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What Does It Take to Get into Hack Reactor?
Hack Reactor does not take admissions lightly, and challenges prospective students with a battery of tests evaluating various skills.
The first step to becoming enrolled in Galvanize's Hack Reactor is completing a pair of non-coding-related tasks: a typing test, and an online aptitude test provided by Criteria Corps, known as the Criteria Cognitive Assessment Test or CCAT. The CCAT is considered by many applicants a demanding and arduous task.
Together, these are dubbed the non-technical assessment, because they do not require any coding knowledge.
After completing these tasks, you will need to submit a 20-minute application form containing open-ended questions about your background. The hack Reactor admission process then splits into two pathways. These are based on the program you have chosen to apply for:
- Beginner Bootcamp applicants will proceed to complete a pre-recorded video interview. Passing the interview will guarantee you a seat at one of the upcoming beginner cohorts.
- Intermediate Bootcamp applicants will instead face a technical assessment to evaluate their programming skills and capabilities. This includes a coding challenge and a JavaScript knowledge test taken on Zoom.
What is Hack Reactor's CCAT?
The CCAT is a 50-question test with a 15-minute time constraint. It is taken online using Criteria Corp's test platform, HireSelect. The questions include math problems, verbal reasoning problems, and spatial reasoning problems in a mixed order. Calculators are not allowed, but it is recommended to keep scrap paper around for quick calculations.
Failing the CCAT means having to wait another 12 months before reapplying to Hack Reactor.
What skills and qualifications are Hack Reactor looking for?
The Hack Reactor Aptitude Test has nothing to do with coding per se, but rather with the fundamental skills that underpin software engineering:
- Problem-Solving – Can you mark a goal, identify the obstacles, and apply a step-by-step strategy to arrive at your destination?
- Logical and Mathematical Reasoning – Can you make logical deductions from a complicated set of facts and rules? When faced with a problem that requires math, are you able to make the right calculations, and make them correctly?
- Critical Thinking – Can you identify errors and bugs in code, and work effectively to troubleshoot them?
You can find out more about the test by reading our CCAT FAQs or by watching our dedicated video:
How to Prepare for the Hack Reactor CCAT Assessment
The most challenging element of the CCAT is the ticking clock. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the pressure to answer complicated questions quickly enough to make room for more. The CCAT is also considered difficult because it evaluates diverse skillsets. You could be a mathematically inclined individual, and still find yourself struggling with verbal questions, and vice versa.
As with other tests, practice and preparation are key. You can take a quick sample CCAT test to see where you currently stand and focus on improving the skills you need.
JobTestPrep offers the most complete and accurate preparation for the CCAT, including guides, sample questions, and full-length mock tests.
Hack Reactor CCAT Sample Questions
It's important to "diagnose" where you currently stand before taking the CCAT. Doing so will ensure the test does not take you by surprise. If there are skills that need to be strengthened ahead of the assessment, you will know them in advance. Test your ability with these intermediate-level sample CCAT questions:
Hack Reactor CCAT Numerical Reasoning Sample Question
In a box of marbles, the ratio of red marbles to total marbles is 2:5. The ratio of green marbles to total marbles is 3:10. If the marbles that are neither red nor green are blue, how many blue marbles are in the box if there are 40 marbles in the box?
Hack Reactor CCAT Verbal Reasoning Sample Question
PRECIPITATION is to SNOW as CARBOHYDRATE is to…
Hack Reactor CCAT Spatial Reasoning Sample Question
How did you do? Remember, JobTestPrep full CCAT PrepPack features hundreds of CCAT-style questions in all difficulty levels, so you can progressively build your skills.
Hack Reactor CCAT Tips
If you're looking for ways to maximize your performance on the CCAT, here are a few helpful ideas that can help you make better use of your 15 minutes:
It is important to stress that very few people complete all 50 questions within the allotted time. Your focus should be on answering as many questions as possible. To do this, practice for the test, and build a strategy. If you believe you are eligible for accommodation due to a disability, you can find out how to get an extended time limit here.
When building a strategy, remember that your CCAT score is not affected by answering questions incorrectly, so in the event of a question taking too long to answer, it may be wise to guess and move on.
If, while practicing, you find that there is a certain type of question you always struggle with, you might decide to skip that type of question automatically to make room for questions you are more likely to solve. As a rule of thumb, it's better to answer fewer questions correctly than more questions incorrectly, so stay calm and take your time with questions you know you can solve.
The first stage in the Hack Reactor application process also contains a quick, one-minute typing test.
