42 exam practice

A 3-hour mock exam for the 42 piscine

Every level draws one exercise at random, out of 2 to 6. The next level only opens once all of its tests pass, and the whole run lasts 3 hours.

Start Foundations 1All challenges

Free. Grademe has no connection to 42.

grademe · c-foundations-01level 3/802:41:07
Foundations 1 · 3:00:00 · 8 levels · 50% to pass
[level 1] drew bare-char
tests ✓ level 2 unlocked
[level 2] drew countdown
tests ✗ output doesn't match
wait before the next submission
tests ✓ level 3 unlocked
[level 3] drew alpha-descent
score 25/100 · passing starts at level 4
❯

1,379

finished Foundations 1 runs with at least one submission

50%

reach level 4, which is enough to pass

26%

get all the way to level 8

Where people stop

Share of runs that clear each level
L185%1,166 runs
L270%966 runs
L360%829 runs
L450%685 runs
Passed from here on
L545%616 runs
L635%482 runs
L732%440 runs
L826%360 runs

How it works

  1. 01

    The draw

    When a run starts, each level picks one exercise from its list. On level 1 that's hello, static-byte or bare-char.

  2. 02

    3 hours

    The clock keeps going if you close the tab. At zero the run ends, and the levels you cleared stay cleared.

  3. 03

    Tests

    Each submission is compiled and run against that level's tests. If everything passes, the next level opens. If not, fix it and submit again.

  4. 04

    After a failed submission

    There's a wait before the next one, a little longer after each miss, up to 15 minutes. It stops you from submitting at random to see what happens.

  5. 05

    Browser or terminal

    The editor is right in the page. If you'd rather use vim or VS Code, the Grademe CLI runs on macOS and Linux and picks up the same run.

  6. 06

    The score

    It's the share of levels cleared. Foundations 1 needs 50%, so 4 levels out of 8.

C challenges

  1. 01

    Foundations 1

    3h · 8 levels · 50% to pass

    Start
  2. 02

    Strings & Bits

    3h · 8 levels · 50% to pass

    Start
  3. 05

    Strings from Scratch

    3h · 4 levels · 50% to pass

    Start
  4. 07

    Rebuild the C Standard Library

    6h · 7 levels · 50% to pass

    Start

Questions

Is Grademe connected to 42?
No. It's an independent project, and 42 has neither reviewed nor backed it.
Are these the real exam subjects?
No, we wrote every exercise ourselves. They cover the same C basics as the piscine, but none of them comes from 42.
Does the 42 examshell work here?
No. Grademe runs its own challenges and doesn't connect to the 42 intranet.
Is it free?
Yes. You only need an account, which keeps your runs and scores.
What happens when time runs out?
The run ends and the levels you cleared still count. A new run draws its exercises again.
Do I need to install anything?
No, everything works in the browser. The CLI is optional, for people who want their own editor.

The quickest way to find out is to start one

Start Foundations 1

Grademe is an independent project with no connection to 42 or the 42 Network. 42 is a trademark of Association 42.