Take-home assignments at a URL

Publish coding assignments to a URL. Update the task for all candidates at once. Track who opened it.

PDF assignments don't scale

Engineering teams email PDF take-home assignments to candidates. Three problems with this approach.

First, updating the assignment means re-sending to every active candidate. Found a typo? Clarified a requirement? You need to track who has the old version and send them the new one.

Second, you have no idea if the candidate opened it. Did they receive it? Did they start? You're guessing until they reply or submit.

Third, PDFs don't render code well. Candidates can't copy code snippets from a PDF without formatting issues. A published URL solves all three problems.

How it works

1. Write the assignment in markdown

# Backend Take-Home Assignment

## Overview
Build a REST API for a URL shortener service.

## Requirements
- POST /shorten accepts a URL, returns a short code
- GET /:code redirects to the original URL
- Include rate limiting (100 requests/min per IP)
- Store data in SQLite or PostgreSQL

## Evaluation Criteria
- Code organization and error handling
- Test coverage for happy path and edge cases
- README with setup instructions

## Time Expectation
3-4 hours. Don't over-engineer it.

## Submission
Push to a public GitHub repo and email us the link.

Markdown handles code blocks, lists, headings, and links. Candidates can copy snippets directly.

2. Publish with a descriptive slug

mdtolink publish assignment.md --slug take-home-backend

The assignment is live. One URL for all candidates.

3. Send the URL to candidates

# In your candidate email template
Here's the take-home assignment:
https://mdtolink.com/@yourcompany/take-home-backend

# Update the assignment? Just republish.
# All candidates see the new version at the same URL.

Every candidate gets the same link. Update the assignment once and it updates for everyone.

Why use MDtoLink for interview assignments?

Update once for all candidates

Fix a typo, clarify a requirement, add a hint. Republish and every candidate sees the change.
Keep drafts private

On the Pro plan, save assignments as private documents. Only share when you're ready.
Clean, professional page

Rendered markdown with syntax-highlighted code blocks. Candidates get a good first impression of your engineering team.
Works on any device

Candidates can read the assignment on their phone, tablet, or laptop. Responsive rendering out of the box.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I update the assignment without re-sending the link?

Yes. Run mdtolink publish with the same slug. The URL stays the same and the content updates in place. All candidates, past and future, see the latest version.

Can I keep assignments private until I'm ready to share?

Yes, on the Pro plan. Private documents are only visible to you when signed in. Publish when ready and share the link with candidates.

Do candidates need to create an account to view the assignment?

No. Published pages are accessible to anyone with the link. Candidates click and read. No sign-up, no login, no friction.

Can I have different assignments for different roles?

Yes. Use a different slug for each: mdtolink publish assignment-backend.md --slug take-home-backend and mdtolink publish assignment-frontend.md --slug take-home-frontend. Each gets its own URL.

Publish your take-home assignment in 30 seconds

Free to start. No credit card required.

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