How do you assess programming skills?

1 Define the objectives

Before you start evaluating programming skills, you need to define what you are looking for and why. What are the goals and requirements of the role, project, or course you are hiring or teaching for? What are the essential and desirable skills and competencies you expect from the candidates or learners? How will you measure their performance and progress? Having clear and specific objectives will help you design and implement a suitable assessment strategy.

2 Choose the methods

Assessing programming skills involves various methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Code reviews, for instance, can help evaluate the quality and consistency of code, as well as the ability to follow best practices. Code challenges can test logical thinking, problem-solving, and coding skills, as well as creativity and adaptability. Code interviews can assess communication, collaboration, and presentation skills, as well as knowledge and understanding of concepts and tools. Lastly, code portfolios can gauge experience, diversity, and passion of the candidates or learners, as well as their ability to learn and improve.

3 Use the tools

There are many tools and platforms that can help you assess programming skills more efficiently and objectively. Such tools offer several benefits, such as automating and standardizing the assessment process, providing feedback and analytics, and enhancing the engagement and motivation of the candidates or learners. Examples of these tools include CodeSignal, HackerRank, CodinGame, and CodePen. CodeSignal is a platform that offers online coding tests, interviews, and certifications for various programming languages and skills. HackerRank provides code challenges, contests, and projects for different domains and levels of difficulty. CodinGame gamifies coding by using games, puzzles, and competitions to test and improve programming skills. Finally, CodePen allows users to create and share web development projects using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

4 Adapt to the context

When assessing programming skills, it is important to consider the context and purpose of the assessment and adjust your methods and tools accordingly. For instance, when hiring for a specific role or project, it is best to align the assessment with the relevant skills and technologies required for that role or project, using realistic and relevant scenarios and tasks. Additionally, when teaching a course or program, you should align the assessment with the learning outcomes and objectives of that course or program, utilizing formative and summative assessments to monitor and evaluate the learning progress and achievement. Finally, when assessing for general or potential programming skills, it is wise to use a variety of methods and tools to measure different aspects and dimensions of programming skills such as knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

5 Seek feedback

Finally, assessing programming skills is not a one-way process. You should also seek feedback from the candidates or learners, as well as from your peers or colleagues, to refine your assessment practices and outcomes. This feedback can provide insight into the perspectives and experiences of the candidates or learners, allowing you to address their needs and expectations. Furthermore, it can help you identify gaps and errors in your assessment methods and tools, and recognize the best practices and trends in assessing programming skills.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?