Questions
The things people ask before applying, answered directly.
Before you apply
Is Barmaj a course?+
No. There are no lessons, no video modules and no curriculum. You are given real work in a real codebase and the support of people who have done it before. If you need to learn a language or a framework first, do that elsewhere and come back.
What level do I need to be at?+
You should be able to build something end to end on your own — a working application, not a followed tutorial. If you have done that and are now stuck at the experience barrier, you are exactly who this is for.
Will this get me a role?+
We cannot promise that and will not. What we can tell you is precisely what you leave with: pull requests on your own GitHub account, reviewed by senior engineers, and a record of how you work that points at the specific work behind every claim.
How is the application assessed?+
A person reads it, and there is a short technical exercise so squads start at a comparable level. We are not looking for a perfect answer — we are looking at how you approach an unfamiliar problem.
How it works
How much time does it take each week?+
Enough to pick up a ticket, refine it, build it, and respond to review. Members who commit less than that find the sprint rhythm difficult, because a squad depends on people finishing what they started.
Who reviews my code?+
Experienced engineers. Every pull request gets a human response within one business day, and a proportion of reviews are also read by a mentor as a check on review quality.
Whose GitHub account does the work happen on?+
Yours. You work on your own fork, so your contribution history stays on your account and is verifiable without taking our word for anything.
What happens if I disagree with a review?+
You say so, with your reasoning. Arguing a technical point on the merits is the behaviour we are trying to produce, and a reviewer who shuts that down is failing at their job, not you at yours.
Practical
Is Barmaj available in Arabic?+
The programme runs in English, because that is the language of the codebases, the tickets and the reviews you will encounter professionally. This site is bilingual so you can decide in whichever language you prefer.
Can I cancel?+
Yes. The cancellation and refund terms are being finalised and will be shown in full before you are asked to pay anything.
Who owns the code I write?+
This is settled in writing before you start, and it will be in the terms you agree to at sign-up. We are not asking anyone to write code under unclear ownership.
Do I need to be 18?+
Yes. Barmaj is for adults only.
You don’t need another tutorial.
You need experience.
Applications are read by a person, and places are limited by how many pull requests we can review properly each week.
Apply to Barmaj