How to Prepare for a HackerRank Test (2026 Guide)

A practical HackerRank assessment guide for candidates, built from HackerRank's own candidate knowledge base.

The short answer

A HackerRank test is an online assessment a company builds on HackerRank's platform, usually as the first technical screen. Most tests are coding problems scored automatically by test cases, sometimes mixed with multiple choice, SQL or project tasks. The best HackerRank interview preparation is boring and effective: take the Sample Test to learn the editor, practice with HackerRank's free Interview Preparation Kit, learn exactly how partial credit and hidden test cases work, and read the integrity rules, because leaving full screen or switching tabs counts against you. Use a laptop, not a phone.

What a HackerRank test is, and what it can include

The hiring company writes or selects every question, sets the time limit and the test window, and owns the results. HackerRank provides the platform and a candidate support team. Your test login page shows the duration and a "Test format" section with the number and type of questions, so you'll know what you face before you start.

HackerRank lists many question types. Here's how the common ones are graded, according to its candidate knowledge base:

Question type	What you do	How it's usually scored
Coding	Write a solution in the IDE in one of the languages the company enabled	Automatically, by how many test cases pass; partial credit is possible
Database	Write SQL queries	Automatically: matching result gets full marks, otherwise zero
Front-end, back-end, full-stack, mobile	Build or fix a small project	Unit tests, or manual review for HTML, CSS and JavaScript pages
Multiple choice	Pick one or more answers	Automatically; the company may turn on negative marking
Subjective, diagram, whiteboard	Write, draw or explain	Usually reviewed by a person
Data science, DevOps, cloud	Work in Jupyter, a Linux VM, or a cloud console	DevOps tasks are checked by a script the company writes; other types vary

Before your HackerRank assessment: setup checklist

Use a PC or laptop. HackerRank says phones and iPads aren't supported for tests.
Use Chrome, Firefox or Edge. They're fully supported. Brave isn't.
Check your connection. HackerRank rates 10 Mbps as good and 0.5 Mbps as bad for project-style questions.
Read the invite for proctoring. If your test is proctored, the invitation says so, and you'll need a working webcam.
Watch for the Desktop App. Some tests ask you to install HackerRank's Desktop App (Windows 10 or 11, macOS 12 or later), which blocks other apps, browsers and tabs while you work. On a Mac it asks for camera and screen-recording permission. Install it the day before.
Take the Sample Test from the login page. It's optional, and it's the easiest way to learn the editor without a clock.
Note the test window. It's in your invitation; if none is listed, the company hasn't set a deadline. HackerRank can't reschedule tests, so timing changes go through the recruiter.
Plan for power. Plug in. HackerRank's checklist asks for uninterrupted internet and power.

How HackerRank scores your code

This is the part that costs candidates the most points, and it's simple once you know it.

Test cases decide the score. Each coding question runs your code against test cases. Pass all of them for full marks, some for partial marks, none for zero.
Some test cases are hidden. They check edge cases like boundaries and error handling, and you won't see their expected output. HackerRank says you can print debug output to see why a hidden case fails, unless the company turned that off.
Format must match exactly. A correct answer printed with an extra space or the wrong line breaks fails. Read the output format line twice.
Run, then save. "Run Code" compiles and tests. "Save & Proceed" submits. If time ends before you submit, HackerRank evaluates your last compiled version. Code you typed but never ran or submitted is not evaluated, so run early and often.
You can revise. You can return to questions and resubmit while they're open, unless a timed section has closed.

Strategy that follows from this: get a simple, correct solution passing the visible cases first, submit it, then improve it for the edge cases and performance limits the hidden cases probably test. HackerRank's Execution Environment panel shows time and memory limits for each language.

HackerRank interview preparation: a 10-day plan

HackerRank's free Interview Preparation Kit groups practice challenges by topic and shows how often companies test each one. It says, for example, that 70% of companies test arrays and 40% test hash maps, sorting and string manipulation. Here's a plan built on that kit:

Days	Topics	Target
1	Sample Test and warm-up challenges	Comfortable with the editor, Run Code and input/output
2 to 4	Arrays, dictionaries and hash maps, strings	Solve easy problems in under 15 minutes
5 to 6	Sorting, searching, greedy algorithms	Explain the time complexity of each solution
7 to 8	Stacks and queues, trees, graphs, dynamic programming basics	One medium problem a day without hints
9	Role extras: SQL, front-end or the stack in the job post	One timed problem in each format your test lists
10	Full timed mock, then rest	Finish within the time your invite states

If the role names a language, sharpen it with our Python, Java or SQL interview questions. If you're invited to a live HackerRank interview afterward, practice solving while explaining your reasoning out loud.

