You have 4-5 step process. I do not know if top 3% that they boast on the website is correct and I do not care, I just care that I love working with them and that it pays more than the jobs from my city can pay, with added benefit of working from wherever you want.
It was not 'that' hard if you are versed in the algorithms. Steps are like this :
1. Screening process (testing for good English)
2. Codility test (algorithms, 3-4 tasks in 90mins or such)
3. Same as codility but easier, coding while you share the screen with Toptal dev. And he will ask you some questions regarding your experience, and why did you do something. Tasks were easier than codility tasks.
4. You get the project to do. The project will be relevant to your experience. So if you are mobile dev you will probably get a task to make some basic mobile app with maybe firebase as a backend DB. I got some basic app to make as restful API and angular as a client. Its purpose is to demonstrate that you know the basic stuff like what REST is, testing, project structure, roles, security, etc..
5. The last step is to share the screen with Toptal dev and to go through your project explaining to him what you did and why (trying to explain like you would to a client)
From my experience, I would say if you pass algorithm tasks, you will make the project for sure (you get 2 weeks for it). If you fail they will give you a second chance to reapply very soon (at 2-3 month tops, depends on where and how miserably you failed). If you failed for the second time, you must wait 2-3 years. Good luck!
1. Screening process (testing for good English)
2. Codility test (algorithms, 3-4 tasks in 90mins or such)
3. Same as codility but easier, coding while you share the screen with Toptal dev. And he will ask you some questions regarding your experience, and why did you do something. Tasks were easier than codility tasks.
4. You get the project to do. The project will be relevant to your experience. So if you are mobile dev you will probably get a task to make some basic mobile app with maybe firebase as a backend DB. I got some basic app to make as restful API and angular as a client. Its purpose is to demonstrate that you know the basic stuff like what REST is, testing, project structure, roles, security, etc..
5. The last step is to share the screen with Toptal dev and to go through your project explaining to him what you did and why (trying to explain like you would to a client)
From my experience, I would say if you pass algorithm tasks, you will make the project for sure (you get 2 weeks for it). If you fail they will give you a second chance to reapply very soon (at 2-3 month tops, depends on where and how miserably you failed). If you failed for the second time, you must wait 2-3 years. Good luck!