Is HackerRank Proctored? How to Tell Before You Start

Some HackerRank tests are proctored and some are not. The employer chooses an integrity configuration for each test, so the same platform can serve an unmonitored assessment to one candidate and a webcam-and-screen-share session to another. As of September 9, 2026, HackerRank documents four tiers: default tracking, Secure Mode, Proctor Mode, and Desktop App Mode. You can identify which one applies before the timer starts by reading the invitation and the permission screen.

The four levels of HackerRank monitoring

HackerRank's Test Integrity documentation describes a ladder. Every level includes the one below it.

Default tracking. Even a test with no proctoring mode enabled records two things. Tab Proctoring "Tracks how often and for how long a candidate leaves the test window," and Copy/Paste Tracking logs pastes so that "Pasted content appears in the candidate's test report." There is no camera and no screen capture at this level.

Secure Mode. A browser-only lockdown. The documentation states that it "enforces full-screen mode, blocks copy and paste actions, prevents the use of multiple monitors, and alerts when candidates switch tabs." Still no webcam and no screenshots.

Proctor Mode. Secure Mode plus "AI-powered features such as screenshot analysis, plagiarism detection, and webcam anomaly detection." The Proctor Mode documentation says candidates must grant webcam access and screen-sharing access to start, and that the system "captures screenshots every 15 seconds."

Desktop App Mode. Proctor Mode plus "operating system–level monitoring to create a fully locked-down environment." The test runs in a native application you install, not in a browser.

Two add-ons sit alongside these modes. Image Proctoring "Requires candidates to enable their webcam before starting the test" and captures periodic snapshots, and Photo Identification "Requires candidates to capture their image before starting the test." An employer can enable either on a test that is otherwise not in Proctor Mode.

Image Proctoring can add a camera to either of the first two rows.

How to tell which tier your test uses

You do not need to guess. Each tier leaves a distinct footprint before the test begins.

Read the invitation email

If the email links to an installer rather than a web page, the test uses Desktop App Mode. HackerRank's candidate desktop app guide says Windows candidates download an .exe and macOS candidates a .dmg from the invitation. A plain link means one of the three browser tiers.

Read the consent and permission screen

The onboarding flow is the most reliable indicator, because a browser cannot open your webcam or capture your screen without asking.

• A webcam prompt means Image Proctoring or Proctor Mode is on.
• A screen-sharing prompt means Proctor Mode. Secure Mode does not request it.
• A monitor check and a full-screen launch with no camera prompt means Secure Mode. The Secure Mode documentation lists reviewing integrity guidelines, granting permission for monitor verification, confirming a single-monitor setup, and accepting full-screen mode as the pre-test steps.
• An AI plagiarism consent line means the behavioral model is enabled. HackerRank's AI Plagiarism Detection documentation states that "When AI plagiarism detection is enabled, candidates must consent before starting the test."
• None of the above, just a start button, means default tracking. Tab switches and pastes are still logged.

Proctor Mode also shows a list of prohibited actions. The documentation says candidates "review and acknowledge a list of prohibited actions, such as switching tabs or using external tools." That list is the rule set for your specific test.

Are HackerRank practice and sample tests proctored?

No. The practice problems and sample tests on hackerrank.com run without an employer configuration, and HackerRank documents proctoring only as a per-test employer setting, so none of the tiers apply there. They are useful for learning the editor and the question formats, but they will not show you the permission flow. The closest rehearsal of a proctored session is the setup screen of the real test, which you complete before the timer starts. The step-by-step walkthrough in what to expect from a HackerRank proctored test covers that flow.

HackerRank Interview and Chakra are separate products

A HackerRank Interview link is a live session with a person, and Chakra is HackerRank's autonomous AI interviewer. Chakra can require the desktop app, which means it inherits the Desktop App Mode lockdown described above. If the invitation mentions Chakra, treat it as the most restrictive tier; what the Chakra AI interviewer records covers the specifics.

What this means for candidates

The tier is decided by the employer, and the consent screen tells you which one you got. Read it before clicking start. If it lists prohibited actions, those are the rules; if it is silent on AI or reference material, ask the recruiter in writing rather than assuming. Prepare with AI beforehand on any test that prohibits it, and use AI during a test only where the rules or the employer explicitly allow it.

For the full inventory of signals each mode records, see what HackerRank proctoring detects and records. If the invitation contained an installer, what a coding assessment desktop app does to your machine covers the permissions and blocks before you install anything.