interview-preptake-home

Take-home assignments: how long do you actually spend on them?

Anonymous18 Jul 2026

Got a take-home that says "should take about 4 hours." I spent closer to nine because I kept polishing tests and writing a README nobody asked for. A friend told me I'm sabotaging myself and should timebox hard, ship the boring version, and move on.

Where do you draw the line? Do you do exactly what's asked, or add the extra polish to stand out? Curious whether the polish ever actually gets noticed.

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Anonymous18 Jul 2026
Honestly, nine hours on a four-hour take-home says more about the company than about you. If they can't scope one honestly, that's a signal. Do the honest four, and if they ding you for it, you probably dodged something.
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Anonymous18 Jul 2026
Timebox it, but leave a short "what I'd do with more time" note at the bottom. That's where the polish signal goes without the nine hours. I've had two interviewers specifically mention that section.
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