A focused code editor that locks the screen, blocks the shortcuts, and keeps every exam exactly as strict as it should be.
Because StrictCode is independently developed, macOS will show a gatekeeper prompt upon your first launch. The application is completely safe. You just need to grant it a one-time launch approval:
Every part of StrictCode exists to remove distractions from an exam — nothing more.
The exam takes over the entire display. Spotlight, Mission Control, and app switching are all locked out until time's up.
If a student leaves the app, StrictCode notices immediately — and keeps a timestamped log.
Compile and execute right inside the editor. No terminal window, no setup, no distractions.
Answers are checked against real test cases as they're written, with results shown inline.
Code is colored the way Xcode colors it, so nothing about the editor feels unfamiliar mid-exam.
A proper sidebar and tabs, so an exam can span multiple files exactly like a real assignment.
Before Exam Mode locks anything down, Practice Mode leaves everything open — because most of the time, this app is for getting better at writing code, not being watched while writing it.
Jot down your solution's time and space complexity as you write it — the habit real interviews and exams expect, built into the editor instead of a separate notebook.
Add your own inputs and expected outputs, run them instantly, and see exactly which ones pass before it counts for anything.
Every Exam Mode restriction is a toggle. Turn on exactly what this exam needs — and see exactly what happened once it's over.
Fullscreen, copy & paste, new tabs, and exit confirmation — each one is optional, per session.
Every app switch and blocked shortcut is written to a timestamped log for the record.
Appearance, editor behavior, and compiler defaults all live in one preferences window. Nothing to dig through, nothing hidden in a config file.
The toolbar, sidebar, and tabs are made of Apple's own translucent glass material — not a flat imitation of it. It adapts to light and dark automatically, the same way the rest of macOS does.
General-purpose editors like VS Code are excellent for professional engineering — extensions, plugins, endless configuration. StrictCode skips all of that on purpose, because learning to code and running a locked exam don't need any of it.
| General-purpose editors | StrictCode IDE | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup before an exam | Install extensions per language | C, C++, and Java work immediately |
| Exam lockdown | Not built in | Built in — one click |
| Interface | Deep and configurable | One window, nothing to set up |
| Runtime | Runs inside a bundled browser | A native Mac app, built with SwiftUI |
| Built for | Professional software engineering | Learning, practicing, and testing code |
One click turns any Mac into a locked, single-purpose exam station — until the exam ends.