diff --git a/test/helpers/claude-pty-runner.ts b/test/helpers/claude-pty-runner.ts
index dcdbdfd7..92209d3e 100644
--- a/test/helpers/claude-pty-runner.ts
+++ b/test/helpers/claude-pty-runner.ts
@@ -284,6 +284,35 @@ export function parseNumberedOptions(
   return found;
 }
 
+/**
+ * The four /plan-ceo-review modes. Used by `skill-e2e-plan-ceo-mode-routing`
+ * to detect Step 0F mode-selection AskUserQuestions, and by the upcoming
+ * finding-count tests as a Step-0 boundary signal: an AUQ whose options
+ * match this regex IS the mode pick (the last Step-0 question for plan-ceo).
+ *
+ * Lifted out of the mode-routing test so multiple PTY tests can share one
+ * source of truth — when /plan-ceo-review adds a fifth mode, one regex updates
+ * everywhere instead of drifting per-test.
+ */
+export const MODE_RE = /HOLD SCOPE|SCOPE EXPANSION|SELECTIVE EXPANSION|SCOPE REDUCTION/i;
+
+/**
+ * Stable signature for a parsed numbered-option list — used by tests to detect
+ * "is this AUQ the same as the last poll, or has the agent advanced to a new
+ * one?" Joins each option as `${index}:${label}` after sorting by index.
+ *
+ * Defensive sort means the signature is order-independent at the input level,
+ * even though `parseNumberedOptions` already returns indices in ascending order.
+ */
+export function optionsSignature(
+  opts: Array<{ index: number; label: string }>,
+): string {
+  return [...opts]
+    .sort((a, b) => a.index - b.index)
+    .map((o) => `${o.index}:${o.label}`)
+    .join('|');
+}
+
 /**
  * Pure classifier for the visible TTY buffer. Decides which outcome the
  * polling loop should return on this tick, or `null` to keep polling.
diff --git a/test/skill-e2e-plan-ceo-mode-routing.test.ts b/test/skill-e2e-plan-ceo-mode-routing.test.ts
index e06e705d..0199413b 100644
--- a/test/skill-e2e-plan-ceo-mode-routing.test.ts
+++ b/test/skill-e2e-plan-ceo-mode-routing.test.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ import {
   isPermissionDialogVisible,
   parseNumberedOptions,
   isPlanReadyVisible,
+  MODE_RE,
+  optionsSignature,
   TAIL_SCAN_BYTES,
   type ClaudePtySession,
 } from './helpers/claude-pty-runner';
@@ -44,8 +46,6 @@ import {
 const shouldRun = !!process.env.EVALS && process.env.EVALS_TIER === 'periodic';
 const describeE2E = shouldRun ? describe : describe.skip;
 
-const MODE_RE = /HOLD SCOPE|SCOPE EXPANSION|SELECTIVE EXPANSION|SCOPE REDUCTION/i;
-
 interface ModeCase {
   mode: 'HOLD SCOPE' | 'SCOPE EXPANSION';
   /** Regex applied to visible-since-mode-pick text. At least one must match. */
@@ -96,8 +96,8 @@ async function navigateToModeAskUserQuestion(
 
     // Has the rendered list changed since last poll? If not, we're seeing
     // the same prompt and shouldn't double-press.
-    const sig = opts.map(o => `${o.index}:${o.label}`).join('|');
-    const lastSig = lastSeenList.map(o => `${o.index}:${o.label}`).join('|');
+    const sig = optionsSignature(opts);
+    const lastSig = optionsSignature(lastSeenList);
     if (sig === lastSig) continue;
     lastSeenList = opts;