Coding interview practice, out loud
Solve real problems in an editor while Vera listens, asks for your plan and its complexity, and pushes on edge cases. After 45 minutes you get a report that scores each skill and quotes what you said.
- 45 min
- Two at regular, one deeper at lead
- Up to three small nudges
- Python, Java, Go, C++ or TypeScript
How the round runs
- 01
Approach
Clarify the problem and say your plan and its complexity before you type. A brute-force plan gets one question back: can you do better?
- 02
Implementation
Write the code while you talk. Vera stays mostly quiet and only nudges if you go silent for a long time or are clearly stuck.
- 03
Testing and follow-ups
Walk through an example, name the edge cases, give time and space complexity, then take a follow-up. At lead level Vera also asks what changes in production.
What the report scores
Each skill gets a score from 1 to 5 against the bar for your level, with the quotes it is based on and the time you said them. The report ends with one thing to fix next.
- Problem solving
- Code quality and correctness
- Complexity and optimization
- Testing and edge cases
- Communication
At lead level, also: Production thinking.
How the real round works
A live coding interview usually runs 45 to 60 minutes around one or two problems: clarify and plan, write the code while explaining it, test it, then discuss complexity and a follow-up. The guides we read agree that four things are scored, under different names: communication, problem solving, code quality and testing. The failures they report most are coding before a plan, working in silence and declaring the code done without testing it.
How coding interviews work: structure, signals and common mistakesRegular and lead level
- Regular
- Two problems. The bar is a working solution, correct complexity, clear communication and sensible testing. Recovering well after a hint counts.
- Lead
- One problem taken further, with harder variants once the code works, plus production questions: scale, concurrency, failure and observability.
Length: 45 minutes at either level.
In each role
- Software Engineering
Coding. Solve algorithmic problems live while explaining your thinking.
- Data Science
SQL & pandas. Write SQL and pandas to answer product questions from data.
- Machine Learning
ML coding. Implement ML building blocks and data code from scratch.
- Quant Developer (C++)
Coding (performance). Data structures and algorithms with a performance and memory focus.
See the feedback before you start
Full reports from the real report pipeline, for a fictional student and a scripted interview.
Questions
Can I run my code during the interview?
Yes. The editor runs your code against the problem’s examples and Vera sees the result. Vera does not fix the bug for you: expect a question about what you expected and why a case fails.
Do I have to talk while I code?
Yes, that is what the round practises. Real coding interviews score how you think, so say your plan before you type and narrate the main decisions. If you go quiet for a long time, Vera asks you to talk it through.
What if I get stuck?
Say so, or ask for a hint. Vera gives a small nudge toward the next step, at most three in a round, and never the answer.
Which language should I pick?
The one you are most fluent in. Software engineering rounds take Python, Java, Go, C++ or TypeScript. Data science coding is SQL and pandas, and the quant track codes in C++.