The purpose of this assessment is simply to confirm that you are capable of sustaining a pace of at least 20 words per minute.
💡 Want to practice your speed-typing skills? Check out our Typing Test Simulator
Whether you choose the Hack Reactor intermediate bootcamp or their beginner bootcamp, you will finish the program at the same level of knowledge and expertise. The difference, then, is in your level coming in.
The Hack Reactor Beginner Course requires no prior coding knowledge whatsoever. It will start you off with the bare essentials, which is why it is also longer than the intermediate program, at 19 weeks (about 4 and a half months). The instructors on this program are more attentive to the personal growth and learning pace of each student, playing both the roles of teachers and motivators. In addition to HTML/CSS, OPQ, and JavaScript, the beginner bootcamp also teaches Python (learn more about the languages taught on the program in the Frequently Asked Questions section.
Conversely, the intermediate bootcamp assumes that you have coded before. Hence, it skips the basics and dives straight into the nitty-gritty. The curriculum will be shorter (12 weeks), but also more intense and rigorous than the beginner program, with more weekly in-class hours and fewer rest days. The learning style is more independent and student-focused. The intermediate bootcamp does not include python.
Applicants seeking to join the Hack Reactor 19-week beginner bootcamp must complete a pre-recorded interview. The "pre-recorded" in its name stems from the fact that you will not be facing a live interviewer. Rather, you will record your answers to a set of questions in your own time.
Because this step is required only from beginner applicants, the interview features no technical questions of any kind. What Hack Reactor wants to know is that you are motivated and ready to commit to a very taxing and time-consuming regiment.
It will help to show that you are aware of what the program entails and what its challenges are, so that you can create the impression that you are prepared to handle them. Make sure to attend one of Galvanize’s online info sessions to learn more about the schedule and challenges of the programs.
💡 Failing the interview means you must wait six months before reapplying.
Applicants seeking to secure a spot on the Hack Reactor Intermediate Bootcamp will have to complete a set of challenges to demonstrate their coding abilities. These include a coding challenge and a Technical Admissions Assessment (TAA).
The coding challenge is more of a self-evaluation. You will have unlimited attempts, and the goal is to test whether you are ready for the intermediate course.
The last stage of the intermediate bootcamp admissions process, the TAA is a timed and proctored programming test that evaluates your knowledge of JavaScript fundamentals.
To prepare for the TAA, it is recommended that you take Hack Reactor's Free Online Prep Course.
You will be introduced to your test-group through an approximately 10 min Zoom call. After that, you will be taken into a Zoom room of your own where you will be faced with a series of questions and coding problems that assess your JavaScript fundamentals.
You cannot consult the other test takers, but you can ask your proctor, who will be available on Zoom, for clarifications on the instructions. You will have 55 minutes to complete the test.
Hack Reactor allows you to take the TAA up to three times. That is why, after the test, you will be taken back into the general Zoom room for a 10-minute Q&A about the test. This will help you better understand how you could have done better and arrive more prepared for your next attempt, should there be one.
You must wait two weeks between attempts. If you fail all three, you will be allowed a fourth after six months. Beyond that, you will no longer be eligible for the intermediate program.
💡 Learn more about the TAA here.
Hack Reactor's curriculum covers HTML/CSS, SQL, Python, and JavaScript. These are chosen because they are the most common modern coding languages and allow you to start a career in front-end development, back-end development, or full-stack development.
Please note, however, that Python is only covered in the beginner's course.
Hack Reactor’s bootcamps require a large investment of time, money, and effort both on the part of the students and the program. For this reason, the Hack Reactor admissions process uses an aptitude test to ensure a good match before a commitment is made.
Also, Hack Reactor needs to maintain a good reputation to help its alumni find gainful employment after graduation. To do this, they need a harsh and demanding “gatekeeper” task to ensure only those with a high potential for success can get in.
If you don't have any coding experience at all, or limited coding experience, the 19-week program is for you.
If you do have coding experience but are wondering whether it's extensive enough to apply for the 12-week program, you will probably find it helpful to attend one of Galvanize's online info sessions where questions like this will be answered.
It is also advisable to go over Hack Reactor's Free Online Prep Course, which reviews all the information required for the intermediate course. If you find it intuitive and easy, you are ready for the intermediate program! Otherwise, it may be best to either teach yourself the basics, or simply apply for the beginner program.
Even though graduates of both bootcamps have the same level of programming skills, the intermediate course is considered more prestigious by employers in the technology industry. However, if you feel you can benefit from a more guided approach that starts at the very beginning, the Beginner Program is not a bad option.
