CodeSignal Rules and Proctoring (2026): Google, AI, Camera and Submissions

On CodeSignal's General Coding Assessment (GCA) you may look up basic syntax on the web, but you may not use AI, an outside IDE, or pages that explain how to solve the problem. You may submit as many times as you like, and the highest-scoring submission counts. Whether you are proctored depends on the assessment: when it is, you share your camera, microphone and screen the whole time and show a government ID. The rules below come from CodeSignal's own help center, read in October 2026. Your pre-test rules screen is the final word for your specific assessment.

At a glance

Question	Short answer (GCA, per CodeSignal)
Can you use Google?	Only for "syntax reference." Not for help with the logic of a solution.
Can you look up documentation?	Yes for basic syntax and method references, such as a language's standard library page. Not pages that teach you how to implement what the question tests.
Can you use AI?	No. CodeSignal states AI is not allowed, "including syntax search."
Can you use an outside IDE?	No. You solve each question in the assessment's own editor.
Can you submit multiple times?	Yes. As many as needed. The highest-scoring submission for each question is used.
How long is it?	4 questions, 70 minutes unless the company configured a different duration.
Is it proctored?	Some assessments are. The Assessments page tells you before you start.
What does proctoring record?	Camera, microphone and screen, plus a photo of your face and a government ID.
Who sees the recording?	CodeSignal's verification team only, not the employer.

What the GCA looks like

CodeSignal's article on what to expect in the GCA says the General Coding Assessment has 4 questions of varying difficulty and 70 minutes. All questions are open from the start, you can do them in any order, and each is solved in the built-in IDE. Responses are scored on correctness, speed, implementation and problem-solving ability. After you finish, the score is reviewed and certified "if no unusual activity took place during your session."

That last phrase is why the rules matter. Breaking a rule does not change your raw score through a formula; it puts certification at risk, and a score that is not certified is not much use to an employer. For how the score itself is read, see what is a good CodeSignal score in 2026.

Many employers do not use the GCA. They send their own "company assessments," or other formats (the Industry Coding Assessment shows up often in searches), with their own question sets and rules. Everything below is the GCA's rules unless stated. Where your invite or rules screen differs, follow it.

Can you use Google on CodeSignal?

Partially. CodeSignal's GCA rules article answers this directly with a question about what counts as "syntax reference only":

"Our intent behind only allowing syntax searches is to allow test-takers to access basic information about syntax (rather than expecting test-takers to have it memorized), while still ensuring that test-takers are not receiving outside assistance for the logic behind a solution."

It gives one example of each:

• Allowed: If you forget how to insert elements into a C++ queue, visiting a reference page such as cplusplus.com's queue reference to see what methods exist is permissible.
• Not allowed: If the question is about implementing a double-ended queue, opening a page that explains how to implement a deque is prohibited, because it helps with the solution itself.

The working test is simple. Are you looking up how a language or library spells something, or are you looking up how to solve the thing you were asked to solve? The first is fine. The second is not.

Can you look up documentation or syntax?

Yes, within that same line. Language and library reference pages for method names, signatures and syntax fall under "basic information about syntax." Tutorials, worked solutions, and blog posts explaining an algorithm or data structure the question is built around do not.

Two practical points. First, CodeSignal's rules are displayed during setup and you tick a box to acknowledge each one, so you will see the exact wording for your assessment. You can also revisit the rules from the IDE menu bar during the test. Second, a few seconds of lookup is usually cheaper than a wrong guess about syntax, so knowing what you may check is useful. It does not replace knowing the language. Time is part of the score.

Can you use AI on CodeSignal?

Not on the GCA. The same CodeSignal article says it plainly: "the use of AI is not allowed, including syntax search." That covers chat assistants, AI search summaries used for syntax, and code completion tools.

Searches for "codesignal ai assisted coding," "codesignal ai interviewer" and "codesignal using chatgpt" come up because CodeSignal also has products where AI is part of the assessment. We did not verify the rules of those products. The principle that applies to any of them is the same: an AI assistant is allowed only when your assessment's own instructions explicitly provide or permit one. If they do not mention it, treat it as not allowed.

If you want to prepare for rounds where AI is part of the format, that is a legitimate skill. See our guides to AI-allowed coding interview rounds and the AI-assisted coding interview.

Can you submit multiple times?

Yes. CodeSignal's GCA rules article says: "You are allowed to submit solutions as many times as needed," and "Our system will always use your highest-scoring submission as your final, graded submission for the question. Even if your last submission had a syntax error, your higher score will still be kept."

Two details from the same article:

• You can move between tasks, but you must submit your work before leaving a task for the code to save.
• You have 70 minutes (unless the company configured something different) "to complete the exam in one sitting."

So a good rhythm is to submit a working partial solution early, then improve it. A later broken attempt cannot reduce what you already earned on that question.

Can you use an outside IDE, or run code elsewhere?

No. The GCA expectations article says each question asks you to solve a problem by coding in the assessment itself, and "outside IDEs are not permitted." Write and test your code in CodeSignal's editor, using its run and submit controls.

Is CodeSignal proctored?

Some assessments are, and some are not. CodeSignal's proctoring article says: "You will see whether or not proctoring is required in your Assessments section before you take the assessment."

