Part Two of the application contains two sections: Coding Challenges and Essays and Videos. You may work on both sections simultaneously, but you will need to reference the coding challenges to complete one of the video submissions.

The coding challenge section is used to evaluate your current level of coding knowledge. For the coding challenges, we use CoderByte to assess your programming and problem-solving abilities. 

Applicants without prior coding knowledge should allow 40-60 hours of prep time before starting the challenges. We have many free resources available to help applicants prepare for the coding challenges:

• For Full-stack program applicants, we provide a free, self-paced Intro to Coding course and can also recommend other resources.
• For DevOps program applicants, we recommend this free, self-paced Python for Beginners course or the more advanced Helsinki Python Programming course.

Below, you’ll see instructions, an instructional video, and links to your coding challenges.

Coding Challenges Instructions

• • Full-stack applicants may complete the challenges in Python, Ruby, or JavaScript. DevOps applicants must complete the challenges in Python or Java.
  • Take your time and answer as many questions as you can. 
  • There are 12 total challenges that gradually get more difficult. Please submit a minimum of ten challenges, even if you don’t pass all the unit tests. 
  • Each challenge is worth up to 10 points.
  • Your score is cumulative, so the more questions you answer, even if incomplete, the more likely you will get a passing score.
  • Make sure to solve the challenges by yourself. You can ask others for help, but the work has to be your own. 
  • Applicants who copy code from somewhere else will be automatically rejected. This includes, but not limited to, using AI tools, such as ChatGPT to complete the challenges.

If you have any questions, please check our Frequently Asked Questions page, watch the video below, or reach out to Greg Drobny, our Student Outreach Coordinator, at greg@codeplatoon.org.

All students accepted to the program are required to complete pre-work prior to the start of their cohort. This pre-work allows us to validate the skills demonstrated during the application process and set up each student for success during the cohort.