Given the “ expectations of originality” in computer science, many recruiters will run a candidate’s coding solution through a software-similarity checker. “When you copy someone’s entire solution, or a significant part of it, and present it as your own, that is generally considered plagiarism, as long as there are other ways that solution could be reached.”

While acknowledging that plagiarism varies wildly from person to person and case to case, here’s how Elli Ferguson, a former programmer and principle systems engineer for a major bank, and plagiarism expert and consultant Jonathan Bailey defined it in an email: Many technologists lack a clear understanding of what constitutes plagiarism, especially since researching others’ solutions to a technical problem is not only ethical, but also a best practice. To help you navigate and ace your next coding evaluation without a hitch, here’s a look at how these tools work and some ways to avoid unintentional plagiarism. To discourage dishonesty, many online testing platforms such as HireVue, along with in-house recruiters, have begun utilizing a variety of plagiarism-detection tools. While this is generally viewed as a welcome change from previous eras (which often included the dreaded whiteboard test), having web access makes it easier to copy, paste and submit code directly from repositories-which can still constitute plagiarism or cheating, even if it’s unintentional.Īs HireVue CTO Loren Larsen noted: “It is grossly unfair to lose out to a candidate who has copied someone’s work and passed it off as their own.” In an effort to create realistic testing scenarios that mimic actual work conditions, many recruiters and technical evaluators let candidates search on the web when completing pre-hire coding assessments or take-home projects.

Moss plagiarism checker online