Coding Interviews are Becoming a Joke
A Reddit user shared that after spending three months in the free pool with no projects, he began job hunting, only to find that every Java backend role required over four years of experience. Meanwhile, at his current company, Wipro, he was required to take unproctored competency tests. Despite the challenge, he was able to complete these tests successfully using online resources. However, during his final proctored test, he confronted an unfamiliar IDE which lacked the code-completion features of IntelliSense. To tackle the problem, he used his local integrated development environment (IDE) before submitting the test. Days later, HR accused him of malpractice. Despite his detailed explaination on the matter, they refused to reconsider their decision and forced him to resign immediately without a second chance or even a proper notice period. This incident raises an important question: If companies are so stringent about proctoring, how do some candidates manage to clear interviews using AI? Recently, a LinkedIn user highlighted how AI-powered tools are helping candidates breeze through coding interviews. “Are coding interviews becoming a joke? Just came across an AI tool that…can auto-hide when screen sharing and stay invisible, generate natural reasoning for ‘your’ solution, and simulate real eye movements to bypass monitoring. And guess what? It’s open-source,” he said. His concern was clear: If AI can ‘clear’ coding rounds for candidates, are companies truly assessing real skills? Even if one AI tool is blocked, another will surface. So what’s next? Should companies rethink hiring strategies altogether, move to live pair-programming, go back to whiteboard interviews or let AI interview AI? In response, a user on LinkedIn with three decades of coding and over 25 years of teaching experience, said that Leetcode, Codepen or Hackerrank are simply not good enough. “If you’re hiring and you cannot give me two hours of your time for a coding session, or you don’t trust me enough to hand me an email challenge…Why should I commit to you?” This sentiment resonates with many in the developer community, who feel that technical interviews have become more of a formality than a true test of skills. Hear it From Experts In a conversation with AIM, Pratham Patel, a member of Rocky Enterprise Software Foundation, shared his perspective. “As an interviewee, I can say…that the interview process has become more of a formality than an actual test. It is unfortunate to see that interviewers are more interested in whether the candidate can provide code with flawed reasoning rather than understanding if they truly grasp programming and the art behind it.” Meanwhile, Krishna Vij, vice president of IT staffing at TeamLease Digital, pointed out that AI is pushing companies to rethink their hiring strategies. “How we assess technical talent is evolving and AI-driven tools are accelerating that shift. If a candidate uses AI to clear a coding test, we must ask ourselves: Are we truly measuring their skills or just their ability to leverage technology? This is why companies must rethink their hiring strategies, as standard coding tests alone are no longer sufficient in the current situation.” Vij added that the company is seeing a stronger push towards live coding interviews, project-based assessments, and in-depth problem-solving discussions. The focus now is on critical thinking, adaptability, and real-world application rather than just syntax and speed. Hiring processes must keep evolving because as AI gets smarter, so must the way companies evaluate talent. Similarly, Rahul Veerwal, founder and CEO of GetWork, reinforced this perspective and stressed the need for multi-layered assessments. “At GetWork.ai, we’ve seen firsthand how AI can enhance hiring, but we also recognise its potential for misuse. While AI-assisted cheating poses a challenge, the solution isn’t to abandon coding rounds but to evolve how we assess talent,” he explained. According to Veerwal, this is why GetWork believes the future of hiring lies in AI-proctored, dynamic assessments that test a candidate’s real problem-solving skills, not just their ability to recall syntax. Moreover, structured follow-ups like automated technical interviews can reveal a candidate’s practical knowledge beyond AI-aided solutions. “We also see immense potential for AI in levelling the playing field for job seekers, especially from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Our GenAI copilot, Horizon AI, helps candidates prepare for interviews, upskill, and build confidence, without crossing ethical boundaries,” he said. He stressed that companies have to move beyond one-dimensional coding tests. Implement multi-layered assessments, use proctored environments, and, most importantly, assess problem-solving approaches over perfect code output. What’s Next? Only about 10% of Indian engineering graduates possess adequate coding skills, according to a 2019 report by Aspiring Minds. More recently, a study by TeamLease found that merely 5.5% of Indian engineers are qualified with basic programming abilities. Source: Statista Furthermore, the Equinix 2023 Global Tech Trends Survey revealed that 86% of Indian businesses are actively reskilling their IT workers to address the industry’s needs. This proves that there are challenges in coding skills among Indian engineers, and so there is a strong demand for skilled professionals in emerging technologies. Hence, engineers must to upskill to stay in the race.
If companies are so stringent about proctoring, how do some candidates manage to clear interviews using AI?
Recently, a LinkedIn user highlighted how AI-powered tools are helping candidates breeze through coding interviews.
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Vidyashree is enthusiastic about investigative journalism. Now trying to explore how AI solves for all.