I Analyzed Real Mock Coding Interviews. Here's What Separates Hires from No Hires

We run AI mock coding interviews on intervu.dev . Each session is scored across five pillars (algorithms, coding, problem solving, verification, and communication) on a calibrated 1-10 rubric. We looked at the anonymized, aggregate patterns across completed interviews: how candidates spend their time, how much code they write, and where they lose points. Only 52% received a Hire or Strong Hire signal. The reason isn't what most candidates expect. Verification Is the Silent Killer Here are the average scores across all five pillars: Pillar Avg Score Coding 6.94 Algorithms 6.77 Problem Solving 6.26 Communication 5.87 Verification 5.65 Verification (testing your own code, walking through examples, catching edge cases) is the weakest pillar across the board. Most candidates write code that works and then stop. They don't trace through examples. They don't check boundary conditions. They don't walk through their logic before hitting "Run." The good news? Verification is the easiest pillar t