Practical Work Sample Exercises for Hiring Top Extended Reality Engineers

Extended Reality (XR) engineering represents one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving fields in technology today. As organizations increasingly invest in immersive technologies, finding engineers who can translate vision into virtual reality has become mission-critical. The challenge lies not just in identifying candidates with technical proficiency, but in discovering those who possess the unique blend of creativity, problem-solving ability, and collaborative spirit that successful XR development demands.

Traditional interviews often fail to reveal a candidate's true capabilities in this multifaceted discipline. While resumes may showcase experience with platforms like Unity or Unreal Engine, they rarely demonstrate how effectively a candidate can optimize performance, troubleshoot complex issues, or collaborate with cross-functional teams—all essential components of the XR engineer's daily reality.

Work samples and technical evaluations provide a window into how candidates approach real-world XR challenges. By observing candidates as they tackle practical problems, hiring managers can assess not only technical competence but also creativity, adaptability, and communication skills. These exercises reveal how candidates think through problems, handle feedback, and balance technical constraints with user experience considerations.

The following work samples are designed to evaluate the full spectrum of skills required for XR engineering excellence. From technical implementation to performance optimization, collaborative design to troubleshooting, these exercises simulate the actual challenges your XR engineer will face. By incorporating these activities into your hiring process, you'll gain deeper insights into each candidate's capabilities and identify those truly prepared to push the boundaries of extended reality at your organization.

Activity #1: Interactive Object Manipulation Implementation

This exercise evaluates a candidate's core technical implementation skills in XR development. Object manipulation—grabbing, moving, scaling, and rotating virtual objects—forms the foundation of most XR experiences. A candidate's approach to this fundamental challenge reveals their understanding of spatial computing principles, programming proficiency, and ability to create intuitive user interactions.

Directions for the Company:

• Provide the candidate with access to a basic XR development environment (Unity or Unreal Engine) with a simple scene containing several primitive objects.
• Include a requirements document specifying that users should be able to select, grab, move, rotate, and scale objects using standard XR controllers.
• Offer access to documentation for the relevant XR SDK (such as Oculus Integration, SteamVR, or VRTK).
• Allow 2-3 hours for completion, either remotely or on-site.
• Have an XR-capable device available for testing if the exercise is conducted on-site.
• Prepare specific feedback points to evaluate code quality, interaction design, and implementation approach.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Implement a system that allows users to interact with virtual objects using XR controllers.
• Create functionality for selecting, grabbing, moving, rotating, and scaling objects.
• Focus on creating intuitive, natural-feeling interactions that follow XR best practices.
• Consider edge cases such as object collision, interaction feedback, and user comfort.
• Document your approach, including any design decisions or trade-offs you made.
• Be prepared to explain your implementation and demonstrate the working solution.

Feedback Mechanism:

• After the implementation, have the candidate demonstrate their solution while explaining their approach.
• Provide specific feedback on one aspect they executed well (e.g., "Your grab mechanics feel very natural and intuitive").
• Offer one constructive suggestion for improvement (e.g., "The rotation mechanism might benefit from additional visual feedback").
• Allow the candidate 15-20 minutes to implement the suggested improvement, observing how they incorporate feedback and iterate on their solution.

Activity #2: XR Performance Optimization Challenge

Performance optimization is critical in XR development, where maintaining high frame rates directly impacts user comfort and experience. This exercise tests a candidate's ability to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks—a skill that separates exceptional XR engineers from merely competent ones.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare a deliberately under-optimized XR scene in Unity or Unreal Engine that suffers from performance issues (e.g., excessive draw calls, inefficient shaders, physics calculations, or memory usage).
• Include profiling tools appropriate to the engine (Unity Profiler, Unreal Insights, etc.).
• Provide documentation on the target hardware specifications and performance requirements (e.g., "Must maintain 90fps on Quest 2").
• Create a checklist of known issues for your reference, but don't share it with the candidate.
• Allow 1-2 hours for the optimization task.
• Have an XR device available for testing if the optimized scene if possible.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Analyze the provided XR scene to identify performance bottlenecks using the available profiling tools.
• Implement optimizations to improve performance while maintaining visual quality and functionality.
• Document each issue you identify and the specific optimizations you apply.
• Prioritize optimizations based on their impact on performance.
• Be prepared to explain your optimization strategy and the technical reasoning behind your changes.
• Demonstrate the performance improvements achieved through your optimizations.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Review the candidate's optimization approach and results together.
• Highlight one particularly effective optimization they implemented (e.g., "Your batching solution significantly reduced draw calls").
• Suggest one additional optimization strategy they might have overlooked.
• Give the candidate 15 minutes to implement this additional optimization or explain how they would approach it.
• Observe how they incorporate new information and adapt their approach.

Activity #3: Collaborative XR Experience Design

XR engineers rarely work in isolation—they must collaborate effectively with designers, artists, and other stakeholders. This exercise evaluates a candidate's ability to translate design requirements into technical solutions and communicate effectively about XR development constraints and possibilities.

