Software Engineer Challenge — Building Reliable APIs at Computing For All

What You'll Be Doing

Scenario — "The Task Tracker API"

You're building a simple REST API for a small "Task Tracker" web app. Users need to be able to create, read, update, and delete their tasks. Each task includes a title, status, and due date.

Your Task

Design a reliable API that provides clear routes and request/response formats for task management, handles errors and invalid input safely with appropriate status codes, follows REST conventions and best practices, can be tested reliably to ensure it works correctly, and is documented well enough for other developers to use.

Focus on clarity, testing, and reasoning rather than complex code.

Record a video walking us through your approach and submit written artifacts for your API design and reliability plan.

Challenge Guidelines

The assessment consists of a video response of 7–10 minutes (continuous recording, one take), two written artifacts (maximum 1 page each), and focuses on the scenario of designing and explaining a simple API for a real-world use case. An AI Usage Declaration is required.

What You'll Accomplish

RESTful API endpoints following industry conventions

Implement proper error handling and validation

Write effective test cases for API reliability

Document APIs for developer usability

Apply best practices for request/response formats.

How Your Work Will Be Scored

Technical Clarity accounts - 40% Problem-Solving & Testing -30%, Communication -20% AI Usage Transparency - 10%.

What to Submit

Required Submissions:

1. API Design Outline (Required)

Submit a PDF or document with a maximum length of 1 page. List the main endpoints and what each one does (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE). Show an example request/response for at least one endpoint. Note any assumptions about authentication, validation rules, and data types. Keep it clear and practical, showing that you understand REST conventions and data modeling.

2. Reliability Plan (Required)

Submit a PDF or document with a maximum length of 1 page. Describe how you'd test the API including unit tests, integration tests, and example test cases. Explain how you'd monitor it through logging, error tracking, and metrics. Mention one improvement you'd add later such as pagination, filtering, or rate limiting. Focus on how you ensure the API works reliably in production.

3. Video Recording (Required)

Submit an MP4 file that is 7-10 minutes long (continuous recording, one take). Your video must include all three components detailed below.

Submission Guidelines

Video Requirements:

Your 7-10 minute video must include all three components:

1. Introduction (1-2 minutes)

Share one example of a time you built or improved part of a system, even a small feature. What did you learn about reliability, teamwork, or debugging?

2. Traits Assessment (2-3 minutes)

Which situation sounds more like you, and why?

In Scenario A — "The Thursday Fix" (Execution), you're asked to quickly debug a failing API endpoint and deploy a stable hotfix before a demo. You have error logs, clear requirements, and a production deadline. Would this focused, high-ownership debugging energize you?

In Scenario B — "The Clean Design" (Discovery), you're designing a brand-new endpoint and need to decide what data structure, routes, and responses make the most sense. You'll research best practices, consider edge cases, and propose a solution. Would you thrive in this open-ended, design-oriented work?

There's no "correct" choice — just share which environment helps you do your best work.

3. Challenge Response (3-5 minutes)

Walk us through how you would design and implement a minimal Task Tracker API. What routes and data models would you use? How would you handle errors and validation? What's one simple test case that proves it works?

AI Usage Declaration:

At the end of your video, please state whether you did not use any AI tools, or if you used AI tools, briefly describe how, including prompts and edits.

API Design Outline

Document · 1 page maxRequired

Format: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .md

List the main endpoints and what each one does (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE). Show an example request/response for at least one endpoint. Note any assumptions about authentication, validation rules, and data types.

Keep it clear and practical, showing that you understand REST conventions and data modeling.

Reliability Plan

Document · 1 page maxRequired

Format: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .md

Describe how you'd test the API including unit tests, integration tests, and example test cases. Explain how you'd monitor it through logging, error tracking, and metrics. Mention one improvement you'd add later such as pagination, filtering, or rate limiting.

Focus on how you ensure the API works reliably in production.

Video Recording

Video · 7-10 minRequired

Format: .mp4, .mov, .webm

Submit a continuous recording in one take. Your video must include all three components:

Introduction (1-2 minutes) Share one example of a time you built or improved part of a system, even a small feature. What did you learn about reliability, teamwork, or debugging?

Traits Assessment (2-3 minutes) Which situation sounds more like you, and why?

Scenario A — "The Thursday Fix" (Execution): You're asked to quickly debug a failing API endpoint and deploy a stable hotfix before a demo. You have error logs, clear requirements, and a production deadline. Would this focused, high-ownership debugging energize you?
Scenario B — "The Clean Design" (Discovery): You're designing a brand-new endpoint and need to decide what data structure, routes, and responses make the most sense. You'll research best practices, consider edge cases, and propose a solution. Would you thrive in this open-ended, design-oriented work?

There's no "correct" choice — just share which environment helps you do your best work.

Challenge Response (3-5 minutes) Walk us through how you would design and implement a minimal Task Tracker API. What routes and data models would you use? How would you handle errors and validation? What's one simple test case that proves it works?

AI Usage Declaration At the end of your video, please state whether you did not use any AI tools, or if you used AI tools, briefly describe how, including prompts and edits.