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Easy fix, which I have had jobs do, is to add an additional sentence to every coding challenge:

We don't expect you to complete the challenge.

It's not necessary to complete it to see if someone can code, and seeing the 75% done result and having a window to the thought process used, is just as valuable (or more) than a pass-fail evaluation.

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I just interviewed at a few companies, and passed the technical screens without completing any of the coding assignments. Some were close, but most of the time they told me up front that they didn't expect any complete solutions, and were using them to see how I would think through and discuss a problem.

Knowing the expected outcome up front makes a big difference in how I approach a problem, so I would usually ask what they are looking for.

That being said, I ended up taking a position as an SE2 where I thought I might end up as a Senior. I am sure getting farther in the coding challenges would have helped.

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