A coding assessment is a test designed to evaluate a programmer's skills and knowledge in writing code. These assessments often include tasks such as solving problems, debugging code, or building small applications. They are commonly used by employers during the hiring process to determine a candidate's technical abilities. Typically, coding assessments can be conducted online or in-person and may involve various programming languages like Python, Java, or JavaScript. The results help employers gauge how well a candidate can perform in real-world coding scenarios and contribute to their development team.