How to Assess Programming Skills Online when Hiring Developers?

The best way to judge the potential candidate is through a well-designed programming skills assessment. In this way, you will be more assured that you are testing not only their theoretical knowledge but also their practical problem-solving skills with codes.

Let’s look at what a programming skills assessment is, shall we? Then let’s outline five of the key programming skills that every amazing software developer should have, and finally let’s guide you on how to create a professional programming skills assessment with the help of none other than OnlineExamMaker tool.

Table of Contents

What Is A Programming Skills Assessment?

A programming skills assessment is a proctored test to establish the extent a developer can do to code, debug, and solve problems effectively. The assessment aims to identify if the candidate has the technical capability to fit the role by assessing their comprehension of the key concepts of programming, writing clean and efficient code, and also how they approach solving problems in coding.

5 Critical Programming Skills for Excellent Software Developers

When hiring software developers, it is good to look beyond just technical knowledge. Below are five crucial programming skills that define a great developer:

Proficiency in key programming languages
Many languages exist, but a developer should be at least proficient in one or two core languages like Javascript, Python, Java, or C++. He should know when and how to use specific languages on specific tasks is a sign of how good a developer is.

Data structures and algorithms
The developer should have proper knowledge of primary data structures such as arrays, linked lists, trees, etc., and algorithms such as sorting, searching, etc. Because having these type of knowledge helps developers to write optimized code.

Version control systems knowledge
Familiarity with version control tools such as Git is necessary in collaborative software development. It allows developers to manage code changes, track revisions, and collaborate seamlessly with other team members.

Just so you know

With OnlineExamMaker quiz software, anyone can create & share professional programming skills assessments easily.

Debugging and optimizing code
Writing code to work is one thing, but writing efficient code, free of bugs, is entirely different. One should possess powerful debugging skills and performance optimization to make the final product stable and scalable.

Problem-solving skills
Problem-solving is the very core of programming. The developer should be able to divide hard problems into simple and manageable parts and come up with a solution. The truth is, a developer’s problem-solving skills are usually more valuable than knowing the ins and outs of some programming languages.

How to Make A Professional Programming Skill Assessment in OnlineExamMaker?

It’s time to create a programming skill assessment that identifies the perfect fit for your development team. The entire process will be easier and less painful with services like OnlineExamMaker, while maintaining professionalism, thanks to an adaptable test regarding the competencies to be evaluated, which are more important to you.

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Here is an easy-to-follow procedure to developing an effective programming skills assessment using OnlineExamMaker.

Step 1: Join through signing up and access dashboard
Create your free account at OnlineExamMaker. Once you log in, you will be presented with your dashboard, through which you can track all of your exams and assessments. Take a few moments to explore the site and get familiar with the layout.

Step 2: Create a new programming assessment

On the dashboard, hover your mouse over the left sidebar and click on “Exams”. Click “All Exams” to see the list of existing exams. Click the “+ New Exam” button to create a new assessment. You will thereby create a new programming skills test from scratch.

Step 3 Editing basic information

First, you need to add some information in your programming skill assessment. You can provide a clear and descriptive title for your quiz so that candidates know exactly what they will be assessed on. You may also use a cover template to give it an even more professional outlook.

Add the relevant keywords, and in a short introduction, describe the scope and objectives of the test. That would give an overview to the candidates regarding what to expect from the test and prepare for it. Click “Save and Next” after adding information.

Step 4: Questions added

And most importantly, the question designing. Clicking the “+ Add Questions” button, start creating your problems in programming. You can select multiple-choice questions, short answers, or even ask them to write a piece of code. You can import questions from the pre-existing question bank or generate them randomly from the available templates.

In case of programming questions- problem statement, requirements about the input and output are needed, and sample code is also required if necessary. Also, set correct answers and give hints or constraints if there are any that can direct the candidate towards it. Once you add a question, click “Save” at the top to save. When you have added all your questions, click on “Save and Next”.

Step 5: Configure settings

Now you can edit the settings of your programming quiz: here, you are able to manage the time of the exam, set some rules-for example, how many times a person will be able to try, multiple attempts allowed, or restricted to a single try-and mention whether the test will be open or closed book. You are also able to set the minimum passing score to cut down candidates and go further in the hiring process with only the most fit candidates.

Step 6: Publishing and distribution

Once you have gone through the exam for review and made final adjustments, click the “Publish” button. Your live assessment in programming skills is ready to go out. Share the quiz with candidates via email or social media, or by direct link.

With flexible distribution options in OnlineExamMaker, you can see who has taken the exam and track the results of their performance in real time. The accumulated data from here will be of great value to understand how well each of the candidates performed, therefore helping make informed hiring decisions.

Author: Matt Davis

Matt is a content marketing specialist with more than 5 years of experience in content creation, he is glad to share his experience about online education and digital marketing.