Vetting
How to stop AI cheating on developer take-homes: watch the work, not just the result
To reduce AI cheating on developer take-homes, replace an unwatched submission with a coding test whose rules are clear and whose work a real person watches. On Arca.ph, you can request two-camera proctored coding with no AI: the developer shares their screen and uses a phone as a second camera. That gives you evidence of how they work, not just a finished answer.
A polished resume and a working take-home leave a question unanswered: who did the thinking? If the job needs someone who can debug, explain a choice and own a change, the hiring process should let you see those things.
My last remote hire used ChatGPT to pass the take-home. How do companies prevent that?
Start by separating two questions: can this person reason about code without AI, and can they use AI tools well? An unwatched take-home can blur the two.
For a no-AI assessment, set the rule before the test and watch the session. On Arca.ph, a real person watches the shared screen and a second, phone camera. No AI is allowed on the no-AI coding test. The aim is to make the work visible, rather than guess from the final file whether a tool wrote it.
Then use your technical interview to ask about the work. Why that design? Which case would break it? How would they change it when the requirements move? A score helps you decide what to explore; it does not replace the conversation.
Every developer looks good on paper. How do I find out who can ship?
Compare claims with evidence. Work history can show relevant experience, but a stack list is not a demonstration. Look for work someone can explain, test results when available, and choices they can defend.
Arca.ph profiles are free to view. They show expected pay, US-hours overlap, self-reported English, self-reported AI tools and openness to time tracking, alongside work history and videos when shared. An AI-tool entry is a self-report, not a test result. Openness to time tracking is a preference, not a tracker supplied by Arca.ph.
Your own AI assistant can search and sort those profiles through MCP. You choose who to meet. Arca.ph handles outreach, and an introduction happens when the developer agrees.
Which watched tests can I request?
After an introduction, the core two-camera proctored tests are:
- English screening
- Thinking skills
- Coding with no AI
The screen and phone camera let a real person watch the work. Request the tests relevant to the role; do not assume every profile already has every result. Scores already on file are available on the profile. Tests are paid and optional.
See proctored tests and how to see scores before an interview.
Should I also test coding with AI allowed?
Yes, if AI tools are part of the job. Keep that evidence separate from the no-AI coding result.
A 2-hour build project with AI allowed shows how someone works with the tools available. Ask how they checked generated code, what they changed and which failures they looked for. The Fire Drill is live pair programming on a real-world problem: you see how the developer works through the problem, not only the final output.
The PHP hiring page gives a concrete example: a checkout that charged a customer twice. A problem like that opens a conversation about diagnosis, tests and safe fixes. Recorded reference checks can add another view of past work.
What does the hiring process cost?
On the Arca.ph marketplace, profiles are free to view. The hiring fee is 15% of first-year pay, once, only if you hire someone Arca.ph introduced within one year of the introduction. You hire and pay the developer directly. No monthly markup. Every hire includes a 3-month free replacement.
If you want Arca.ph to run the search instead, done-for-you is 35% of first-year pay, once on hire. Pricing explains both paths.
FAQ
Can a take-home prove the candidate worked without AI?
An unwatched final submission does not establish who did the work. Clear no-AI rules and human-watched screen and phone cameras show how the candidate works.
Is using AI always cheating?
No. It depends on the rules. Coding with no AI and a build with AI allowed answer different questions. Tell the developer which applies.
Does every Arca.ph profile have test scores?
No. Review scores when they are already on file. After an introduction, request the optional tests you need.
Who makes the hiring decision?
You do. Your assistant can sort evidence, and Arca.ph can arrange introductions and tests. You interview and decide.
See the profile first, then ask for proof. Get started or Sign in.