CodeSignal is primarily used by companies for their GCA (General Coding Assessment), which serves as a standardized coding examination (think of it as the SAT/ACT of coding for those in the US). This standardization has important implications:

• You can submit a test result to multiple companies. This works both ways – a good score means you won't need to retake the test for a while since you can share that result with other companies. However, if you perform poorly and multiple companies request that score (and you don't have a better one to share), it could impact multiple applications.

• This is typically the most strictly proctored test you'll encounter. Most companies require the proctored version of the GCA, which includes:

  • Screen sharing
  • ID verification before the test
  • Video recording (though companies don't receive this data; it's only used to verify no cheating occurred)

  While some companies accept unproctored tests, it's recommended to opt for proctoring since unproctored results can't be shared with companies requiring proctored scores.

The GCA's standardized nature means you'll see more consistent question patterns compared to other assessment types. The 70-minute test consists of 4 questions:

• Q1 and Q2 are straightforward and should be completed as quickly as possible.
• Q3 is usually implementation-heavy and very bashing-friendly. This means you won't need to worry much about algorithmic complexity – the solution may be lengthy, but it's about implementing exactly what's asked without focusing on optimization.
• Q4 is purely algorithmic – here you must ensure optimal time complexity. From experience, Q4 typically involves clever hashmap applications, and you'll need thorough knowledge of hashmap operations. While greedy problems might appear, DP (dynamic programming) questions are not included in this test.

You can find questions from past GCAs here. Questions are tagged with categories like Q3 to indicate their position in the test. Since CodeSignal reuses questions, you might encounter the same ones in your test so make sure to practice them!

Scoring System

Scores range from 200 to 600, with higher scores being better. A perfect score of 600 requires completing all four questions correctly.

Changes for spring 2023

Previously, CodeSignal GCA used a 300-850 score scale. Since spring 2023, they've switched to a 200-600 scale to align with their other assessments. Important notes:

• The test content remains unchanged
• Partial credit is now more generous for imperfect solutions (like Q4 TLE cases with brute-force approaches). Previously, imperfect solutions earned minimal points; this is no longer true.
• While CodeSignal provides a conversion table between old and new scales, it's oversimplified. Direct conversions aren't reliable since scoring parameters have changed (especially regarding partial credit). For example, a 779 on the old scale might equate to either 550 or 520 on the new scale. You'll need to verify your new score independently.

Retaking Tests

CodeSignal's retake policy has become more restrictive since 2023:

• Maximum two tests in any rolling 30-day period
• Maximum three tests in any rolling 6-month period This increases the importance of each attempt. The only exception is when you lack a valid result for company requirements.

Result Validity

While test results don't technically expire, companies can set age limits for results, as detailed here. If a company requires results from the last 6 months and your latest result is older, you'll need to retake the test. These age restrictions don't affect companies without such requirements, and you can always retake the test even with a valid result meeting the age limit.

General Tips

Practice with our sample CodeSignal GCA problems here (look for General tags). Since CodeSignal reuses questions, practicing these might give you an advantage!

Submit as much code as possible. With the spring 2023 changes, partial solutions receive more generous scoring. A brute-force solution for Q4 earning partial credit is better than no submission.

In rare cases, you might receive a non-GCA test (with company-specific questions, similar to HackerRank, without scaled scoring). The email invitation will clearly indicate whether it's a GCA test.

Industry Coding Framework

The CodeSignal Industry Coding Framework (ICF) offers a more practical assessment reflecting real-world development. Instead of focusing on algorithms, you'll tackle a problem in progressive stages, similar to actual feature development. For example, you might start with basic booking functionality, then add user management, conflict handling, and business rules. The emphasis is on writing functional code efficiently.

Check out questions tagged with Industry Coding Framework here for actual ICF problems that have appeared in the past.

References

• https://www.1point3acres.com/bbs/thread-938437-1-1.html
• https://github.com/Leader-board/OA-and-Interviews/blob/main/Online%20Assessments.md