Stride
Full-Stack ApplicationMulti-certification HR study platform featuring structured modules, timed exam simulations, spaced repetition, private document synthesis, and Pip—an AI study coach.
01The Problem & Learner Experience
Candidates preparing for professional HR certifications (such as SHRM-CP/SCP and HRCI PHR) are faced with hundreds of pages of legal compliance, workforce strategy, and organizational behavior textbooks. Traditional test-prep materials are predominantly static PDFs or non-adaptive multiple-choice banks that fail to mirror the cognitive stamina required for multi-hour timed exams.
I set out to engineer a focused study environment that combines rigorous timed exam simulations, spaced-repetition flashcards for active recall, and an interactive AI study coach that breaks down complex situational judgment scenarios into procedural visual diagrams.
02What I Built End-to-End
I designed and implemented the entire Stride platform from architecture to interface:
- Study Engine & Timed Exam Simulator: Built an exam execution engine that maintains persistent state, supports section locking, tracks question flags, and scores results against modular certification competencies.
- Pip — AI Learning Coach: Integrated Google Gemini API to serve as an interactive tutor. Pip synthesizes complex case studies, generates tailored quiz questions, and outputs procedural SVG visual infographics for cognitive retention.
- Document Ingestion & Synthesis: Engineered private file upload pipelines (PDF, images, text) using secure per-user storage buckets and prompt-grounded text extraction.
- Spaced Repetition & Flashcards: Implemented review schedules based on cognitive interval algorithms to optimize retention curves for key employment law statutes and terminology.
- Comprehensive Test Coverage: Wrote automated end-to-end user journey tests with Playwright and authored Python integration smoke scripts (
api-smoke.py) to verify authentication and permission boundaries.
03Architecture & Data Isolation
Stride runs on Next.js App Router using React Server Components for minimal client-side JavaScript payloads. Data isolation is enforced at the database layer using PostgreSQL Row-Level Security (RLS) in Supabase.
[Data & Security Pipeline]
Next.js App Router ──► Route Handlers (HTTP-only session cookies)
├── Drizzle ORM ──► PostgreSQL with Row-Level Security (RLS)
├── JSONB State Storage ──► Optimistic concurrency via revision tags
├── Private Supabase Storage ──► Per-user access-token verified assets
└── Google Gemini API ──► Structured JSON coaching + procedural SVGs
To prevent conflicting exam state updates across multiple browser tabs, exam progression utilizes JSONB state containers with revision tracking, ensuring atomic updates without dirty writes.
04Tradeoffs & Technical Choices
Placing authorization logic into PostgreSQL Row-Level Security (RLS) ensures that even if an API route handler omits an explicit tenant check, unauthorized rows cannot be leaked. The tradeoff is greater complexity in database migration files and the need for rigorous integration test suites to catch policy regressions.
05Integrity & Certification Boundaries
Stride is an independent learning platform designed to help professionals study. In keeping with factual clarity:
- Stride is not affiliated with, accredited by, or an official product of SHRM or HRCI.
- Phrasing focuses on “timed exam simulations” rather than official test replica claims.
- The full application has been built and tested locally; live commercial production deployment remains unconfirmed.