مهارات البرمجة

Linked lists test for hiring

See how candidates write code that changes a singly linked list’s structure.

35 دقيقة
1 task
Intermediate
Coding tasks
Questions in الإنجليزية
Desktop only

Use this test free See the question formats

الإجابة المختصرة

The Coding: Linked Lists test is an intermediate, one-task coding assessment for software engineers, backend and full-stack developers, web developers and related programming roles. Candidates write a function that rearranges, splits, joins or edits a singly linked list by moving nodes and pointers. It measures whether their code changes the list structure correctly.

ما الذي يقيسه

Writing correct code that changes the structure of a linked list.

Linked List Manipulation

Candidates change a singly linked list by moving its nodes and pointers to rearrange, split, join, or edit the structure.

Question formats

Coding tasks

The candidate: Writes or fixes code in an editor and runs it against examples.

You see: Working code, checked against hidden test cases, not just knowledge of syntax.

1 task in 35 minutes.

Roles this test fits

Software engineers, backend and full-stack developers, web developers and other programming roles where code works directly with pointers, references and node-based data structures.

What the task can show

See structural changes in code
A resume may list programming experience, but this task shows how a candidate writes a function that moves nodes and pointers to change a singly linked list.
Review behavior across cases
The function runs against shown examples and hidden cases, which check the list it returns, not code style or variable naming.
One clear expected list per case
Tasks are reviewed so that every case has one clear expected output, so a failed case points to a list the code left in the wrong shape.

What you get for each candidate

Example report (fictional data)Coding: Linked Lists

55‎%‎Percentile 11. Benchmark: HireValid candidates, n = 1,628

Linked List Manipulation55‎%‎

Integrity Scoreثقة عالية

Stayed on the test tab throughout
No pasted answers
Answered at a steady pace

Scores, profiles and integrity signals are evidence for you to review alongside an interview, never an automatic decision.

Use this test free

How the test handles integrity signals

Each candidate gets a different set of questions from large pools, and the browser shows one question at a time. The 35-minute timer runs on the server. Reloading restores the same question with only the remaining time, and candidates cannot go back. Question text cannot be copied or selected; blocked copy attempts and pastes into the code editor are recorded. Code runs against hidden cases on HireValid’s servers, and neither those cases nor their solutions reach the browser. HireValid also records signals such as time away from the test tab and summarizes them in an Integrity Score with an evidence timeline for employer review. It does not decide on its own.

كيف نمنع الغش باستخدام الذكاء الاصطناعي · Integrity signals

Use the score as evidence

The score is the share of cases the function passes, so review it as evidence about this one linked-list problem, not as a hiring decision. Pair it with a separate work sample and a structured interview. Use the pre-employment testing guide to plan how evidence fits into your process, and candidate-friendly hiring guidance to support a clear candidate experience. For another programming signal, consider the Clean Code test.

Ask candidates to explain their approach

How would you approach a function that splits a singly linked list at a specified point?
Listen for a clear explanation of how they would track and move node references, and how they would check the resulting structure.
What would you inspect if a linked-list function returned the right result for an example but failed another case?
Look for a step-by-step way to trace pointer changes and compare the returned structure with the expected output.
How would you reason through joining two singly linked lists while preserving the intended order?
Listen for how they would connect nodes, follow references, and verify the result rather than relying on a memorized definition.

Understand scoring and benchmarks

Fairness and accommodations

Candidates choose among six common languages, and every task is set out in plain US English with worked examples and no knowledge of any industry, place or culture needed. Hidden cases check what the code returns, not its style or naming, and tasks are reviewed so that each has one clear expected output for every case.

You can give any candidate extra time as an accommodation. Results are evidence for a person to review, never an automatic decision.

Provisional: the test is a single task, so a score reflects one problem, and reliability is reported once 200 candidates have completed it.

اقرأ نهجنا في الإنصاف

Test details

A single programming task in which the candidate writes a function that rearranges, splits, joins or edits a singly linked list by moving its nodes and pointers. The solution runs against the examples shown and a set of hidden test cases, and the score is the share of cases it passes. Candidates may write in Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, C++ or Go.

Questions are in English.
Aids allowed: Scratch paper.
1 practice task, 10 minutes, before the timed test.
Taken on a desktop or laptop computer.

Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, C++, Go are trademarks of their owners. HireValid is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.

الأسئلة الشائعة

What does the Coding: Linked Lists test ask candidates to do?+

Candidates complete a coding task by writing a function to rearrange, split, join, or edit a singly linked list through node and pointer changes. The code runs against shown examples and hidden cases, which check what it returns.

Who is the Coding: Linked Lists test designed for?+

It is an intermediate test for software engineers, backend and full-stack developers, web developers, and other programming roles that work directly with pointers, references, and node-based data structures.

Which languages and equipment does the Coding: Linked Lists test need?+

Candidates choose among six common languages, and the test needs a computer. Scratch paper is allowed, which helps when drawing nodes and pointers before moving them in code. The task is set out in plain US English with worked examples.

What practice is available for the Coding: Linked Lists test?+

The practice set has one question and takes 10 minutes. It is separate from the 35-minute assessment, which contains one coding task, and lets candidates get used to the editor first.