Ask what will be assessed
Before you prepare, ask about the format, duration, language choices and permitted tools. A pair-programming session, system-design discussion and take-home exercise require different practice.
Ask whether documentation, internet access or AI tools are allowed. Do not assume your normal working tools are permitted. Clarifying expectations is better than discovering a mismatch in the middle of an assessment.
Practise a repeatable problem-solving loop
Restate the problem, ask about constraints, outline a simple approach and test it against an example. Then implement and check edge cases. This makes your reasoning visible even when your first attempt is imperfect.
When stuck, describe what you know and isolate the uncertainty. A smaller working solution with clear limitations can lead to a better conversation than silent attempts to produce a clever answer.
- Clarify inputs, outputs and ambiguous requirements.
- Choose a straightforward starting approach.
- Test empty, invalid and boundary cases.
- Explain complexity or operational trade-offs when relevant.
Prepare stories from your own work
Choose a few examples: a difficult bug, a design decision, a collaboration challenge and something you improved. Structure each as context, your contribution, result and what you learned.
Keep claims accurate and separate your work from the team’s. If a result was not measured, say what changed rather than inventing a percentage. Respect confidentiality when describing production systems.
Use a focused one-week plan
Treat this as an adaptable practice schedule, not a promise that a week is enough for every role. Spend your effort on the format and skills the company actually uses.
- Days 1–2: understand the format and revisit relevant fundamentals.
- Days 3–4: practise realistic problems aloud and review mistakes.
- Day 5: rehearse project stories and a design discussion.
- Day 6: do a timed mock with someone who can give feedback.
- Day 7: check equipment, prepare questions and leave time to rest.
Handle assessments professionally
For a take-home, confirm the expected time and evaluation criteria. Document what you completed, what you did not, and how to run it. If the task appears to be substantial unpaid production work, ask for a smaller or alternative assessment.
Afterwards, record what you learned and request feedback where available. A rejection is one data point, not a complete verdict on your abilities. Use patterns across several interviews to decide what to practise next.
Your next steps
- Confirm format and allowed tools.
- Practise one problem aloud.
- Prepare four truthful project stories.
- Check equipment and ask about assessment time limits.
References and further reading
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