> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.equip.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a Custom Programming Test

> Author your own auto-evaluated coding challenge with a custom problem statement, languages, boilerplates, and test cases.

Equip's library includes many ready-made programming questions across multiple languages and difficulty levels. But sometimes you have a very specific problem you want candidates to solve. For that, use **Custom Tests** to create your own **Programming Test**, complete with your problem statement, languages, and test cases.

<Note>
  Equip recommends its own coding content for most teams. Library questions have been battle-tested by thousands of candidates, and unlike Equip quizzes, you can pick the exact coding question and see it in results. Build a custom challenge only when you need a problem the library does not cover; see [Issues with Custom Coding Challenges](/custom-coding-challenge-issues) for why setup mistakes are costly.
</Note>

## Setting Up the Challenge

Custom programming tests are created from the **Custom Tests** section of your Recruiter Dashboard, then added to any assessment.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Custom Tests">
    Log in as a recruiter and open the **Custom Tests** section from the sidebar of your Assessments Dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new Coding Challenge">
    Click the **Coding Challenge** tab, then **Add New**, and select **Programming Test**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write the problem statement">
    Describe the task clearly: what the program should do, the input format, and the expected output format. Ambiguous instructions are the most common reason candidates get stuck.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose languages and boilerplates">
    Enable the programming languages candidates may use, and provide a **boilerplate** (also called driver or starter code) for each one. The boilerplate handles reading input and printing output so candidates can focus on the logic.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add test cases">
    Write the **sample test cases** and **real test cases** that Equip will use to run and evaluate submissions, then save the test.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Custom tests belong to your whole team. Teammates can view, edit, and reuse the same programming test across multiple assessments.
</Note>

## Test Cases

Programming tests are **auto-evaluated**: Equip runs each submission against the test cases you define and grades it automatically. You provide two kinds of test cases when creating the challenge.

| Test case type        | Purpose                                                                                                                   |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Sample test cases** | Shown to candidates as worked examples of the input and expected output, so they understand the format before submitting. |
| **Real test cases**   | Used to evaluate the candidate's submission and produce the score.                                                        |

Cover the obvious happy path, but also add edge cases: empty inputs, boundary values, and large inputs where relevant.

<Warning>
  Be exact with input and output formats. Even a tiny mismatch, such as a stray space or a missing newline in your expected output, can mark every submission incorrect. Equip does not triage broken custom coding questions, because these issues are nearly always a setup error in the question itself.
</Warning>

<Tip>
  Before inviting candidates, [preview the assessment](/preview-assessment) and solve your own challenge end to end. It is the fastest way to catch boilerplate or test-case mistakes, and previews are free and unlimited.
</Tip>

## Choosing Languages

You decide which languages candidates can submit in. Every enabled language needs its own **boilerplate** so the candidate starts from working scaffolding that reads input and prints output in the format your test cases expect.

Equip supports C, C++, C#, Dart, Go, Java, JavaScript, NodeJS, TypeScript, Kotlin, PHP, Python (including an AI/ML environment), Ruby, Rust, Scala, Swift, and SQL. See [Supported Programming Languages](/programming-languages) for the exact versions.

<Note>
  A programming test must have at least one language enabled; the assessment builder will not let you proceed without one. If you need a language that is not listed, contact us on live chat and we can enable additional languages for your account.
</Note>

## Adding the Test to an Assessment

A custom test cannot be shared with candidates directly. It must sit inside an assessment.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the assessment settings">
    From your dashboard, open the settings of a new or existing assessment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to the Tests tab">
    Select the **Tests** tab and click **Programming** in the left sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add your test">
    Hover over the **Add Programming** button and select **My Content**, then pick your custom programming test.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Each programming test holds one question. To give different candidates different problems, create several custom challenges and use the Randomize option in the **Test Order** tab so each candidate receives one at random. See [Randomizing Coding Questions](/randomize-coding-questions).
</Tip>

## Related Resources

* [Custom Tests](/custom-tests) - Overview of all custom test types you can create
* [Supported Programming Languages](/programming-languages) - Languages and versions available for coding tests
* [Randomizing Coding Questions](/randomize-coding-questions) - Serve a random challenge from a pool to each candidate
* [Issues with Custom Coding Challenges](/custom-coding-challenge-issues) - Common setup mistakes and Equip's support policy