The AI Assistant, proctoring and integrity rules

HackerRank now builds an AI Assistant into some tests. The company decides whether it's on and how much it can do:

Guarded mode helps with syntax, navigating a project and understanding errors, but won't write complete solutions.
Unguarded mode works like a modern AI coding tool, with planning, an agent that can write code, inline completions and a choice of models.
If it's enabled, the onboarding instructions say so and a panel appears in your editor. If you don't see the panel, it's not part of your test.
It's optional and doesn't change your score directly, but HackerRank records your conversation and shows it to the evaluator. Prompt the way you'd want a reviewer to read.

Everything else is governed by HackerRank's integrity rules. It lists these as malpractice: copying code from books or websites, getting help from another person, submitting code that closely matches another candidate's, exiting full-screen mode, and switching tabs or leaving the test window. Its automated plagiarism checks look for matches with other candidates and the internet, including copies with renamed variables or reshuffled formatting, and report them to the recruiter. HackerRank says malpractice can be recorded in your report and may disqualify you.

Put plainly: using a hidden AI tool, a second device or a friend is usually against the company's rules and can get your application rejected. If the company wanted you to use AI, it would turn on the Assistant.

If your HackerRank invite is for Chakra, the AI interviewer

Chakra is a spoken interview, not a test. HackerRank's knowledge base says it asks for webcam, microphone and screen sharing, checks that no extra monitors are connected, runs full screen, asks follow-up questions about your answers, and opens a code editor for coding questions before asking about your approach. Prepare as you would for any AI interviewer: see how to prepare for an AI interview and our AI interview questions.

If something goes wrong mid-test

Connection drops: your submitted work is saved, but the timer keeps running. Log back in fast if time remains, then tell the recruiter what happened.
Don't log out. HackerRank says logging out ends your attempt immediately.
Questions or images won't load: refresh the tab (your progress is kept), try a private window, or clear the cache.
"Platform at capacity": wait a few minutes and retry; if your window is closing, email the recruiter.
Something else: click the question mark icon in the top right and choose "Report a problem."

Retakes are at the company's discretion. If a network failure hurt your attempt, reply to the invitation email and ask. HackerRank also says it follows WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility guidelines, including full keyboard navigation; for other accommodations, contact the recruiter before you start.

Questions

Can I use ChatGPT during a HackerRank test?

Not unless the company allows it. Some tests include HackerRank's built-in AI Assistant, which the company switches on and announces before the test starts, and your conversation with it is visible to the evaluator. Outside tools, other people and copied code count as malpractice under HackerRank's rules and can lead to disqualification.

How does HackerRank detect cheating?

HackerRank says it runs automated plagiarism checks that flag code matching other candidates, code copied from the internet, and copies with renamed variables or new formatting. It also treats leaving full-screen mode or switching tabs as malpractice, and some tests run in a desktop app that blocks other programs. Flags go to the recruiter, not to you.

Do I need a HackerRank account to take a test?

No. HackerRank's FAQ says you open the link in your invitation and fill in the login form. If the company set a test password, it will be in the recruiter's email. You can also sign in with an existing HackerRank, Google, LinkedIn, GitHub or Facebook account.

How do I find out my HackerRank test score?

Ask the company. HackerRank says the hiring company owns the report and decides whether to share scores, and HackerRank doesn't send test reports to candidates. You don't need to confirm your submission: it goes to the hiring team when you click Submit or the timer ends.

Passing the test usually earns you an interview, where explaining your reasoning matters as much as the code. You can rehearse that with NTRVSTA's free sample AI interview, a live interview that adjusts its questions to your answers. It's not affiliated with HackerRank and doesn't mimic its tests. Hiring engineers yourself? Book a 20-minute demo. For employers comparing tools, see NTRVSTA vs HackerRank.

Sources

NTRVSTA