Run mock coding interviews with a shared timer and private notes.

Coding interviews are timed — your practice should be too. Codepad puts a shared countdown timer in the title bar so both interviewer and candidate watch the same clock. No extra tabs, no phone stopwatch, no “how much time do I have left?”

How to run a mock interview

  1. Create a pad — one click from the dashboard. Paste your prompt into the first tab.
  2. Send the link — your candidate opens it in their browser. No signup, no install.
  3. Pick a duration — 25 minutes for a phone screen, 45 for a technical screen, 60 for an onsite, 90 for a take-home. One click starts the timer for both of you.
  4. Score while they type — open a private tab (only you can see it) and jot timestamps, check rubric items, and rate trade-offs. Your candidate never sees this tab.

A shared timer — synced to the second

The timer lives in the pad’s title bar. When you start it, your candidate sees the same arc drain in lockstep. Preset durations match standard interview formats:

  • 25 minutes — phone screen
  • 45 minutes — technical screen
  • 60 minutes — onsite round
  • 90 minutes — take-home session

Private notes for scoring

Mark any tab as private and it disappears from your candidate’s tab bar entirely — not in the URL, not in presence, not in the share link. Use it for:

  • Rubric checklists — check items as the candidate demonstrates skills.
  • Timestamped notes — “06:12 — asked about duplicates, good instinct.”
  • Follow-up questions — plan your next question while they code.
  • Working score — track a running score without switching tabs.

Why Codepad for interviews

  • No candidate friction. No accounts, no downloads. They click a link and start coding.
  • Real code editor. CodeMirror 6 with syntax highlighting for 40+ languages — not a textarea in disguise.
  • Everything in one URL. Code, timer, and private notes all live in the same pad. No juggling tabs.
  • Free and open source. MIT-licensed. Self-host on your own infrastructure if you need to.

Start a mock interview

Create a pad, paste your prompt, pick a timer — your candidate is one link away from a timed coding session with live cursors and private scoring.

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