Often, beginners in programming, or even middle ones, do not know where to practice their knowledge. They have taken courses, read books, completed several tasks freelance (or not several), but they want to check if they can solve some more complex and interesting problems to start working harder. In this article, I have collected sites on which you can train your skills in solving various problems and create snippets that you may need in your work. Of course, at any stage of solving problems, you can ask for help – “do my programming assignment for me” on special services and see how to deal with this or that problem. 

Codewars

Everything is convenient in it, except for the names: kata is the name of tasks aimed at improving skills and techniques, kumite is the name of snippets that are written in a free style using the techniques that you have developed in kata. Also, all tasks are divided into levels: [1-8] kyu. 8 kyu are the easiest tasks, 1 kyu are very difficult tasks. The names, by the way, are taken from karate and Japanese martial arts.

In general, all tasks are immediately checked using unit tests. There are open tests, and there are “hidden” tests. Explicit tests are marked in the second box below the code editor.

Hackerrank

On this resource, you can train not only the art of programming (knowledge of the language, mastering any topics) but also the ability to solve algorithmic and mathematical problems using different programming languages.

I like this service because, in addition to the usual tasks, this resource can issue certificates. They won’t help you a lot, but you will gain some experience in solving problems for obtaining a certification. Also, this site can help you find a job, in contrast to the aforementioned Codewars.

Codeforces

I should mention that this site contains quite complex algorithmic problems. You will notice that the average level of problems is a cut higher than that on Hackerrank and Codewars. On this site, you can immediately see how many participants solve problems and what kind of problems they solve. There is also a validator here (however, as on the two previous sites), and it seemed to me it works a little worse than on the two previous ones.

Leetcode

You will like this site because it has tutorials. Before solving a problem of a certain kind, you will be given absolutely all the information for solving a certain problem. In addition, the site has assignments from FAANG interviews (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google). You can solve the tasks of the day, as well as tasks by level; they are not always selected correctly (in terms of complexity). However, the presence of tutorials compensates for this minus.

Topcoder

On Topcoder, you can solve problems for money. On this site, customers post tasks that need to be solved for a certain fee. All this looks like freelancing, but here the performers write only an algorithm for completing a specific task and nothing more.

Best beginning projects for new programmers

When you start programming, there is a lot to think about. If you don’t learn JavaScript, you learn Python. You have to start somewhere. Where should you start? The best way to hone your programming skills is to create coding projects. Here are some of the best software projects to help you become a better developer.

Programming projects for beginners

If you feel comfortable with the basics, you can start to create projects. These projects are simple, although not easy to get started with. You’ll leave with two things: a piece of a portfolio that you can use to showcase your prowess.

Let’s dive into some hands-on projects!

1. Create your own chess game. Turn a classic game you already know into a program. Chess is a fantastic start for a programming career. 
2. Mobile app code. Make interfaces that are compatible with mobile devices. All you need is to create beautiful layouts that can be rendered in Android or iOS apps. 
3. Develop a weight conversion tool. As with the to-do list, you will be prompted to create a layout and execute some logic for entering information into the form. When creating projects, keep in mind that you should customize them the way you like. A creative approach to projects for aspiring coders will help you unleash your personality as a developer.
4. Make the code for the “Rock, Paper, Scissors” game. “Rock, Paper, Scissors” is a classic game that can be turned into a programming challenge. This requires both user input and the creation of random items. You create both the game and the logic of the robot you are playing against. In addition, it provides aspiring programmers with an interactive product that can be purchased. Since there are various graphical objects you can interact with, you can be as creative as you want!
5. Make your own “Tic Tac Toe” game. “Tic Tac Toe” is a classic children’s game with clear rules. Making the “Tic Tac Toe” app is a little more complicated than it sounds. Making the layout is pretty straightforward, but the logic is where it gets interesting. Programming your code for a game will undoubtedly train your mind in the best way.

Now, you have websites that can help you hone your programming skills and ideas of projects you can start your programming career from. Good luck!