Testing Programmers
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Issued on November 2, 2010
You have no doubt heard my criticisms of
computer programmers in the past, a lot of which dealt with discipline,
organization and accountability issues. Quite often problems begin with
the recruiting process whereby companies do not take time to
substantiate the programmer’s knowledge. This is what caused me to
write “Hiring the Right Programmer” a few
years ago. Basically, I contended it was too easy for someone to
bamboozle their way through the process. In our case, our company
invented a written test to verify applicants possessed the knowledge
and skills they claimed to have. They either could successfully answer
the questions and give a brief demonstration of their skills or they
couldn’t.
This problem is certainly not unique to
our company as many have struggled with it over the years, including
Jimmy John, founder of CodeEval of Berkeley, California, a
company who recently introduced a clever new approach for testing
programmers. The purpose of his Internet based service is simple: “CodeEval
is a tool used in academia and the recruiting industry to evaluate
students/candidates effectively. In academic institutions, CodeEval
intends to be an easy-to-use tool where instructors can create
programming assignments and auto grade student submissions. For
employers, CodeEval provides an effective platform to identify
promising candidates from a crowd of applicants by creating challenges
and viewing their live coding submissions.”
Whereas the test we devised years ago
tested programming knowledge, CodeEval provides a means for programmers
to review assignments and demonstrate their coding abilities. Just
introduced in April 2010, CodeEval can be used for the following
languages: C, C++, Java, PHP, Perl, Python, and Ruby. However, the
company contends over time it can be used to test other languages as
well.
Using CodeEval, companies and college
professors can devise courses and programming assignments. As the
programmer completes assignments, his answers can be reviewed and
evaluated. CodeEval makes use of the company’s server which means
historical data can be accumulated and used for comparative analysis.
The more historical data collected, the more valuable this service
becomes. A timing component has recently been added to set limits for
completing the tests, which is beneficial both in the classroom and in
job applications.
Jimmy Johns is quick to point out,
CodeEval is still in Beta Test and, as such, is currently available
free of charge. This will undoubtedly change as the product gains
acceptance. Even though it’s still in development, it is a good first
start and enhancements will be forthcoming, such as adding a test to
check for cheating.
Even though the product has been
available for only a short time, it is already getting good reviews.
Frankly, this is something HR Departments and IT shops should
definitely check out, as well as college professors. CodeEval is a
slick way to substantiate programmer prowess. They can either prove
they know what they are doing or they cannot.
For more info:
CodeEval, Inc.
http://www.codeeval.com/
Keep the Faith!
Note: All trademarks both marked and
unmarked belong to their respective companies.
Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of
M. Bryce & Associates
(MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the
management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2010-11-12 00:48:41 in Computer Articles
