PROGRAMMING SKILLS

Cryptography test for hiring

See how candidates reason about applied cryptography in security work.

10 minutes
15 questions
Intermediate
Multiple choice
Questions in English
Phone and desktop

Use this test free See the question formats

The short answer

The Cryptography test is an intermediate hiring assessment of applied knowledge of symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption and key exchange, signing, and hash functions and MACs. Candidates choose primitives or modes for situations and review short code and protocol sketches. Use it for security engineers, analysts, penetration testers, IT security leads, and developers who protect sensitive data.

What it measures

Applied knowledge of symmetric ciphers, asymmetric encryption and key exchange, signing, and hash functions and MACs.

Symmetric encryption

Candidates consider how to choose a symmetric cipher or mode for a given situation.

Asymmetric encryption and key exchange

Questions cover asymmetric encryption and key exchange in applied scenarios.

Signing and verification

Candidates reason about signing and checking signatures in short examples.

Hash functions and MACs

Questions cover how hash functions and message authentication codes apply to a situation.

Question formats

Multiple choice

The candidate: Reads a short situation, table or statement and picks the right answer, or every right answer.

You see: Whether the candidate knows the material well enough to apply it, not just recognize it.

15 questions in 10 minutes, served one at a time.

Roles this test fits

Security engineers, cryptography engineers, security analysts, penetration testers, IT security leads and software developers who build or review systems that protect sensitive data.

Evidence of applied cryptography

See choices in context
Candidates choose a primitive or mode for a situation, giving you evidence of how they apply encryption concepts rather than just name them.
Review security reasoning
Short protocol sketches and Python code let you see how candidates spot flaws without needing them to run code.
Grounded in published algorithms
Questions rest on general cryptographic ideas and widely published algorithms, not one vendor’s product, so you see how candidates reason about keys, signatures and hashes rather than a tool they happen to know.

What you get for each candidate

Example report (fictional data)Cryptography

72%Percentile 48. Benchmark: HireValid candidates, n = 230

Symmetric encryption85%

Asymmetric encryption and key exchange72%

Signing and verification71%

Hash functions and MACs58%

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

How the test handles integrity signals

Each candidate receives a different question set, with question order and answer options shuffled. The browser shows one question at a time, and answer keys stay on HireValid’s servers. Timing runs on the server; a reload returns the same question with only the remaining time. Question text cannot be copied or selected, and blocked copy attempts are recorded. HireValid may record signals such as time away from the test tab, pastes into answers, and answers faster than a question can be read. An Integrity Score and evidence timeline summarize signals for employer review; they never decide on their own. With candidate consent, an employer can add webcam photos at random moments. See how we build our tests.

How we prevent AI cheating · Integrity signals

Use the score as evidence

Review the score alongside a work sample and a structured interview. For a work sample, ask the candidate to explain a security-relevant decision or review a short example connected to the role, then compare that reasoning with the test evidence. Do not use the score alone or as a decision rule. The Penetration Testing test can add other role-related evidence. Browse the test library to compare options.

Structured interview questions

How would you review a system's use of encryption before it protects sensitive data?
Listen for a methodical review of the situation, the primitive or mode chosen, and how the candidate explains tradeoffs.
Tell me about a time you found a flaw in security-related code or a protocol design.
Listen for how they identified the issue, assessed its impact, and explained a practical next step.
How would you investigate whether a signing and verification flow is being used correctly?
Listen for a clear review process and how they would reason about the flow, rather than a recited definition.
How would you review a design that uses hashes or message authentication codes?
Listen for how they connect the design's purpose to the choice and use of the cryptographic mechanism.

Understand scoring and benchmarks

Fairness and accommodations

Questions are about general cryptographic ideas and widely published algorithms, never one vendor's product, and any code is short Python written to be read without running it. Scenarios use plain US English, no idioms, and names from many backgrounds. Any arithmetic uses small numbers for scratch paper, which every candidate may use.

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

Provisional: reliability is reported once 200 candidates have completed it.

Read our fairness approach

Test details

A short, timed check of working knowledge of applied cryptography. Candidates choose the right primitive or mode for a situation, spot flaws in short code and protocol sketches, and reason about keys, signatures, hashes and message authentication the way a security engineer does day to day.

Questions are in English.
Aids allowed: Scratch paper.
Each question is answered once, in order, with no going back.
4 practice questions, 4 minutes, before the timed test.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Cryptography test measure?+

It measures applied knowledge of symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption and key exchange, signing, and hash functions and MACs. Candidates also choose primitives or modes for situations and reason about short code and protocol sketches.

What is the Cryptography test like for candidates?+

It has 15 multiple-choice questions in 10 minutes, shown one at a time with no going back, and it works on a phone or a desktop. Any code is short Python written to be read without running it, so candidates need no editor or interpreter.

Can candidates try the Cryptography test before taking it?+

The practice set has 4 questions and takes 4 minutes. It offers a chance to become familiar with the question experience, including the cryptography content and multiple-choice format.

How does the Cryptography test support fair assessment?+

Questions cover general cryptographic ideas and widely published algorithms, not a vendor's product. Scenarios avoid idioms and use names from many backgrounds; scratch paper is available to every candidate.

Which roles suit the intermediate Cryptography test?+

Consider it for security engineers, cryptography engineers, security analysts, penetration testers, IT security leads, and software developers who build or review systems that protect sensitive data.