Directions for the Company:

• Create a brief for a simple XR experience (e.g., a virtual training scenario, an interactive product visualization, or an educational experience).
• Include mockups or sketches of the desired user experience and interaction flow.
• Assign a team member to play the role of a designer or product manager who will collaborate with the candidate.
• Prepare some intentionally challenging or ambiguous requirements that will require clarification.
• Provide whiteboarding tools (physical or digital) for collaborative planning.
• Allow 45-60 minutes for the collaborative session.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Review the provided brief and design materials for the XR experience.
• Collaborate with the "designer" to develop a technical implementation plan for the experience.
• Create a system architecture diagram showing the major components and their interactions.
• Identify potential technical challenges and propose solutions.
• Discuss trade-offs between different implementation approaches.
• Document key decisions and their rationale.
• Be prepared to explain how your technical plan supports the design goals while addressing practical constraints.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Observe how the candidate communicates technical concepts to non-technical team members.
• Provide positive feedback on one aspect of their collaborative approach (e.g., "You did an excellent job translating design requirements into technical specifications").
• Suggest one area where their communication or planning could be improved (e.g., "Consider using more visual examples when explaining technical limitations").
• Give the candidate 10-15 minutes to revise one portion of their plan based on this feedback.
• Note how receptive they are to feedback and how effectively they incorporate it.

Activity #4: XR Debugging and Troubleshooting Scenario

Debugging XR applications presents unique challenges due to the complexity of spatial computing, hardware integration, and real-time rendering requirements. This exercise assesses a candidate's problem-solving approach and technical troubleshooting skills in an XR context.

Directions for the Company:

• Prepare an XR application with several deliberately introduced bugs of varying complexity:
• A simple logic error in the interaction code
• A performance issue that causes framerate drops in specific scenarios
• A tracking or input-related issue that affects user experience
• A more subtle system architecture problem
• Document the expected behavior versus the actual buggy behavior.
• Provide access to the project source code and appropriate debugging tools.
• Allow 1-2 hours for the debugging exercise.
• Have an XR device available for testing if possible.

Directions for the Candidate:

• Analyze the provided XR application to identify the bugs and issues affecting its functionality.
• Use appropriate debugging tools and techniques to diagnose each problem.
• Implement fixes for the identified issues, prioritizing them based on their impact.
• Document each bug you find, including:
• A description of the issue
• Your diagnosis of the root cause
• The solution you implemented
• Any alternative approaches you considered
• Be prepared to explain your debugging process and the reasoning behind your solutions.

Feedback Mechanism:

• Review the bugs the candidate identified and fixed, noting any they missed.
• Provide positive feedback on their debugging approach or a particularly elegant fix (e.g., "Your systematic approach to isolating the tracking issue was very effective").
• Suggest one improvement to their debugging methodology or solution (e.g., "Consider how this fix might affect performance in other scenarios").
• Allow the candidate 15 minutes to either implement the suggested improvement or find one of the more subtle bugs they may have missed.
• Observe their adaptability and problem-solving approach when faced with new information.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should we allocate for these work sample exercises?

Each exercise is designed to take 1-2 hours, though the collaborative design activity can be shorter (45-60 minutes). We recommend spreading these across different interview stages rather than attempting all in one day, which would be overwhelming for candidates. For remote candidates, consider providing the performance optimization or implementation exercises as take-home assignments with reasonable time limits.

Should we expect candidates to complete all aspects of these exercises perfectly?

No. These exercises are intentionally comprehensive to observe how candidates approach complex problems. Look for strong problem-solving methodology, technical knowledge, and communication skills rather than perfect execution. The feedback portions are particularly valuable for assessing how candidates respond to direction and iterate on their work.

What if we don't have access to XR hardware for on-site testing?

While testing on actual XR hardware provides the most realistic assessment, many exercises can be adapted for desktop simulation mode in Unity or Unreal Engine. Focus on code quality, architecture decisions, and problem-solving approach rather than fine-tuning for specific hardware. For remote candidates, consider exercises that can be completed using their own equipment or in simulator mode.

How should we evaluate candidates who use different development environments (Unity vs. Unreal)?

Prepare versions of the exercises for both major XR development platforms and allow candidates to choose their preferred environment. Evaluate based on the fundamental skills being tested (optimization strategies, interaction design principles, debugging methodology) rather than platform-specific implementation details. The core concepts translate across platforms even if the specific syntax differs.

How can we make these exercises fair for candidates with different levels of XR experience?

Adjust your expectations based on the seniority level of the role. For junior positions, focus more on problem-solving approach and fundamental programming skills, with less emphasis on XR-specific optimizations. For senior roles, look for sophisticated solutions that demonstrate deep understanding of XR development challenges. Always consider the candidate's learning potential alongside their current skill level.

Should we provide these exercises before or after technical interviews?

We recommend conducting an initial technical screening interview before proceeding to these more time-intensive work samples. This respects candidates' time by ensuring basic qualifications before deeper assessment. The collaborative design exercise works well earlier in the process, while the more technical implementation and debugging exercises are appropriate for later stages with promising candidates.

In today's competitive market for XR talent, companies that implement thoughtful, relevant work samples gain a significant advantage in identifying truly exceptional engineers. These exercises not only assess technical skills but also reveal how candidates approach the unique challenges of extended reality development—from performance optimization to user interaction design.

By incorporating these practical evaluations into your hiring process, you'll build a team of XR engineers who can transform innovative concepts into compelling immersive experiences. For more resources to enhance your hiring process, explore Yardstick's suite of tools, including our AI Job Description Generator, AI Interview Question Generator, and AI Interview Guide Generator. You can also find more information about XR engineering roles at Yardstick's XR Engineer Job Description.

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