# Assessment Mode

> Use during time-constrained coding assessments (3-hour challenges) to manage priorities, enforce vertical slice execution, and maintain phase timeboxing.

- Skill: `sahilkhan30/assessment-mode` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add sahilkhan30/assessment-mode`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sahilkhan30/assessment-mode/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: SahilKhan30 (https://skillmd.com/u/sahilkhan30)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sahilkhan30/assessment-mode

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# Assessment Mode Skill

## Purpose
Guide priority management and execution velocity during a time-constrained 3-hour financial platform building assessment.

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## 1. Priority Hierarchy

| Priority Level | Focus Area | Mandatory Elements |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **P0 (Critical)** | Core Business Logic & Financial Integrity | State machine correctness, Idempotency key locks, Atomic concurrency, REST endpoints, Primary DB schema & indexes, Basic working UI table. |
| **P1 (Important)** | Architecture & Reliability | Rule engines, Payment channel adapters, Circuit breaker resilience, Exception advice, RTK Query server state integration. |
| **P2 (Secondary)** | Analytics & Windowing | KPI summary cards, UI virtualization/pagination polish, Filter controls, Report generation. |
| **P3/P4 (Polish)** | Visual Effects | Micro-animations, dark mode toggles, cosmetic styling. *(Do NOT spend time on P3/P4 until P0-P2 pass)* |

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## 2. Invariants
- **Timeboxing**: Respect phase limits (Phase 0 & 1 ≤ 20 min, Phase 2 ≤ 100 min, Phase 3 ≤ 40 min).
- **Vertical Slices**: Complete end-to-end functionality for P0 features before expanding to P1/P2 features.
- **Traceability**: Record implemented requirements, assumptions, decisions, and tests in `docs/traceability.md`.