Modifying Test Access Settings

Overview

HackerRank for Work allows you to modify the test access settings of your test. These settings allow you to moderate and improve test access permissions and usability. You can create either a Public Test or Private Test URL and share it with the candidates. This article takes you through creating a Public and Private test URL. Also, it guides you in setting Test Expiration Time and Proctoring the tests. 

Modifying Test Access Settings

Public Test URL 

You can create a public test that can be accessed by anyone who has the link to the test. These links can be shared with job descriptions, and candidates applying for the position can take the test to prove their skills. Public tests do not require a password, but candidates are required to enter their email ID and any other additional information that the recruiter has configured.

Prerequisites

• You must be logged in to your HackerRank for Work account
• You must have created a test.

Steps

1. Click on the Tests tab on the home page and click on the required test.
2. Once the test opens, click on the Settings option below the test name and select the Test Access settings. 
3. Upon clicking on test access, you will see the Public Test URL creation option on the right.
4. In the Public test URL area, enter the custom URL and click on the Create Link button.

• To generate the custom link, you can specify a unique name.
• Example: If you are creating a test for a Senior Java Developer, you can specify the custom URL as senior-java-developer. The link is www.hr.gs/<your custom URL> which in this case becomes www.hr.gs/java-developer.

Public URL for Candidates to access the Test

Note: You cannot create a public link to a test if the test is in draft mode. A prompt indicating this is displayed and you have to publish a test before creating a public test URL.

Private Test URL 

You can create a private test (password protected) that can be accessed through a link. Unlike public tests, you cannot access this test without a password. Creating these tests is useful when you want to have control over who can access the test.

These tests are especially preferred in recruiting events where it is a best practice to change the password after candidates log on to the test. Again, when the recruiting event concludes, the password is updated to revoke access to the test.  

Example: Suppose you are conducting a test on campus. You can share the link and password with the candidates, and after they log in, you want to ensure that no one else can access this test. So, you can change the password again. However, this will not impact the candidates already logged on to the test with the previous password.

Best Practice: In campus recruitment events, you should change the password 5 to 10 minutes into the test. This ensures that no external candidates can access the test. In this case, even if the initial password is disclosed to the external candidates, they cannot log on to the test because the password has been changed.

1. In the Test Access Settings, in the Private URL area:
   • Enter the custom URL and then click on the Create Link button.
   • To generate the custom link, you can specify a unique name.
     • Example: If you are creating a test for a Java Developer, you can specify the custom URL as java-developer. The link is www.hr.gs/<your custom URL> which in this case becomes www.hr.gs/java-developer.
2. Enter a password and click on the Set Password button to set the password.

Tip: If you want to set a new password, you can enter the new password and click on the Set Password button. The old password gets replaced by the new password.

Note: You can reuse the Public and Private custom URLs. To use it for a new test, you have to remove the URL from the previous test.  

Test Expiration Time

This is the time frame within which the test URL remains active. It is helpful when you want to conduct timed tests or hiring events with a specific end date or time.

Candidates can access the test at any point in time within the set date and time range, and the test link expires beyond that.

Example: If you have selected 20th April 2017 as the start date, 10:00 hours as the start time, 20th April 2017 as the end date, and 13:00 hours as the end date, then candidates can access and attempt the test only between 10:00 hours to 13:00 hours on 20th April 2017. After this duration, the test link becomes invalid.

Please note that this time frame signifies the validity of the test URL only and not the duration in which candidates need to finish the test. So, if a test that is 60 mins long, expires at 13:00 hours on a given date and a candidate starts the test at 12:55 hrs, then also they will get 60 mins to complete the test. However, if a candidate tries to start the test at 13:01 hours, the link becomes invalid.

1. In the Test Access settings, in the Test Expiration Time area, set the start date/time and end date/time for the test.

Note: You can select the start date and time of the test prior to the current date and time; however, the end date and time of the test must fall after the current date and time.

Proctoring

You can Proctor the remote assessments in HackerRank. HackerRank provides 4 types of proctoring options.

• Copy/Paste proctoring: This will help you monitor if the candidate is pasting the code from other sources.
• Tab Proctoring: This feature will help you monitor if the candidate is switching between tabs during the test.  
• Photo Identification: With the help of this feature you can make sure that the correct candidate is taking the test.  
• Proctoring: With this feature, you can monitor the candidate during the test with the help of a webcam.  

Note: You can either enable the Photo Identification or Proctoring option, not both. 

You can enable these features in the Test Access settings by scrolling down the page and click the toggle switch to enable the desired proctoring option under the Proctoring section. Once selected, click on the Save Changes button to enable the proctoring for your test. 

Proctoring the Tests

Learn more about Proctoring HackerRank Tests here. 

Note: When proctoring is enabled, on the candidate side they will not see any change. They will be able to utilize features like autocomplete and linting etc.