Full-Stack Developer Assessment Guide
Full-stack is the most over-claimed title on Indian IT CVs. The honest definition: someone who can ship a full feature — database schema, API, front-end UI, deployment — without needing handoff to specialists. The dishonest definition: "I have touched both React and Node." This guide separates the two with a rubric that tests breadth without sacrificing depth.
Key skills
Must-have
Genuine front-end depth
2+ years building production React/Vue/Angular UIs (not "I styled a button"). Comfortable with state management, async data fetching, basic accessibility.
Genuine back-end depth
2+ years writing API endpoints in Node/Python/Go/Java with database access, auth, and error handling. Has shipped at least one non-trivial endpoint.
Database modeling
Can design a schema for a CRUD-plus feature. Knows when to denormalize. Comfortable with both relational and basic NoSQL.
End-to-end ownership
Has shipped at least one feature where they wrote schema → API → UI → tests → deploy. Without this, they are not full-stack.
Nice-to-have
TypeScript fluency
Modern full-stack work is heavily TypeScript. Strong asset.
Mobile experience
React Native or Flutter — broadens the "full" in full-stack.
CI/CD comfort
Can set up a basic pipeline themselves. Avoids the "I cannot deploy without DevOps help" trap.
Performance instinct
Knows when to add a database index, when to lazy-load a route, when to paginate an API. Beyond just "make it work."
Interview questions (6)
Walk me through a feature you shipped end-to-end. Start with the database and end with deployment.
What to listen for
Specific tables/columns, specific endpoints, specific UI components, specific deployment steps. Vague answers = not actually full-stack.
How do you decide what state lives on the front-end vs the back-end?
What to listen for
Source-of-truth thinking. UI state vs domain state. Not "everything in Redux."
A page is loading slowly. Walk me through how you investigate.
What to listen for
Network tab, render performance, then back-end query analysis. Not "I rewrite the component."
How do you handle authentication in a feature you build today?
What to listen for
Specific approach (JWT, session, OAuth flow), with awareness of common pitfalls (refresh tokens, storage, CSRF).
Tell me about a time you made a design decision that turned out wrong. What did you do?
What to listen for
Honest example, learning extracted, refactor or revert decision. Not "I have always made the right call."
Walk me through how you would design a comment system for a blog. Schema first.
What to listen for
Normalization, threading, soft deletes, moderation, pagination. Real design conversation, not just "comments table."
Evaluation rubric
Score each candidate against these weighted criteria. Total: 100%.
| Criterion | Weight | Signal |
|---|---|---|
| Front-end depth | 25% | Has shipped non-trivial UIs with state and async. Understands accessibility basics. |
| Back-end depth | 25% | Has shipped real endpoints with auth, validation, and error handling. |
| End-to-end ownership | 20% | Has shipped features themselves, not handed off mid-stack. |
| Database fluency | 15% | Designs schemas confidently. Knows query basics beyond SELECT *. |
| Operational awareness | 15% | Can deploy what they built. Knows how to debug in production. |
Red flags
Claims full-stack but cannot draw a database schema
Has only contributed to existing front-ends or back-ends, never built end-to-end
Does not know how their code reaches production
Lists 8 frameworks with no project depth in any
Cannot describe a real feature they shipped in the last 6 months
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