If you search "codesignal not proctored," you will find reports of both. Both are plausible, because proctoring is a configuration. Treat any single candidate's experience as one data point about one assessment.

What does CodeSignal proctoring record?

Per the same article, before a proctored assessment you are prompted to share your camera, microphone and screen for its whole duration, and to show a government-issued photo ID. This is recorded, and after you finish, CodeSignal's proctoring verification team checks that:

• your camera, microphone and screen share were on for the full evaluation;
• your ID is valid (government-issued, not expired, with your full name and photo);
• you observed all the evaluation rules displayed in the instructions before the session.

The setup flow also asks you to close all unrelated tabs, windows and applications, and to take a photo of your face and of your ID. The article says the ID must show a clear photo, your full name and the expiration date; you may redact the rest. The assessment timer does not begin until setup is complete. Candidates without a government photo ID can contact CodeSignal support to request an accommodation.

Who sees the recording, and for how long?

CodeSignal's article says the identification and proctoring data is used only to confirm you completed the evaluation fairly, is reviewed by CodeSignal only, and is "stored and deleted within 15 days." It is not shared with the company that requested your report. The employer receives a copy of your assessment result and score.

The article also states that proctoring has no impact on the score: "all scores are calculated automatically by the CodeSignal system." What proctoring affects is whether the result is verified.

How long verification takes is not stated in the help articles we read. Third-party guides say one to three business days, and some employers will wait for it. Treat that figure as unverified, and ask your recruiter if a deadline depends on it.

What if my CodeSignal result is "not verified"?

Searches like "codesignal not verified" and "codesignal unverified" reflect candidates whose result was not certified. The official articles tie certification to two things: the proctoring checks above, and the statement that scores are certified when no unusual activity occurred. We did not find an official list of every reason a result is not certified, so we cannot give you one. Third-party guides commonly mention another person in the room, leaving the camera view, or another device. If it happens to you, contact CodeSignal support at the address given in their help center and your recruiter, and be honest about what happened.

Does CodeSignal detect cheating?

CodeSignal's rules say your result is certified only if you follow them, and its proctoring team reviews recordings. We did not find official detail on automated detection beyond that, so we will not describe it. Some third-party guides describe an automated similarity or "suspicion" signal, which we could not confirm from CodeSignal's own pages. The point for you is simpler: the rules are listed up front, you acknowledge them, and the consequence of breaking them is losing your certified score or worse.

We do not give advice on avoiding detection. The advice that works is the dull one: follow the rules shown to you, and practice under the same conditions.

Setup checklist before you start

1. Read the rules screen fully. Tick each acknowledgment only if you can comply.
2. Close all unrelated tabs, windows and apps when prompted.
3. If proctored: check camera and microphone permissions, light your face, and keep your ID ready with the name matching your account.
4. Decide on one language and be fluent in its basics.
5. Plan the 70 minutes: submit something early on each question.
6. Practice the format (see below).

Practicing for the real conditions

• Take CodeSignal's own practice assessment from the setup screen, which the GCA rules article says is available instead of the real thing.
• Drill the patterns that implementation-heavy tests reward with the free DSA patterns sheet.
• Rehearse explaining your approach aloud with a free AI mock interview. It runs your code against test cases, asks follow-ups and writes a report. It is our own format, not a copy of CodeSignal's.
• For company-specific patterns, check the relevant company page, for example Capital One or Uber, and the company-wise kit.
• To see how other platforms handle monitoring, read does HackerRank record your screen and are online assessments proctored.

FAQ

Are you allowed to Google on CodeSignal?

On the General Coding Assessment, only for basic syntax reference. Looking up how to implement what the question asks about is not allowed, and neither is AI search.

Can you look up documentation on CodeSignal?

Language and library reference pages for syntax and method names are within CodeSignal's stated intent. Pages that walk through the solution logic are not. Check your rules screen, which is specific to your assessment.

Can you look up syntax on CodeSignal?

Yes, per CodeSignal's GCA rules, as long as you are looking up syntax and not solution logic. Their own example is checking the methods of a C++ queue.

Can you use AI on CodeSignal?

Not on the GCA. CodeSignal says AI use is not allowed, including for syntax search. Other assessments may differ only if their instructions explicitly say so.

Can you submit multiple times on CodeSignal?

Yes. You can submit as often as needed, and the highest-scoring submission per question is graded, even if your last attempt had a syntax error.

Is CodeSignal proctored?

Only some assessments. You can see whether proctoring is required in your Assessments section before you start.

Does CodeSignal require a camera?

When an assessment is proctored, yes: camera, microphone and screen sharing for the entire session, plus a photo of your face and a government ID. When it is not proctored, no.

What does CodeSignal proctoring record?

Camera, microphone and screen during the assessment, along with your face photo and ID. CodeSignal's verification team reviews it. The company that invited you does not see it.

Does proctoring affect my CodeSignal score?

No. CodeSignal states proctoring has no impact on the score. It determines whether your result is verified.

How long does CodeSignal keep the recording?

CodeSignal says identification and proctoring data is stored and deleted within 15 days and is not shared with the requesting company.

Sources: CodeSignal Help Center articles General Coding Assessment (GCA) Rules and Setup, What is proctoring and how does it work? and What to expect in the GCA, read October 21, 2026. Employer-configured assessments can differ. Your pre-test rules screen decides.