Troubleshooting Technical Issues During Assessments

If you are experiencing technical problems that prevent you from accessing or completing an assessment — such as a stuck loading screen, unexpected pauses, or forced submissions — follow the steps in this article to resolve the issue.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

If your Applications dashboard is stuck on a loading screen or shows only placeholders, follow these steps in order:

1. Hard refresh the page. Press Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac), then reopen work.turing.com/dashboard/applications.

2. Use a supported device and browser. Assessments must be completed on a desktop or laptop computer — mobile devices are not supported. Use one of the following browsers:

   • Chrome (version 74 or later)

   • Edge (version 79 or later)

   • Latest version of Firefox

   Your device must have a working webcam, microphone, and a stable internet connection. If you do not have access to a compatible device, consider using a computer at a university, library, internet café, or borrowing one from a trusted source.

   Additionally:

   • Disable any VPN, proxy, or privacy tools. If a VPN or proxy is detected, you may see a security block (Error 14) — disabling these and switching to a normal browser window should resolve it.

   • Disable Incognito/private browsing mode.

   • Disable all browser extensions, especially ad blockers and script blockers.

   • Close any applications that may be using your camera or microphone (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams).

3. Clear your browser cache and cookies for work.turing.com, then sign in again.

4. Try a different supported browser and a different network.

5. Check camera, microphone, and screen recording permissions. Most assessments require a working camera and microphone. Ensure your browser and operating system have the necessary permissions enabled:

   • macOS: Go to System Settings → Privacy and Security and enable your browser under Screen Recording, Camera, and Microphone.

   • Windows: Go to Settings → Privacy → Camera and Microphone, and allow access both generally and for your specific browser.

   Camera showing a black screen? First, close any other apps using the camera and refresh the page. If the camera also shows black in your operating system's own camera app, this is a driver or hardware issue. Restart your device; if the problem persists, update your camera driver (Windows: Device Manager) or use a different device.

   External microphone not recognized? Check that the correct audio input device is selected in your browser and OS audio settings, or switch to your device's built-in microphone.

   Video-based assessments: If your assessment includes video content with audio (such as a video summarization test), use headphones to hear the audio while keeping your microphone active. Do not deactivate your microphone during the assessment, as this can cause the test to close.

   For more guidance, see the Permissions for screen sharing, camera, and microphone help article.

6. Check your internet connection speed. A minimum of 4 Mbps is required. If your connection is slow, switch to a different network or use a mobile hotspot.

7. Set your system time and timezone to automatic, and keep your device plugged into a power source during the assessment.

8. Verify that WebSocket connections are not being blocked. You can test this at websocketstest.com or libwebsockets.org/testserver.

For additional setup guidance, see the Resolving Technical Issues During Assessments help article.

Common Issues During an Assessment

The assessment instructions page has no "Start" button

The instructions screen uses a Next button to proceed, not a Start button. If you are waiting for a Start button, look for and click Next instead. If the Next button is unresponsive or the page shows "Connecting. Please wait." and does not proceed, apply the troubleshooting steps above.

"Screen Recording Paused" message

Click Try screen recording again and make sure to share your entire screen — not a window or tab. In your browser's share dialog, select Entire Screen, click the screen thumbnail, and then click Share. If you have multiple monitors, select the screen you will use for the assessment — sharing both screens simultaneously is not supported.

Note that repeated interruptions to screen recording during an assessment may result in disqualification. Verify that screen sharing is working correctly before starting. Then apply the troubleshooting steps above (particularly steps 2, 5, and 6) before retrying.

Placeholder or missing content within an assessment

If you see placeholder text (such as "img-markdown") instead of actual content within an active assessment, apply the troubleshooting steps above. If the issue persists, contact support to request a reattempt link for the affected assessment.

Assessment stops or pauses mid-process

Go to work.turing.com/dashboard/applications, open your application under the Submissions tab, and check the assessment status. If it shows Paused, select Continue to resume.

If the assessment page is still open but unresponsive, refresh the page once and check whether your saved responses reappear. Be aware that the assessment timer may continue running during the interruption.

If there is no option to continue and the application shows as submitted, the assessment may have already been submitted successfully — check the application dashboard for status updates.

Assessment disappears from the dashboard after a network issue

Navigate to work.turing.com/dashboard/applications and check the Submissions tab — your assessment may have been successfully submitted despite the disruption.

Once an assessment has been submitted, it cannot be reset or reopened. Submitted assessments affected by technical issues will still be reviewed as part of the standard evaluation process, even if you were only able to complete part of the assessment before the issue occurred — this will not negatively affect your review. If you are shortlisted for the next stage, the relevant team will contact you with next steps.

"Thank you for completing the required testing" message with no questions

This is expected behavior, not a technical error. It means you have already completed the required test for that position previously, and your application has been submitted successfully using your prior results.

Requesting a Deadline Extension

If technical issues prevented you from completing an assessment within the allotted time window, you can contact support to request a deadline extension. When doing so, please provide:

• Your time zone and the original deadline timestamp

• Which assessment(s) you need the extension for, and which are already completed

• Documentation of when the technical issue started

Platform Maintenance

Scheduled platform maintenance can sometimes cause display problems on the Applications dashboard. If you are experiencing issues during a known maintenance window, your profile, application progress, assessment status, and any previously submitted information will not be affected. Wait 24–48 hours after a maintenance period before attempting to access the platform again.

Contacting Support

If the issue persists after completing all troubleshooting steps, contact support with the following information. Please do not open multiple tickets for the same issue, as this will delay resolution.

• Your browser name and version, operating system, and whether a VPN was active

• Whether any extensions or VPNs were active at the time of the error

• Whether you shared your entire screen or a window, and whether you used Incognito mode

• Network type and any firewall, VPN, or extensions active during the session

• A HAR file (network activity recording) captured while reproducing the error — instructions for collecting one are available at this guide

• A screenshot or short screen recording of the issue, including the Incident ID if one is displayed

• The exact URL you are trying to open

• Your timezone and a preferred 2-hour window within the next 48 hours so support can ensure access during that time