Student Guide
Learn how to join classrooms, submit coding assignments, receive instant feedback, and track your progress.
1. Getting Started
Follow these simple steps to create your account and start coding!
Create Your Account
Visit the Sign Up page and register with:
- Your full name
- Email address (use your school email if possible)
- A secure password
Verify Your Email
Check your email inbox for a verification link and click it to activate your account.
Optional: Add Student ID
If your teacher uses exclusive enrollment, you may need to add your Student ID to your profile:
- Go to Profile Settings
- Enter your Student ID
- Save changes
2. Joining a Classroom
Create Account & Log In
If you haven't already, create your account and log in to VeraCodeChecker.
- Go to the Sign Up page
- Complete email verification (check your inbox)
- Log in with your credentials
Get the Classroom Code
Your teacher will provide a 6-character classroom code. This might be shared via:
- Classroom announcement
- Learning management system
- In-class presentation
Set Student ID (If Required)
Some classrooms require you to set your Student ID before joining:
1. Go to Profile Settings from the sidebar
2. Enter your Student ID exactly as registered with your school
3. Save changes
Enter the Classroom Code
Navigate to your Student Dashboard and click the "Join Classroom" button.
Enter the 6-character code provided by your teacher.
Complete Verification (If Required)
Some classrooms require email verification before you can join:
- If you haven't verified your email, you'll be prompted to do so
- Check your inbox for the verification link
- Click the link to verify, then try joining again
Confirm Enrollment
After entering the code, you'll see the classroom details:
- Classroom name and description
- Teacher name
- Number of students enrolled
Click "Join" to confirm your enrollment.
3. Viewing Activities
Once enrolled, you can view all coding activities assigned by your teacher.
Activity List
View all activities in a classroom, including:
- Activity title and description
- Programming language (Java, Python, or C)
- Due date and time
- Your submission status
- Points possible and earned
Status Indicators
4. Submitting Your Code
Open the Activity
Click on an activity from your dashboard to view the full assignment.
Read Instructions Carefully
Before coding, thoroughly review:
- Problem description: What the program should do
- Input format: How data will be provided
- Output format: Expected output structure
- Rules and constraints: Limitations and requirements
- Name/ID comment requirement: If your teacher requires it
- Due date: When the assignment is due
- Grading criteria: How your code will be evaluated
Write Your Code
You have two options for coding:
Option A: Use Built-in Editor
Write code directly in the browser using our Monaco editor (same as VS Code).
- Syntax highlighting for Java, Python, and C
- Auto-completion and IntelliSense
- Error detection and warnings
- Line numbers and code folding
Option B: Upload Files
Write code in your preferred IDE and upload one or multiple files.
- Drag-and-drop support
- Multi-file upload for complex projects
- Preview uploaded files before submission
- Remove and replace files as needed
Test Your Code (Optional)
Before submitting, you can:
- Run tests locally in your own development environment
- Use sample test cases provided in the instructions
- Run available tests if your teacher enabled pre-submission testing
Submit Your Work
When you're ready, click the "Submit" button.
After submission, you'll receive:
Instant Grading
Automated test results with your score
AI Feedback
Suggestions for improvement
Test Details
Which tests passed/failed
Review Your Results
After grading completes, review:
- Grade: Your score out of 100
- Test Results: Detailed breakdown of passed/failed tests
- Expected vs Actual Output: What was expected and what your code produced
- AI Feedback: Specific suggestions for improvement
- Compilation Errors: If your code didn't compile
- Runtime Errors: If your code crashed during execution
5. Understanding Your Feedback
Automated Grading
Your code is automatically tested against test cases. You'll see:
- Number of tests passed vs. total tests
- Detailed test results with expected vs. actual output
- Compilation errors (if any)
- Runtime errors or exceptions
AI-Generated Feedback
Our AI analyzes your code and provides:
- Specific suggestions for improvement
- Explanations of why tests failed
- Best practice recommendations
- Code quality insights
Teacher Annotations
Your teacher may add:
- Inline comments on specific code lines
- Highlighted sections with notes
- Shapes and arrows pointing to important areas
- Overall feedback comments
6. Tracking Your Progress
Submission History
View all your past submissions for each activity:
- Submission date and time
- Code snapshot for each submission
- Grades received
- Feedback and comments
Grades Overview
Monitor your performance across all activities:
- Current grade for each activity
- Overall classroom average
- Trends and improvement over time
- Upcoming and overdue assignments
Discussion Threads
Participate in discussions with your teacher:
- Ask questions about your submission
- Request clarification on feedback
- Discuss assignment requirements
- Get personalized help
7. Understanding Activity Types
Your teacher may create different types of activities. Understanding how each type works helps you write better code and avoid common mistakes.
