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Is it OK to use Google or AI tools during a take-home assignment?

Team FAQ: this question comes up often, so we've answered it below. Add your own experience, or a different view, in the comments.

Take-home tasks are done alone. What's allowed?

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devlk Team·

Follow the rules they give you. If there aren't any, ask.

  • Searching documentation and references (official docs, API references, Stack Overflow for specific errors) is normal. That's how real work is done, and most companies expect it.
  • AI coding assistants are a grey area. Some companies explicitly allow them, some ban them, and some ask you to disclose how you used them. If the brief doesn't say, ask: "Are AI coding tools allowed for this assignment?"
  • Copying a complete solution from someone else or the internet isn't acceptable, and it usually becomes obvious in the follow-up interview.

The real test: in the review call, you'll be asked to explain your code, justify decisions and often extend it live. If you can't explain something you submitted, that's a red flag, however you produced it.

Good practice:

  • Understand every line you submit.
  • Mention in the README any significant libraries or references you relied on.
  • If you used AI tools and they're allowed, say how you used them.

Our full guide: take-home coding assignments: how to stand out.

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