I was given a HackerRank take-home exam and did not do well on it. I did not fully solve everything. After that, I faced another problem involving "AI assistance," but the help felt intentionally unhelpful. My impression was that I was better off ignoring it and solving the task directly.
I still reached the next interview stage, where I answered LeetCode-style questions and explained my experience. The next day, I was rejected. Although I made it to a live round, the earlier take-home result clearly seemed to carry a lot of weight.
What surprised me was how quickly the decision followed the final interview after I had struggled on the take-home. I left with the impression that assessment execution mattered more than my later ability to discuss my background.
Location: United States. Overall feedback: positive. Offer status: no offer.
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