CoderPad Screen is the take-home test platform that used to be called CodinGame for Work. Employers send auto-graded programming questions alongside multiple-choice, free-text and sometimes game-style or project questions. This page covers what the CoderPad Screen assessment is, its format and timings, how it is scored, the rules to know before you start, how to prepare and a practice plan.
What the CoderPad Screen assessment is
CoderPad bought CodinGame for Work, announced in October 2021, and renamed it CoderPad Screen in February 2023. It is the same product, and old CodinGame links and logins still work. CoderPad Interview is a separate product for live interviews.
Format and timings
| Part | What it involves | Time and questions |
|---|---|---|
| Programming questions | Auto-graded by validators, similar to hidden test cases | Set by the employer, sometimes per question |
| Multiple choice and free text | Knowledge questions | Set by the employer |
| Game-style or project questions | Coding challenges in a game format, or a small project | Optional |
| Tutorial | Optional practice of the editor before the test | A few minutes |
Total: set by the employer; timers can apply per question.
How it is scored
- A point score with partial credit for validators passed, plus a comparison score against similar test takers that employers often see by default.
- Recruiters decide whether you see your score.
- When time runs out, your current code is submitted automatically.
Rules to know before you start
- Employers can turn on integrity settings: randomized questions, disabled paste, flags for leaving the test and code playback.
- Write and test your code inside the editor.
- You can click 'Request retest' in the report email; the employer decides, and can disable the feature.
How to prepare
- Do the built-in tutorial first.
- Test edge cases yourself: empty input, minimum and maximum sizes, duplicates and overflow.
- Keep code inside the editor, since pastes and window exits can be recorded.
- Budget time per question if the employer set per-question timers.
A practice plan
- Day 1: read the platform's candidate guide and try its practice environment.
- Days 2 to 4: two timed problems a day in your test language, writing your own edge-case tests.
- Day 5: one full mock under the real time limit.
- Day 6: review mistakes and the input and output rules.
- Day 7: take the test in one sitting with a stable connection.
Related guides: what an online assessment is, the HackerRank assessment guide, the CodeSignal assessment guide.
On the day, and the mistakes to avoid
- Check the platform, the allowed languages and the time limit in the invitation.
- Try the practice environment or tutorial so the editor and run buttons are not new.
- Use a reliable computer on a stable connection, with other apps and tabs closed.
- Read every problem before starting, and do the quickest ones first.
- Write and run your own edge-case tests before submitting.
- Keep a few minutes at the end to check output formats and resubmit if needed.
Mistakes that cost candidates:
- Writing an elegant solution that fails large hidden tests because of its complexity.
- Mismatched output formats: extra spaces, prompts or debug prints.
- Spending most of the time on one hard problem while easier points go unclaimed.
- Pasting code you did not write, which integrity settings can flag.
- Not reading the input limits, so a solution that works on samples times out.
What happens after the CoderPad Screen assessment
If you pass, the next stage is usually a technical interview, and some interviewers ask about your assessment solution. Be ready to explain your approach and its complexity out loud, and prepare two or three behavioral stories for the conversations that follow. For the next stage, see software engineer behavioral answers.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
Online assessments are tests you take on your own: outside help is not allowed, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or a second voice. Practice beforehand instead. CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant; its free AI mock interview prepares you for the interviews that follow the assessment, with questions built from your résumé and the job description and each spoken answer scored out of ten. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. Read the invitation carefully and follow your employer's rules.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
Is CoderPad Screen the same as CodinGame?
Yes. CodinGame for Work was renamed CoderPad Screen in 2023 after CoderPad bought it. Old CodinGame links still work.
Can I request a retest?
Yes, from the report email, but the employer decides and may send a new or different test.
What happens when time runs out?
Your current code is submitted automatically.
Can employers see if I paste code?
They can disable paste and use code playback, which records runs, pastes and window exits. Write your code in the editor.
Can I use AI tools during the CoderPad Screen assessment?
No, unless the instructions explicitly allow it. Assessments are meant to be taken on your own, and proctoring settings can flag other apps, tab switches or pasted code. Use AI tools to practice beforehand, and follow your employer's rules.
Practice this interview before the real one
The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.
Start a mock interview