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Take-Home Assignments Without Getting Exploited: A Candidate-First Playbook + Scripts

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You apply. You interview. Then they ask for a “small take-home assignment.”

And it turns out to be:

  • a real product feature
  • 6–10+ hours of work
  • due in 48 hours
  • with no clarity on how it’s judged
  • and sometimes… no feedback at all

This post is a candidate-first way to handle take-homes without rage-quitting the entire job search.

You’ll get:

  • a 60-second decision framework
  • the “2-hour rule” (and what to do when they push past it)
  • how to reduce free-work risk while still showing competence
  • copy-paste scripts for: timeboxing, narrowing scope, requesting compensation, or declining

*Last updated: December 2025*

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Step 1: Classify the take-home in 30 seconds

✅ Reasonable (usually worth doing)

  • clearly scoped
  • timeboxed (2–3 hours)
  • uses dummy data / toy problem
  • followed by a discussion round
  • evaluation criteria is stated (what “good” looks like)

⚠️ Borderline (push back first)

  • “should take 2 hours” but spec screams 6+
  • unclear success criteria (“impress us”)
  • requires lots of domain research about *their* business
  • asks for production-quality polish

❌ High risk (treat like free consulting)

  • real business context + real data + “ship it” vibes
  • full feature build / full strategy doc / full dashboard
  • multiple revisions requested
  • tight deadline + no conversation with hiring manager
  • “we’ll decide whether to talk after you submit”

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Step 2: Use the “2-hour rule” (with one exception)

Default rule:

> If it can’t be timeboxed to 2 hours (3 max), I don’t do it.

Exception:

If it’s a genuinely high-value role for you *and* they’re transparent + human + respectful… you can choose to invest more. But do it consciously, not out of fear.

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Step 3: Reduce free-work risk (without refusing immediately)

Here’s the key mindset shift:

> Your goal is to demonstrate your thinking — not to deliver a free production artifact.

So instead of “complete everything,” you deliver one of these:

Option A — The “Approach Doc” (lowest risk, highest signal)

Deliver:

  • assumptions
  • scope choices
  • a lightweight solution design
  • tradeoffs
  • what you would do next with more time

This shows seniority and protects you from building their roadmap for free.

Option B — The “Prototype Slice”

Deliver:

  • one critical slice done well (e.g., a core function, a single metric pipeline, a small UI flow)
  • plus “next steps” for the rest

Option C — The “Walkthrough + Q&A”

Deliver:

  • a short write-up
  • and ask to present it live

This forces the process back into a two-way conversation.

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Step 4: Ask 3 questions before you start (these save hours)

Send these immediately:

1) What’s the expected timebox? (e.g., 2 hours)

2) How will this be evaluated? (criteria)

3) Will there be a live review/discussion? (so your thinking is visible)

If they can’t answer these clearly, that’s a signal.

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Copy-paste scripts (use these as-is)

1) Timebox + scope request (polite, firm)

Subject: Take-home assignment — confirming timebox + scope

Hi {{Name}},

Thanks for sending this over — I’m happy to complete it.

Before I start, could you confirm the intended timebox?

I can allocate ~2 hours for a take-home, and I want to make sure I focus on what matters most.

Also, what are the top 1–2 things you’ll evaluate (e.g., approach, code quality, tradeoffs, communication)?

Once I have that, I’ll proceed.

Best,

{{Your Name}}

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2) “This is bigger than stated” (offer a safer deliverable)

Subject: Take-home assignment — proposing a focused version

Hi {{Name}},

I started reviewing the task and I want to flag that it looks larger than a typical 2–3 hour take-home if implemented fully.

To keep it fair and representative, I can deliver:

  • a short approach doc (assumptions, design, tradeoffs), and
  • a small prototype slice of the core part,

within a 2-hour timebox.

If you’d prefer a different focus area, tell me what matters most and I’ll align.

Best,

{{Your Name}}

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3) Ask for compensation (when it’s clearly real work)

Subject: Take-home assignment — compensation option

Hi {{Name}},

Given the scope, this looks closer to a small consulting task than a standard take-home.

I’m happy to do it as a paid work trial (timeboxed to {{X}} hours).

If that works, I can share my hourly rate and we can keep it simple.

If you’d rather keep it unpaid, could we reduce the scope to a 2-hour assessment or do a short live exercise instead?

Best,

{{Your Name}}

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4) Decline without burning the bridge

Subject: Re: Take-home assignment

Hi {{Name}},

Thanks again for the opportunity.

I’m going to step back from this process — I’m not able to commit to an unpaid take-home of this scope right now.

If there’s an alternative (live screening, smaller timeboxed task, written Q&A), I’d be open to continuing.

Either way, I appreciate your time and I’m wishing you success filling the role.

Best,

{{Your Name}}

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If you choose to do it: how to protect yourself (practical moves)

  • Timebox it. Stop when the time is up.
  • Include a short “What I’d do next” section (shows maturity).
  • Use dummy data unless they explicitly provide data.
  • Avoid delivering a deploy-ready production package unless it’s paid.
  • Keep your work portable: structure it so you can reuse it as a portfolio artifact (without their proprietary details).

*(This isn’t legal advice — it’s just a practical way to avoid donating days of effort.)*

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Even if you decide the role is worth it, protect momentum:

> You should still be applying to other roles while you’re doing take-homes.

That’s how you avoid getting trapped in “one process = your whole week.”

If your bottleneck is tailoring CVs fast (so you can keep applying without going generic), HyperApply is built exactly for that workflow:

  • You open the job listing you’re already viewing
  • HyperApply generates a tailored CV PDF from your base CV + the job requirements
  • You review/edit and stay in control (no auto-submitting)

Relevant pages:

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Bottom line

Take-homes aren’t automatically evil.

But scope creep + opacity + unpaid labor is real.

Use this playbook:

  • classify it fast
  • timebox by default
  • deliver thinking, not free production work
  • push back with scripts
  • keep your job search moving regardless