Setting Python Coding Assignments for Your Class

June 19, 2026

Setting programming homework is easy. Marking it is the problem — reading thirty scripts and running each one by hand is not sustainable. This article looks at how to set Python assignments that give students real practice without burying you in marking.

The trouble with traditional coding homework

Handwritten code cannot be tested. Code emailed as files has to be downloaded and run individually. And by the time you have marked it, the moment for useful feedback has passed. Students need feedback while they are still thinking about the problem.

What good coding practice looks like

• Students write and run code in the browser — no installs, works on school machines.
• Each task is checked automatically against test cases, so 'it runs' is not mistaken for 'it is correct'.
• Students get instant feedback and can try again.
• You see completion and scores without marking anything.

How to structure assignments

Set a small number of focused tasks per topic rather than one huge program. Start with a worked example in the browser, then a similar task for students to attempt. Build difficulty gradually — variables, then selection, then iteration, then functions.

Differentiate easily

Because tasks are bite-sized and self-marking, it is simple to set core tasks for everyone and a couple of stretch challenges for those who finish early — without creating more marking for yourself.

BrightRevision lets you assign auto-marked Python coding challenges to a class or individual students, all solved in a free browser free online Python IDE. You get completion and scores automatically, so you can focus on teaching.