Beta — All certificates are free during our beta period. Pricing will apply after launch.

Help Center

Everything you need to succeed on the HardCoded platform. Browse our knowledge base or contact support.

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Need personalized help? Send us an email and we'll respond within 24 hours.

Community Support

Join our Discord community to connect with other South African developers.

Getting Started Guide

New to HardCoded? Learn how to set up your account and start your coding journey.

Creating Your Account

Sign up at /register with your email address. You'll receive a verification email to activate your account. Once verified, you can enroll in any of our free courses.

Enrolling in Your First Course

Browse available courses at /courses. Click on a course to see its curriculum, then click "Enroll for Free" to get started. You'll immediately have access to all course content.

Navigating the Dashboard

Your dashboard shows enrolled courses, recent progress, and quick links to continue learning. The sidebar displays your current course modules and lessons. Green checkmarks indicate completed lessons.

Completing Lessons

Each lesson contains video content, text explanations, or interactive coding challenges. Mark lessons complete to track your progress. Some lessons require passing an assessment to continue.

How to Submit Code Challenges

Learn how to write, test, and submit solutions to coding challenges.

Using the Code Editor

Our code editor supports syntax highlighting for Python, JavaScript, C#, Java, PHP, and TypeScript. Write your code in the editor, and use Ctrl+Space for autocomplete suggestions.

Running Tests

Click "Run Tests" to execute your code against sample test cases without submitting. This lets you debug and verify your solution before final submission. Test results show expected vs actual output.

Submitting Solutions

When ready, click "Submit Solution" to run your code against all test cases including hidden ones. You'll see your score and whether you passed. Successful submissions earn points for the leaderboard.

Understanding Test Results

Test results show: ✅ Passed (output matches expected), ❌ Failed (output doesn't match), ⏱️ Time Limit Exceeded, or 💾 Memory Limit Exceeded. Read error messages carefully to debug.

Troubleshooting Common Errors

Solutions to frequently encountered problems.

Compilation Errors

Check for syntax errors, missing semicolons, or incorrect brackets. The error message usually indicates the line number. For Java/C#, ensure your class names match the requirements.

Runtime Errors

Common causes: division by zero, null/undefined references, index out of bounds. Use console.log() or print() statements to debug. Check edge cases like empty inputs or negative numbers.

Time Limit Exceeded

Your code took too long to execute (>5-10 seconds). Optimize your algorithm - avoid nested loops where possible, use efficient data structures, and check for infinite loops.

Wrong Answer

Your code runs but produces incorrect output. Read the problem statement carefully, check for off-by-one errors, test with the sample inputs, and consider edge cases you might have missed.

Lesson Won't Unlock

Some lessons require passing a previous assessment. Look for 🔒 locked lessons and complete the required assessment with at least 70% to unlock subsequent content.

Understanding Assessments & Progression

How our assessment system works and how to progress through courses.

What Are Assessments?

Assessments are coding challenges that verify you've mastered the material before moving forward. Unlike optional practice challenges, you must pass assessments to unlock the next lessons.

Passing Requirements

You need at least 70% to pass an assessment. This means passing 70% of the test cases. You can retry assessments as many times as needed - there's no penalty for multiple attempts.

Retaking Assessments

If you don't pass on your first try, review the lesson content and try again. Each attempt helps you learn. Your best score is saved and displayed on your progress page.

Course Completion

Complete all lessons and pass all assessments to finish a course. You'll earn a certificate of completion that you can share on LinkedIn or your resume.

Account & Enrollment FAQs

Frequently asked questions about accounts and course enrollment.

Are courses really free?

Yes! All courses marked as "FREE" are completely free to access. You can enroll, complete lessons, and earn certificates at no cost. Premium features may be added in the future.

Can I enroll in multiple courses?

Absolutely! Enroll in as many courses as you like. Your dashboard will show all enrolled courses, and you can learn at your own pace across multiple languages.

How do I track my progress?

Visit your dashboard to see progress for each enrolled course. The course sidebar shows completed lessons with checkmarks. Your profile displays total points earned and leaderboard ranking.

Can I download course content?

Course content is designed for online learning to ensure you always have the latest version. However, you have lifetime access to re-watch videos and review material anytime.

How do I reset my password?

On the login page, click "Forgot Password". Enter your email address and we'll send a password reset link. Follow the link to create a new password.

Certificates & Verification

How to earn, share, and verify HardCoded course completion certificates.

How to Earn a Certificate

Complete 100% of all lessons in a course and pass all required assessments. Your certificate is automatically generated and appears in your dashboard. Certificates include your name, course details, completion date, and a unique certificate number.

Verifying a Certificate

To verify any HardCoded certificate, visit hardcoded.co.za/verify and enter the certificate number (e.g., HC-2026-000001). Our system validates it against our secure database in real-time. You can also click any certificate URL to view and verify it.

Sharing Your Certificate

Each certificate has a unique public URL like hardcoded.co.za/certificates/HC-2026-000001. Share this URL on LinkedIn, your resume, or with employers. Anyone can view and verify your certificate without logging in.

Certificate Security

Every certificate includes a SHA-256 cryptographic hash for authenticity verification. This ensures certificates cannot be forged or tampered with. Our verification system uses blockchain-inspired technology for maximum security.

What Employers See

When employers verify your certificate, they see your full name, course title, completion date, certificate number, and a verified badge. The certificate page clearly states the skills demonstrated and includes course level and language.

Downloading Certificates

Certificates are available as web pages with unique URLs for easy sharing and verification. PDF download functionality will be added soon. For now, you can print the certificate page or share the verification URL.

Code Execution Limits & Best Practices

Understanding code execution limits and optimization tips.

Execution Time Limits

Python, JavaScript, PHP, TypeScript: 5 seconds. Java, C#: 10 seconds. If your code exceeds these limits, optimize your algorithm or reduce computational complexity.

Memory Limits

Python, JavaScript, PHP, TypeScript: 256 MB. Java, C#: 512 MB. Avoid creating unnecessarily large data structures. Use generators/iterators for large datasets when possible.

Input/Output Format

Read input using: Python (input()), JavaScript (readline()), Java (Scanner), C# (Console.ReadLine()), PHP (fgets(STDIN)). Print output using the standard print/console functions.

Optimization Tips

Use appropriate data structures (hash maps for lookups, arrays for sequential access). Avoid nested loops when possible. Cache repeated calculations. Consider time complexity: O(n) is better than O(n²).

Supported Language Versions

We support modern, stable versions of Python 3, JavaScript, Java, C#, PHP, and TypeScript with all current language features you need for professional development.

Still need help?

Can't find what you're looking for? Our support team is here to help.