EXAGEN INC

Conclusion Regarding the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that the information required to be disclosed by us in such reports is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable and not absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In reaching a reasonable level of assurance, management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. In addition, the design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, evaluated, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Based on that evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that as of December 31, 2023, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and our management necessarily applies its judgement in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Our internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that: (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors, and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. Because of its inherent limitations, internal controls over financial reporting may not prevent or detect all misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.

As of December 31, 2023, our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting using the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in

Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013 framework). Based on this assessment, our management concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, our internal control over financial reporting was effective.

Remediation of Previously Disclosed Material Weaknesses

On November 13, 2022, management and the Audit Committee determined that we made certain errors in revenue resulting from erroneous and duplicate billings related to changes in billing practices. The errors were due to the inadequate design, implementation and precision of internal controls and procedures to evaluate and monitor the accounting for revenue recognition. As a result, revenue and accounts receivable were overstated and other liabilities was understated for the quarter and year to date periods ended June 30, 2022.

We concluded that these were material errors in the financial statements requiring a restatement of the Form 10-Q for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022. Accordingly, management determined that this control deficiency constituted a material weakness as of December 31, 2022.

In response to the material weaknesses, and as previously disclosed in Item 9A of our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, we implemented a remediation plan which included, but was not limited to, evaluating the staffing level, skills and qualification of accounting department personnel, enhancement of our existing control structure and processes for revenue recognition and improving the detailed review process of our revenue recognition models. The enhancements made to our control environment were in place as of December 31, 2023, and based on the evaluation of relevant internal controls, management has concluded that the material weaknesses previously identified have been remediated as of December 31, 2023.

Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm

This Annual Report on Form 10-K does not include an attestation report of our registered public accounting firm due to an exemption provided by the JOBS Act for "emerging growth companies."

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Other than the remediation of the material weakness discussed above, there have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the three months ended December 31, 2023 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Inherent Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures

Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and our management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.