I/O Testing (Input/Output)
What it is:
Your program reads input from standard input (stdin) and writes output to standard output (stdout). The grader compares your output with expected output.
Supported Languages:
How to succeed:
- Match the exact output format - spacing, capitalization, punctuation matter!
- Read input correctly - use Scanner (Java), input() (Python), scanf (C)
- Don't add extra output - no debug prints, no "Enter number:" prompts
- Test with sample cases - verify your output matches exactly
⚠️ Common Mistakes:
- ❌ Adding extra spaces or newlines
- ❌ Printing prompts like "Enter a number: "
- ❌ Wrong capitalization (e.g., "hello" vs "Hello")
- ❌ Not handling all test cases (edge cases)
Example (Java):
// Read two numbers and print their sum Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in); int a = sc.nextInt(); int b = sc.nextInt(); System.out.println(a + b); // Just the result, nothing else!
Assertion-Based Testing (Java Only)
What it is:
Your teacher tests specific methods in your class. The grader creates objects, calls your methods, and checks if they return correct values or change state properly.
Supported Languages:
How to succeed:
- Keep method signatures identical - don't change parameter types or return types
- Only one public class - avoid multiple public classes in your file
- Don't use package statements - keep your code in the default package
- Test your methods thoroughly - create objects and call methods to verify behavior
- Focus on logic - the grader tests method behavior, not console output
⚠️ Common Mistakes:
- ❌ Changing method signatures (names, parameters, return types)
- ❌ Adding package declarations (e.g.,
package com.mycode;) - ❌ Multiple public classes in one file
- ❌ Methods that don't return the correct type
- ❌ Not handling edge cases in method logic
Example (Java):
// Teacher's instructions say: "Create a Rectangle class with getArea() method"
public class Rectangle {
private int width;
private int height;
public Rectangle(int width, int height) {
this.width = width;
this.height = height;
}
// KEEP THIS SIGNATURE EXACTLY AS SPECIFIED!
public int getArea() {
return width * height;
}
}Manual Review
What it is:
Your teacher grades your submission manually using a rubric. There are no automated tests.
Best for:
- Open-ended coding projects
- Code quality and style evaluation
- Complex assignments without clear pass/fail criteria
- Creative problem-solving tasks
How to succeed:
- Follow the rubric - check what criteria your teacher will grade on
- Write clean code - use good variable names, proper indentation
- Add comments - explain your logic and approach
- Document assumptions - explain any design decisions
- Test thoroughly - make sure your code works as intended
8. Tips for Success
✅ Do's
- ✓ Read instructions carefully before coding
- ✓ Test your code thoroughly before submitting
- ✓ Submit early to allow time for improvements
- ✓ Review AI feedback and learn from mistakes
- ✓ Ask questions in discussion threads
- ✓ Use proper code formatting and comments
- ✓ Keep track of due dates
❌ Don'ts
- ✗ Don't wait until the last minute
- ✗ Don't ignore compilation errors
- ✗ Don't submit without testing
- ✗ Don't copy code from classmates
- ✗ Don't ignore teacher feedback
- ✗ Don't use prohibited libraries/tools
- ✗ Don't hesitate to ask for help