A coding interview – is a technical assessment aimed at the evaluation of a potential candidate’s professional efficiency. Professional efficiency is determined by how well a candidate can solve tasks connected directly with software development creation.
Usually, the assessment covers a wide range of knowledge areas, for example:
- Algorithms;
- Artificial Intelligence;
- Distributed Systems;
- Databases;
- Mathematics;
- Cryptography and Security;
- Language-specific domains: Java, React, Angular, C++, Ruby, Python, Linux shell, SQL.
Nowadays, there is a great variety of coding interview platforms where you can find tasks to check the level of the developer. Choosing the platform, you should pay attention to:
- Fast and intuitive interface. Even if you are a CTO, it is very unlikely that you would like to spend your time setting up and controlling every selection process. Therefore, choose a platform anyone can easily get along with.
- Clear and reasonable pricing. At some coding interview platforms, prices can be as high as $5000, while being as low as $150 at other coding interview platforms at the same time. You need a platform that will enable you to interview enough candidates at a reasonable cost. Otherwise, the hiring process can become quite costly.
- Large task library. You need to make sure that the chosen platform suits you: and provides tasks for the position of candidates you hire. And also provides a possibility to upload your tasks if necessary.
There are also important functions like fraud detection, API integration, etc. They are also important but depend on your project, working processes, and the pool of candidates.
Below, we listed the most popular coding interview platforms in compliance with the following criteria:
- The level of developer a platform is appropriate for juniors, middle, and seniors;
- Pricing;
- Programming languages and technologies;
- Main features;
- Real user reviews.
1. Coderbyte
Level of developers: beginner-to-advanced
Pricing:
Starting price: $199/month
Free trial version: Available for 14 days
Coderbyte also offers a pricing plan for $10/candidate. 50 candidates at $500
Task Library: 400+ tasks, 30+ programming languages
Coderbyte key features:
- Whiteboarding. Allows users to draw flowcharts and diagrams during a session. When opening a board, a user has two options: create a new board or download the existing board from the Miro account.
- Coding video recording. It allows getting an understanding of the way candidates think while writing the code.
- Video/audio chat and time limit for a coding task.
- Using own tests. Use this function if you are technically savvy, and don’t need assistance in creating estimates, choosing tasks, and setting up parameters.
- Anti-plagiarism functions:
– Google search: tells how often a candidate Googles, as well as reports on all copy-pastes.
– In Settings, you will find an option that enables masking of task titles to avoid further fraud.
– There is a special plagiarism ranking: frequency of copy-pasting, using search, and leaving the task tab. - Free access to Candidate reports.
Reviews:
Find more reviews on G2.
2. HackerRank
Level of developers: beginner-to-advanced
Pricing:
Starting price: $100/month
Free trial version: Available for 14 days
Task library: 80+ Technical Roles, 40+ languages, and 8 frameworks
HackerRank key features:
- Large library. You can import questions from a library or create your own.
- Developer-friendly IDE. A developer-friendly environment with support for Docker containers, debugging, autofill, git integration, etc.
- Audio/Video chat. One-to-one or group interviews.
- Plagiarism and proctoring controls. Detects when a candidate closes a task tab.
- Creating tests via API
- Automatic interview recording.
Reviews:
Find more reviews on G2.
3. CoderPad
Level of developers: intermediate-to-advanced
Pricing:
Starting price: $100/month – 5 interviews
Free trial version: Available for 7 days
If you register for a trial version but don’t renew it, you will automatically be registered for a Free plan. This version provides two free pads (a pad – is an interview session at which a candidate writes his code).
Task library: 30 + supported programming languages
CoderPad key features:
- Drawing Mode. The function of the virtual board, let visualization of a technical chat: draw a diagram or describe technical architecture.
- Focus Time. Five minutes of pause for a candidate. This gives a candidate the possibility to focus and reflect on the challenge. Having this option, a candidate doesn’t feel the pressure of being estimated.
- Customizable environments. Allow you to create the list of questions in addition to the bank of questions available on the platform. Questions can be written in any programming language, or markdown can be used to write a non-language-related question. You can attach user files or databases to make the task more complicated.
- The platform is integrated with popular recruiting tools such as Greenhouse, Lever, and Good Time.
- Single Sign-On (SSO). The authentication process allows a user to get access to several third-party applications with the same set of credentials. Single sign-on helps to easily manage the team members in your account.
Reviews:
Find more reviews on G2.
4. Codility
Level of developers: intermediate
Pricing:
There is no trial version.
Starting price: $100/month
Pricing details: Provided by Vendor
Task Library: over 40 languages and technologies
Codility key features:
- High-scale plagiarism detection. This function detects when a candidate wants to cheat, for instance, to close the tab with the task.
- The product Code Live allows candidates and employers to organize online interviews using real tasks in a common development environment.
- The platform is equipped with built-in audio/video recording.
- Whiteboard – Canvas. Allows users to draw flowcharts and diagrams during sessions.
- Flexible interview settings (based on user tasks, previously selected templates, and previous materials).
- Time scale. The function shows how much time it took a user to accomplish a particular task and the whole coding process.
