I've been running around the world of remote job postings and applying to some for context on what I am working on and what to do next.
I'm finding that most are now requiring online coding exams which is something that was not around 5 or so years ago. I've really had mixed feelings about them - some seem to have great tests that I actually feel like test whether or not you are a fake developer but others are just totally off-base and do not test anything worthwhile.
What do you all think? Good? Bad?
Top comments (3)
I think tests are good - I've been on both sides, both as hiring manager, and as developer applying for a job.
When hiring someone , it can be very difficult to judge if someone is able to write good code based on just talking to them. If you give them a coding test, you get a chance to test them on many levels - how they interpret requirements, how they solve problems and what their actual code looks like. A good test should be designed to cover these areas, or highlight areas that you think are important.
You can't just give candidates any random test though, it has to be well thought out, and there should be a good discussion with the candidates about it before they do it.
Yeah I agree completely. I think my biggest issue is that some just do not feel well thought out. If they allow you to show your coding, I think that is great.
I've recently started a post where I'm gathering some data on the effectiveness of these things from our perspective (not necessarily an employer perspective). If anybody wants to help fill this data (the questions are short and pretty easy), you can find out more about it here