When I'm giving candidate a take-home assignment - I'm always asking for time and effort estimation, both "net" and "gross", like in "how many hours will it tak

When I'm giving candidate a take-home assignment - I'm always asking for time and effort estimation, both "net" and "gross", like in "how many hours will it take" and "when it will be ready". Actually, ability to give viable estimation and stick to it is more important than coding itself. As for other matters in article, my current company just paying candidate for finished assignment, plain and simple.