MAP')
-
     # save results as object
     modelReturn <- new.env()
     modelReturn$oldFormModel <- oldFormModel