From 1,200 to 40: How We Identify Job-Ready Developers Through Coding Tests and Technical Assessment

What if you brought together 1,200 developers, put them through an intense 4-month program combining coding education, online coding tests, and technical interviews—and selected only 40 in the end?

In Vietnam’s blazing-hot IT sector—buzzing even more than its summer heat—how did Codepresso pull off a developer challenge of this scale?

Let’s take a closer look at how our innovative, hands-on approach to developer training and assessment helped identify top-tier talent from a massive pool of aspiring engineers.

A Developer Survival Game More Intense Than Squid Game – Only 40 Survived Out of 1,200

In 2024, Ho Chi Minh City was hotter than ever.

But what truly ignited the city wasn’t the weather—it was the Backend Rookie Challenge, a large-scale Learnathon hosted by Codepresso.

This wasn’t just another tech event.

Out of 1,200 participants, only 40 would make it to the end.

The mission? To find developers with proven, job-ready backend skills.

Over the course of three months, participants trained on Codepresso’s platform in four essential backend technologies: Java, Spring Boot, SQL, and Linux.

But the journey was anything but easy.

Weekly online coding tests, module-end assessments, and a final comprehensive technical interview created a rigorous, no-compromise selection process.

Anyone who didn’t meet the bar was immediately eliminated—no exceptions.

In many ways, it was a developer version of Squid Game.

A Daily Elimination Survival – Who Made It to the End?

From the original 1,200, only 40 developers passed the strict screening and advanced to the next phase: an even more intensive offline training program.

For two weeks, they trained up to 10 hours a day—focusing on real-world backend skills typically expected from engineers with 1 to 3 years of experience.

The setting was intense, simulating the pace of a real startup.

Hands-on coding sessions filled the days, and peer-led study groups took over at night.

It was a test of skill, discipline, and endurance.

What made this stage stand out was the daily online coding tests and technical interviews.

Participants were assessed each day on newly acquired skills—measuring both theoretical knowledge and practical application.

This structured evaluation ensured that only developers ready to perform on real projects would advance.

The Final Gate of a 4-Month Journey – Survive the '72-Hour Hell Week' Project

The final challenge was the most demanding of all: a real-world team project under extreme time pressure.

Participants applied everything they had learned over three months—coding, planning, collaboration—to solve practical business problems as a team.

It wasn’t just a test of individual ability, but also of communication, teamwork, and real-world execution.

For 72 hours straight—two nights and three days—they worked non-stop.

They planned, built, tested, and deployed a working MVP from scratch.

This final project brought everything together:

three months of online learning, two weeks of intensive offline training, and now a full-cycle simulation of real-world product development.

By the end, they had proven themselves fully job-ready—equipped to contribute from day one.

Online Coding Test. Technical Interview. Powered by Codepresso.

The 40 developers who completed this journey are already delivering real impact at Korean companies.

They were selected from over 1,200 candidates and passed every stage of Codepresso’s rigorous learning, online coding test, and technical interview process.

Codepresso continues to run large-scale developer challenges in Vietnam—identifying top engineering talent through practical training, project-based learning, and verified technical assessments.

Are you struggling to hire developers you can trust?

Worried about the risks of hiring untested talent?

With Codepresso, you gain access to thoroughly vetted, job-ready developers who can make an impact from day one.

Online Coding Test. Technical Interview. Powered by Codepresso.

If you’re hiring for results—start with us.