An online assessment (OA) or a phone screen is the first gate after the résumé. It is a screen, not the interview. It tests whether you can get through a short problem under conditions the company chooses, and it costs you hours you do not have. This chapter helps you decide whether to take one, how to fit it around a job, what proctoring can and cannot see, and what to do when a take-home allows AI. Rules differ by company and change often. The only reliable source for any one assessment is the invitation email and the page it links to.
The usual kinds
Names change, but most screens fall into five types. Check which one you were sent before you plan.
| Kind | What it looks like | What to do first |
|---|---|---|
| Timed coding test | A platform link, a fixed window, two or three problems, often with a webcam or a screen recording | Open the sample test if there is one. Read the rules page before the window starts. |
| Live phone or video screen | A 45 to 60 minute call with an engineer, one coding problem or a short design chat | Ask the recruiter what the round covers and which editor is used. |
| Take-home project | A small build, a bug-fix or a write-up, to be done over days | Ask the time limit they expect and whether AI tools are allowed. Get both in writing. |
| Design or architecture screen | A short design problem, sometimes written, sometimes on a call | Use your method from the design script, shortened. |
| AI-allowed screen | An assistant is part of the task, and the interviewer watches how you use it | See the AI-era loop. |
Should you take it at all?
Every assessment costs hours, and you have a limited number of them. Use a rule you can state before you open the email. This is judgement, not research.
- Is this a company on my list?Tier 3 means take it as practice; tier 1 means take it, but only after you have done a few.
- Does the role, level and pay fit?Ask the recruiter for the level and band before you spend three hours.
- Is the time cost bounded?A 90-minute test is fine. A 2-day take-home with no limit is a different question.
- Can I do it on my own device and time?If it needs a quiet room and a camera, can you get one this week?
- Do I know the rules on AI, tools and notes?If the invitation does not say, ask. Do not guess.
If you can say yes to most of those, take it. If it is a two-day project for a role you are lukewarm on, you can decline politely and keep the hours for a better process.
"Thanks for the details. I'm working full time, so a multi-day take-home is hard for me. Is there a shorter alternative, such as a live problem, or a clear limit on the time you expect me to spend?" Adapt it to your own situation.