Using hints and solutions in coding exercises

Stuck on a coding exercise? That's part of the process. Every exercise ships with hints and a full reference solution, so you're never left without a way forward.

Using hints

Open the Hints tab next to the Instructions tab. Hints are ordered from a gentle nudge to more specific guidance, so read the first one, go back to the editor, and give it another try before moving on to the next hint.

Some tests also come with their own hint. If a test fails, click it in the test results sidebar to see the details, including a hint targeted at that specific test when the exercise author provided one.

Viewing the solution

The Solution tab contains a reference solution written by the exercise author. To encourage you to try the exercise yourself first, the solution unlocks after your first test run. Run the tests at least once, even with unfinished code, and you'll be able to open it.

Many solutions also include notes that explain the approach, so it's worth reading the solution even after you've solved the exercise on your own.

Keep in mind that the reference solution is one way to solve the exercise, not the only way. If your code passes all the required tests, your solution is just as valid, even if it looks different.

Reading the solution doesn't complete the exercise

An exercise counts as completed only when the code in your editor passes all the required tests. If you've read the solution, the best way to learn from it is to close the tab, rebuild it from memory in the editor, and run the tests.