3.6Live Coding Tips

Before You Start Coding

1. Restate the problem: "So I need to write tests for a REST API that manages a to-do list. I will cover CRUD operations, validation, and error handling. Does that match your expectations?"
2. Ask clarifying questions: Authentication? Rate limiting? Pagination? The interviewer wants to see that you think before you code.
3. Outline your approach: "I will start with the Page Object, then write the happy path test, then add edge cases. I will handle test data setup using the API directly."

While Coding

• Think out loud: "I am using getByRole here instead of a CSS selector because it is more resilient to markup changes and aligns with how users interact with the page."
• Start with the simplest test: Get something passing first, then add complexity.
• Handle errors gracefully: If you hit a syntax error, do not panic. Debug it out loud: "I think the issue is with the async/await here -- let me check the return type."
• Name things well: test('should show error when password is too short') is better than test('test3').

Time Management

Time Block	Activity
First 5 minutes	Clarify requirements, outline approach, set up structure
Minutes 5-35	Write the core solution: Page Objects or API client, 3-4 tests
Minutes 35-50	Add edge cases, clean up code, add assertions
Last 10 minutes	Run the tests (if applicable), explain your design decisions, discuss what you would add with more time

If You Get Stuck

• Say it out loud: "I am stuck on how to handle the authentication token. Let me think through this..."
• Simplify: "I know the ideal approach would be to use a fixture, but for time, I will inline the setup and note that I would refactor it."
• Ask for a hint: This is not a sign of weakness. "Can you remind me of the API endpoint for creating test data?" is perfectly fine.