- Live pair programming in the shared editor. Allows candidates to show their skills in real-time: the process of writing code, communication skills, etc.
Reviews:
Find more reviews on G2.
5. CodeSignal
Level of developers: intermediate-to-advanced
Pricing:
Starting price: FREE or Upgrade to Cosmo+ for $24.99/month
Task Library: 4000 tasks, 70+ programming languages, libraries, etc.
CodeSignal key features:
- Monaco-powered IDE that brings the familiar environment of Visual Studio Code to the cloud.
- Virtual whiteboard for system design interviews. The function enables drawing on flowcharts and diagrams during sessions.
- Real-time mode of communication between a candidate and an interviewer, including built-in video conferencing.
- ATS Integration + Chrome Extension.
- Coding assessment in CodeSignal can help you compare the qualifications of your candidate to the skills of developers around the world.
- Online Proctoring. The feature allows you to improve the reliability of assessments using online proctoring and identity verification.
Reviews:
Find more reviews on G2.
6. Qualified
Level of developers: intermediate
Pricing:
Free trial version: Available for 14 days
For more detailed information on pricing models, you should contact Qualified directly.
Task Library: The number of languages and tasks is not specified
Qualified key features:
- Use your External IDE. The library contains many tasks that can be customized for use with all or some of the Qualified supported languages. You can create your tasks and add textual examples for every language.
- Test-driven scoring (TDD). Qualified use unit (module) testing to check the sent code. The main goal is to check that every unit of the program code works in a due manner.
- Detailed statistics. You can compare the results of candidates’ work with your team or all other developers across the corresponding platform. You can also check how well every coding task is performed.
- Code similarity and risk detection. This function compares similar solutions to define the potential plagiarism of code. This guarantees that the presented code is an original work.
- Blind evaluation. The feature deletes identifying information from the sent code. Thus, you can find talents based on the merits and demonstrated skills, rather than an outstanding CV.
- Automated evaluation. This code assessment tool in Qualified makes the toughest part of work for you, answering the question: “Can a developer fulfill this work?”.
- Live pair programming. With this feature, developers can tell you in real-time about every step in their code.
- Code reproduction. This function allows the reproduction of any segment of coding, revealing the thinking process of any developer and his potential to solve problems.
- Integration with API, Webhooks, or Zapier
Reviews:
Find more reviews on G2.
7. iMocha
Level of developers: beginner-to-intermediate
Pricing:
Availability of trial version.
You can get the price in touch with our team to assist with custom pricing.
Task Library: 25 programming languages, 1500+ tasks
iMocha key features:
- Live interviews. You can assess developers’ programming, analytical, and communication skills in real-time mode.
- AI-enabled proctoring. The platform has built-in functions for capturing images, audio, and video in real time. Any suspicious activity or behavior will be noted on the assessment report. It also provides such control measures, blocking windows and tracking IP addresses.
- AI-LogicBox(assessment of digital skills: Salesforce, UiPath, AWS, Azure, SAP, BluePrism, etc.) and AI-EnglishPro (assessment of candidates’ communication skills).
- Customizable assessment method. You can add your questions, links to tests, set time-bound assessments, etc.
- Automatic assessment of candidates. If you don’t want to assess a candidate personally, you can start an automatic candidate assessment with the help of DIY integration. Experts provide an assessment within just 48 hours.
Reviews:
Find more reviews on G2.
8. DevSkiller
Level of developers: beginner-to-intermediate
Pricing:
Starting price: $3600.00 /annual
Free trial version: Available for 7 days.
Task Library: 24 programming languages and frameworks
DevSkiller key features:
- Ready and user tasks. Use ready tests created by experts (almost 4000 tasks) or create your solutions, for instance:
– Code gaps. You can download a code snippet with gaps that are to be filled by a candidate.
– Choice questions. You can create a question with multiple or single variants of answers. - Natural programming environment. An opportunity to let candidates work in their integrated development environment (IDE) to see their real skills. Candidates can choose how they want to edit the code (process like CI / CD based on Git repositories).
- Features let you check if a candidate cheats on you:
– The address of a candidate will inform you about the approximate location of the test.
– Similarity check. It will show you the similarity level of the candidate’s answer compared to the most similar answers for the same task on the platform (the whole system).
– Session recording. You will be able to rewatch the candidate’s test. This means you can see the keystrokes (where they pressed and what they typed) in real time.
– Static camera input. I will let you ask the candidate to take a photo of himself at any stage of the test.
– Code pair. It enables watching the candidate live with video on. This way, you can see exactly who is taking the test. You can also code with the candidate – if there are any problems, you can edit his code and give a hint if necessary.
– Social monitoring tools. Devskiller constantly monitors the Internet to find out where and by whom they are mentioned. This means that you or the candidate won’t be able to find on Google the questions and answers from the platform’s database.
Reviews:
Find more reviews on G2.
What coding interview platform to choose
We provided a list of the most popular coding interview platforms to assess the coding skills of a candidate. The platforms listed above will allow you to run a real-time assessment of potential candidates’ knowledge and skills using previously prepared or tailored tasks.
Each coding interview platform offers a different set of features. You should choose the ones that best suit your company’s needs.