PROGRAMMING SKILLS

Coding graphs test for hiring

See how candidates turn a connected-data problem into a working program.

35 minutes
1 task
Intermediate
Coding tasks
Questions in English
Desktop only

Use this test free See the question formats

The short answer

The Coding: Graphs test is an intermediate, single-task programming assessment for software engineers, backend and full stack developers, and other programming roles that model networks, dependencies or routes. It measures whether candidates can represent a problem as a graph and write correct code using a fitting traversal or algorithm.

What it measures

Writing correct code that models a problem as a graph and solves it with a fitting traversal or algorithm.

Graph algorithms

Candidates model connections as a graph and choose a traversal or algorithm to solve the stated problem.

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, and other programming roles where data is modeled as networks, dependencies or routes.

What this test helps you see

Code for connected data
The task shows how candidates translate a problem about routes, dependencies or networks into a graph-based program with a fitting traversal or algorithm.
Unreachable nodes and cycles
Hidden cases include unreachable nodes and cycles, so you see whether the solution handles more than the shown examples.
A graph setting that needs no outside knowledge
Tasks use neutral settings such as servers, tasks or rooms, and the problem states everything needed, without assuming knowledge of a place, sport or culture.

What you get for each candidate

Example report (fictional data)Coding: Graphs

59%Percentile 20. Benchmark: HireValid candidates, n = 1,540

Graph algorithms59%

Integrity ScoreHigh confidence

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

Test integrity signals

Each candidate receives a different set of questions from large question pools. The browser shows one question at a time, and answer keys stay on HireValid’s servers. The 35-minute timer runs on the server; reloading restores the same question with only the remaining time, and candidates cannot go back. Code runs against hidden cases on HireValid’s servers, where the cases and solutions stay out of the browser. Pastes into the editor are recorded. HireValid can also record signals such as time away from the test tab and summarize them with an evidence timeline for employer review. The Integrity Score does not make a decision on its own. See how we build our tests and the pre-employment testing guide for more context.

How we prevent AI cheating · Integrity signals

Use the score as evidence

Treat the score as a signal to review, not a hiring decision. It comes from one task’s hidden cases, so it reflects a sample of graph skills from one problem. Pair it with a work sample that resembles the connected-data problems in the role, then use a structured interview to ask how the candidate approached their solution. Review the code and the candidate’s explanation together. For related hiring context, see the Software Engineer test and Algorithms for Software Engineering.

Structured interview questions

How would you start modeling a problem where some routes may not connect every location?
Listen for how the candidate identifies nodes and connections, clarifies the required result, and plans to account for unreachable nodes.
Tell me about a project where dependencies affected the order of work.
Listen for a concrete account of representing dependencies, handling cycles if they arose, and checking that the chosen approach matched the problem.
How would you test a graph solution beyond the examples provided?
Listen for a practical testing plan that considers edge cases, including unreachable nodes or cycles when relevant to the stated problem.

Understand scoring and benchmarks

Fairness and accommodations

Every task is told in a plain, neutral setting such as servers, tasks or rooms, with everything needed stated in the problem and no knowledge of any place, sport or culture assumed. Candidates choose among six common languages, input and output are plain text read the same way in each, and the time limit leaves room to read, plan, write and test one solution.

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

Provisional: the score comes from one task's hidden cases, so it reflects one problem's sample of graph skills. Reliability is reported once 200 candidates have completed it.

Read our fairness approach

Test details

A single programming task built around a graph: the candidate reads a short problem about connections between things, such as routes, dependencies or networks, and writes a working program that solves it. The program is run against the shown examples and against hidden cases, including edge cases such as unreachable nodes and cycles. Candidates may write their solution 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.

Frequently asked questions

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

Candidates read a short problem about connections, such as routes, dependencies or networks, then write a program to solve it. The program runs against shown examples and hidden cases, including edge cases such as unreachable nodes and cycles. The test measures graph modeling and the use of a fitting traversal or algorithm.

How does the Coding: Graphs test support a fair task?+

The task uses a plain, neutral setting, such as servers, tasks or rooms, and states everything needed to solve it. Candidates choose among six common languages, and input and output are plain text read the same way in each. The time limit leaves room to read, plan, write and test one solution.

Can candidates use scratch paper or practice before the Coding: Graphs test?+

Scratch paper is allowed. Candidates can also take a practice set with one question and a 10-minute limit. The hiring test itself is desktop-only and has one coding task with a 35-minute limit, so candidates should complete it on a desktop device.

Which roles fit the intermediate Coding: Graphs test?+

It is intended for software engineers, backend and full stack developers, and other programming roles where data is modeled as networks, dependencies or routes. Its intermediate level makes it a relevant signal for hiring into those roles when graph-based work is part of the job.