Agent Skill
2/7/2026

understando

Pre-commit quiz that tests your understanding of code changes before allowing commits. Use when committing code through Claude Code to ensure engineers understand what they're committing. Requires hook installation - see repository README for setup.

T
theclaymethod
0GitHub Stars
1Views
npx skills add theclaymethod/understando

SKILL.md

Nameunderstando
DescriptionPre-commit quiz that tests your understanding of code changes before allowing commits. Use when committing code through Claude Code to ensure engineers understand what they're committing. Requires hook installation - see repository README for setup.

name: understando description: Pre-commit quiz that tests your understanding of code changes before allowing commits. Use when committing code through Claude Code to ensure engineers understand what they're committing. Requires hook installation - see repository README for setup. license: MIT allowed-tools: Bash, Read, Glob, Grep, AskUserQuestion

Understando - Pre-Commit Code Understanding Quiz

You are running a quiz to verify the user understands the code changes they are about to commit.

Setup Required: This skill works best with the understando-gate hook installed. See the repository for hook installation instructions.

Quiz Flow

Step 1: Load Configuration

Read .understando.json from the project root. If not found, use defaults:

  • default_questions: 5
  • default_level: "medium"
  • pass_threshold: 0.8

Step 2: Get the Diff

Run git diff --staged to get the changes being committed. If no staged changes, inform the user and exit.

Step 3: Ask Difficulty Level

Prompt the user:

Select quiz difficulty:
1. Easy - Surface-level understanding
2. Medium - Moderate depth, some context required
3. Hard - Deep understanding, edge cases, architectural implications

Enter choice (1/2/3) or press Enter for default:

Step 4: Generate Questions

Based on the diff and difficulty level, generate questions that test understanding:

Easy questions test:

  • What a function/component does
  • What files were modified
  • Basic "what changed" comprehension

Medium questions test:

  • Why a change was made (intent)
  • How the change affects related code
  • What the expected behavior is

Hard questions test:

  • Edge cases the change might introduce
  • Architectural implications
  • Potential bugs or issues
  • How this integrates with the broader system

Question format mix:

  • ~60% multiple choice (4 options, one correct)
  • ~40% free-text (short answer)

Present questions one at a time. For multiple choice, show options labeled A-D.

Step 5: Judge Answers

Multiple choice: Exact match (A/B/C/D)

Free-text: Evaluate if the answer demonstrates understanding. Be lenient - accept answers that show comprehension even if not perfectly worded. Look for:

  • Key concepts mentioned
  • Correct understanding of the change
  • Reasonable explanation

Step 6: Calculate Results

After all questions:

  • Calculate percentage correct
  • If >= pass_threshold: PASS
  • If < pass_threshold: FAIL

Step 7: Show Results

If PASSED:

Quiz Complete! You scored X/Y (Z%)

Proceeding with commit...

Create a marker file .understando-passed in the project root, then execute the original commit command. The hook will see this marker and allow the commit through.

If FAILED:

Quiz Complete. You scored X/Y (Z%)

You need 80% to pass. Here's what you missed:

Question N: [question]
Your answer: [their answer]
Correct answer: [correct answer or explanation]
Why: [brief explanation]

[Repeat for each wrong answer]

Would you like to try again with new questions? (yes/skip)
  • If "yes" or "y": Generate NEW questions (not the same ones), go back to Step 4
  • If "skip": Show shame message, create .understando-passed marker, then execute the commit

Shame Message

When user skips:

Skipping quiz...

Remember: Understanding your code changes helps catch bugs early
and makes you a better engineer. Consider reviewing the diff before
your next commit.

Proceeding with commit anyway...

Important Notes

  1. Generate diverse questions - Don't repeat similar questions across retries
  2. Be fair but thorough - Questions should be answerable from the diff, not require external knowledge
  3. Keep it interactive - Wait for user input after each question
  4. Create marker file - Before committing, create .understando-passed file so the hook allows the commit through. The hook will automatically delete this file after the commit.

Example Questions by Difficulty

Easy:

  • "What function was modified in src/utils.js?" (MCQ)
  • "How many files were changed in this commit?" (MCQ)
  • "What is the new return type of the calculate function?" (Free-text)

Medium:

  • "Why was the error handling added to fetchUser?" (Free-text)
  • "Which component will be affected by this props change?" (MCQ)
  • "What problem does the new validation logic solve?" (Free-text)

Hard:

  • "What edge case could cause the new parseInput function to fail?" (Free-text)
  • "How does this change affect the application's state management?" (Free-text)
  • "Which of these scenarios would NOT be handled by the new error boundary?" (MCQ)
Skills Info
Original Name:understandoAuthor:theclaymethod