Message 33/41 From Dennis J Frailey Jul 08, 06 07:31:24 AM -0700 Reply-To: Dennis J Frailey Sender: SIGCSE Member Forum Subject: Re: Measuring programming aptitude To: sigcse-members@ACM.ORG Many years ago, IBM had a programming aptitude test that I took to determine whether I was a good prospect for a programming career. I don't know if this test is still available (perhaps in some archive) and it has probably been chastised here and there because it tended to measure mainly logical and mathematical thinking, but I felt that it was a good evaluator of one's starting skills and aptitudes and might serve your purpose. Fortunately I 1) did well on the test and got into the computing field as a career 2) did not have a programming career, which is sort of like being a bricklayer and has limited career potential, and instead became a software and computer architect, designer, planner, manager, and educator. I bring up the latter because I am frustrated by the ongoing perspective, especially among young hot-shot students, that programming is the main thing they'll do if they go into computing. This perception scares off many who would make excellent software engineers or managers or support professionals (QA, CM, measurement and analysis, process improvement) but who are not particularly adept at programming. Well over half the jobs in computing fall into the latter (non-programmer) categories and they are less likely to be sent off shore. Regards, DJF -------------------------- Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld Dennis J. Frailey DJFrailey@Raytheon.com 972-670-3086 (mobile)