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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesIn Prasad Rane’s coding interview, an AI assistant was available but could not help debug or implement the fix. The task was to find and fix bugs in an unfamiliar codebase under time pressure. His account is a useful reminder: having AI nearby does not replace understanding how the code works.
What happened in the interview?
Rane describes an interview where he had to work through an unfamiliar repository and repair bugs, while the AI assistant was not allowed to help with debugging. He says, “The AI assistant was right there in my coding interview. It wasn’t allowed to help me debug.”
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That is one person’s experience, not evidence that every AI-assisted interview restricts the assistant in the same way. Rane also says he does not know the interviewer’s complete scoring rubric, so the account should not be read as a universal hiring standard.
Why unfamiliar code is hard to debug
Follow the behavior, not just the suspicious line
A line that looks wrong on its own may make sense in context. To understand it, trace what calls the method, what assumptions the caller makes about its inputs, and where the result goes. As Rane puts it, “A line can look suspicious in isolation and still be doing exactly what its caller expects.”
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Read the test as a description of the failure
A failing assertion tells you that an expectation was not met; it does not, by itself, explain why. Inspect the test’s setup, inputs, dependencies, and expected result. Then follow the execution path that connects those inputs to the assertion. This narrows the investigation to the code involved in the observed behavior without requiring a complete tour of the repository.
Rane’s point is direct: “Reading every file isn’t a prerequisite.” Start with the failure and expand the search only when the behavior leads you elsewhere.
What should I practise for an AI-assisted coding interview?
Use a small repository with a working test suite and a reproducible issue. Practise the investigation and explanation, not just editing code. The sequence below reflects Rane’s advice; it is a practical approach, not a validated universal method.
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- Establish a baseline. Run the existing tests and note which pass and which fail before changing anything.
- Understand the relevant test. Read its setup, inputs, dependencies, and assertions so you know what behavior is being checked.
- Trace execution. Follow the relevant path across files: caller, method, assumptions about inputs, and use of the result.
- Form a cause before changing code. Write down a plausible explanation for the failure, then check whether the code and test support it.
- Make a focused change. Keep the edit tied to the cause rather than changing unrelated behavior.
- Rerun and review. Run the relevant tests again, inspect nearby behavior that could be affected, and review the diff.
- Explain the fix. Be ready to connect the observed failure to its cause and show how the change addresses it; a passing test alone may not make that reasoning clear.
If you expect debugging help to be unavailable, practise under that restriction. If AI assistance is permitted in some form, practise identifying the boundary between what it may do and what you need to reason through yourself.
What should I ask about AI permissions?
“AI available” can mean different things in different interviews. Before the exercise begins, ask what the assistant is allowed to do in that specific session:
- Can it explain unfamiliar code?
- Can it suggest or write code changes?
- Can it investigate failing tests or debug the issue?
These questions clarify the working constraints; they do not reveal a scoring rubric. Rane explicitly notes, “I don’t know the interviewer’s complete scoring rubric.” Treat his account as a prompt to clarify expectations, not as a prediction of how another interviewer will evaluate you.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the account does—and does not—show
The experience supports a narrow but useful lesson: in Rane’s interview, locating relevant files, tracing behavior, interpreting tests, and reasoning about a change mattered even though an AI assistant was present. It does not establish how common this format is, what employers generally score, or what AI rules another interview will use. Rane describes the lasting challenge as “having to make sense of code I hadn’t written under time pressure.”
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteSource: Prasad Rane, “My AI-assisted coding interview was a lesson in reading unfamiliar code,” DEV Community. The article page identifies its posting date as Oct 1 but does not state a year.
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