Support Center

What's a Tryout?

A Tryout – aka a session – is a take-home assessment sent to candidates which enables them to show their skills in a realistic environment and scenario.

Can I take a practice Tryout before I start for real?

Of course! You'll be offered the option to take a demo Tryout before you start your real one. We encourage you take the demo so you're familiar with the environment before you start your actual assessment.

What are the Desktop and Web clients?

When you start your Tryout, you're assigned a dedicated Ubuntu Virtual Machine (VM) which comes already provisioned with popular development tools, all the required dependencies, and the necessary source code. You do not have to install any prerequisites (e.g., web frameworks, libraries, packages, etc). We do all of that for you so that you can focus on writing great code!

We provide two client options for your Tryout: Desktop and Web, and the major difference between the two is how you access the VM:

• The Desktop Client enables you to connect from your own computer via a lightweight app install
• The Web Client enables you to connect through a web browser to an Ubuntu workspace

Additional client features and benefits include:

The Desktop Client

• Use this client if your internet is slow or unreliable; there’s a recommended bandwidth requirement of >500 Kbps
• Automatically syncs all your local work remotely so you don't lose any saved code
• You can use your own tools – IDEs, shortcuts, and more
• Use your terminal to SSH into the VM for various tasks such as starting servers and executing your code from the command line
• SSH keys are auto-generated upon installation of the Lytmus app
• All the code is executed inside the VM to avoid cluttering up your own machine

The Web Client

• No installation necessary; you’re up and running quicker!
• Great option if your bandwidth is fast and reliable (>5 Mbps)
• Work on your solutions using the tools already installed in the VM

While using the Desktop client, where is the source code located on my computer?

The source files are organized per question on your machine. When you start a Tryout we automatically sync those local files – located at ~/Lytmus/question_*/ – onto the dedicated VM – located at ~/candidate/question_*/.

Please be sure to work within the specified files and do not move/delete them from those locations – unless specifically instructed to do so.

What tools are available in the Web Client?

Here is a list of all available tools in our environment.

What kind of time commitment should I expect from a Tryout?

A Tryout's time commitment – aka Estimated Completion Time – depends on the length and type of the Tryout. This information is provided to you on the greeting page before you start. We recommend you try to complete the Tryout in one sitting.

Do Tryouts expire?

Yes. The Tryout's expiration time – aka Allocated Time – is configured by the company administering the Tryout. The Allocated Time is displayed on the greeting page before you start. You can also keep track of the remaining time with the expiration timer which is located in the upper right corner of the client.

When does the time start for the Tryout?

The time starts when you enter the virtual environment. No worries, you'll be asked to confirm that you're ready before you start the Tryout.

Can I retake a Tryout?

If you feel your performance was affected by something out of your control (e.g., content wasn't clear, a system bug, etc.) please contact us via the "Lytmus Support" tab in the bottom right corner or by email: [email protected] and we'll help you look into the issue.

My Tryout froze, what to do?

If you're using the Web client, please refresh the browser tab. If you're using the Desktop client, please restart the Lytmus application. If you need your personal code again for the Desktop client, please follow the invite link sent to you by the company.

If this doesn't help, please contact us via the "Lytmus Support" tab in the bottom right corner or by email: [email protected]

What does the "Try Answer" button do?

“Try Answer” runs some unit tests on your code and is intended to be used as a sanity check to make sure you're on the right track. You can think of it as asking a coworker to review your code and give feedback.

Be care not to rely too heavily on just getting “Try Answer” to pass as it's no guarantee of your final results.

Why can't I register my phone number?

If you're trying to register your phone number but never receive a PIN, remember to first select your country code from the drop-down menu before completing your phone number

If that doesn't work or you don't have a phone that accepts sms messages please contact us via the "Lytmus Support" tab in the bottom right corner or by email: [email protected]

I've lost my Tryout's personal code for the Desktop client, where can I find it again?

Please revisit the greeting page by following the same link sent to you by the company. On that page you can resume your session in either client, including getting the Desktop code again.

You can only resume a Tryout is if hasn't expired.

I ran into an another issue not covered here, what to do?

Please get in touch! You can contact us either via the "Lytmus Support" tab in the bottom right corner or by email: [email protected]