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  3. Does it really gauge one's ability to code ?

Does it really gauge one's ability to code ?

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  • V virang_21

    I did an IKM assessment for C# and some of the questions are so odd it makes one wonder does it really gauge one's ability to code ? You are given a program and 5 outputs and you have to choose right one. One of the question was what is the value of x after running this code ?

        int x=0x0000FFFF;
    	x=x>>4;
    	x=x<<4;
    	x=x|0x0000000F;
    	x=x^0x55555555;
    

    Where in real world application am I going to use this ? I scored 76 out of 100. Last time I took .NET 4.5 test I scored 88. How does it help someone understand my ability to write code for actual application ?

    Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

    realJSOPR Online
    realJSOPR Online
    realJSOP
    wrote on last edited by
    #10

    This is basic programming stuff. They want to see if you can do the math. Do you know what the answer is?

    ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
    -----
    You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
    -----
    When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

    M P V L A 6 Replies Last reply
    0
    • realJSOPR realJSOP

      This is basic programming stuff. They want to see if you can do the math. Do you know what the answer is?

      ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
      -----
      You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
      -----
      When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

      M Offline
      M Offline
      Mark_Wallace
      wrote on last edited by
      #11

      I could see at a glance that it wasn't 42, so I lost interest.

      I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • realJSOPR realJSOP

        This is basic programming stuff. They want to see if you can do the math. Do you know what the answer is?

        ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
        -----
        You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
        -----
        When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

        P Offline
        P Offline
        PeejayAdams
        wrote on last edited by
        #12

        There are probably about 1,431,677,610 things I can think of that are more basic than that!

        Slogans aren't solutions.

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • V virang_21

          I did an IKM assessment for C# and some of the questions are so odd it makes one wonder does it really gauge one's ability to code ? You are given a program and 5 outputs and you have to choose right one. One of the question was what is the value of x after running this code ?

              int x=0x0000FFFF;
          	x=x>>4;
          	x=x<<4;
          	x=x|0x0000000F;
          	x=x^0x55555555;
          

          Where in real world application am I going to use this ? I scored 76 out of 100. Last time I took .NET 4.5 test I scored 88. How does it help someone understand my ability to write code for actual application ?

          Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

          U Offline
          U Offline
          User 12831244
          wrote on last edited by
          #13

          What is this supposed to be testing? Programming ability or knowledge of C# / C++ / whatever other language share this syntax? It looks like this is trying to testing the latter and is not hugely usefull. If you can get the correct answer then that is great, if not then that does not mean anything. If this is testing for programming language knowledge then this is potentially usefull. (and yes, I can work this out - assuming the correct answer is 0x5555AAAA.)

          1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • realJSOPR realJSOP

            This is basic programming stuff. They want to see if you can do the math. Do you know what the answer is?

            ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
            -----
            You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
            -----
            When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

            V Offline
            V Offline
            virang_21
            wrote on last edited by
            #14

            I know it is shifting value and what the flags are but in a limited time test I am not going to do a math on paper just to answer one correct answer and leave the rest of questions which has higher penalty if not completed. After coming home I did it first just to make sure what I selected was OK. Home | .NET Fiddle[^] I am happy that I passed the test but hard to tell if one really know all the concepts just by looking at score.

            Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • V virang_21

              I did an IKM assessment for C# and some of the questions are so odd it makes one wonder does it really gauge one's ability to code ? You are given a program and 5 outputs and you have to choose right one. One of the question was what is the value of x after running this code ?

                  int x=0x0000FFFF;
              	x=x>>4;
              	x=x<<4;
              	x=x|0x0000000F;
              	x=x^0x55555555;
              

              Where in real world application am I going to use this ? I scored 76 out of 100. Last time I took .NET 4.5 test I scored 88. How does it help someone understand my ability to write code for actual application ?

              Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

              S Offline
              S Offline
              Slacker007
              wrote on last edited by
              #15

              Knowing how to code C# syntactically, doesn't mean shit in the real world, in and of itself. I am more interested that my fellow engineers know how to solve complex problems, and you can't really take a fucking test for that, now can you. I am strongly against organized testing, as I have seen it prove nothing really, time and time again. We have fired more Engineers from our shop because they could not design, let alone implement, basic problem solving solutions, versus their ability to do basic C# fundamental tasks (you can learn this shit, duh). I don't think you can learn problem solving, I think you are born with that - true problem solving. In summary, syntax and code fundamentals you can learn (if they are not retarded), but problem solving is hereditary. I am more interested in one's ability to problem solve, then the proper way to concatenate a bloody string

              S 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • realJSOPR realJSOP

                This is basic programming stuff. They want to see if you can do the math. Do you know what the answer is?

                ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
                -----
                You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
                -----
                When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

                L Offline
                L Offline
                Lost User
                wrote on last edited by
                #16

                John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

                Do you know what the answer is?

                Yes. How did that code pass our code-review?

                Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^][](X-Clacks-Overhead: GNU Terry Pratchett)

                S 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • V virang_21

                  I did an IKM assessment for C# and some of the questions are so odd it makes one wonder does it really gauge one's ability to code ? You are given a program and 5 outputs and you have to choose right one. One of the question was what is the value of x after running this code ?

                      int x=0x0000FFFF;
                  	x=x>>4;
                  	x=x<<4;
                  	x=x|0x0000000F;
                  	x=x^0x55555555;
                  

                  Where in real world application am I going to use this ? I scored 76 out of 100. Last time I took .NET 4.5 test I scored 88. How does it help someone understand my ability to write code for actual application ?

                  Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

                  R Offline
                  R Offline
                  Rage
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #17

                  Specifically: Well, you get to look at it with a bit of perspective : Rshift followed by Lshift of the same amount simply introduces as much zeroes as in the the shift on the right of your initial number. This means the first three operations neutralize in this case. So you simply XOR the last four 5 with F, which gives A (A5 pattern is commonly used to test memory, since both are made up of alternating 0 and 1's, that are swapped when XORed with F, so result of F-XORed A5 is always 5A). More generally: This is testing your logic, and how you can use your brain to solve something. You will probably never use it if you do not do low level, but sometimes it helps to solve complex situations to have a analytic mind.

                  Do not escape reality : improve reality !

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • V virang_21

                    I did an IKM assessment for C# and some of the questions are so odd it makes one wonder does it really gauge one's ability to code ? You are given a program and 5 outputs and you have to choose right one. One of the question was what is the value of x after running this code ?

                        int x=0x0000FFFF;
                    	x=x>>4;
                    	x=x<<4;
                    	x=x|0x0000000F;
                    	x=x^0x55555555;
                    

                    Where in real world application am I going to use this ? I scored 76 out of 100. Last time I took .NET 4.5 test I scored 88. How does it help someone understand my ability to write code for actual application ?

                    Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

                    L Offline
                    L Offline
                    Lost User
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #18

                    virang_21 wrote:

                    Where in real world application am I going to use this ?

                    Your question, young Padawan, tells me that close to the hardware you programmed have not yet. Look at a processor's instruction set you must and such logical instructions find you will. Learn to use them and address calculations and bit masking you fear must not. :-)

                    The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
                    This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a fucking golf cart.
                    "I don't know, extraterrestrial?" "You mean like from space?" "No, from Canada." If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.

                    S 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • realJSOPR realJSOP

                      This is basic programming stuff. They want to see if you can do the math. Do you know what the answer is?

                      ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
                      -----
                      You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
                      -----
                      When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

                      L Offline
                      L Offline
                      Lost User
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #19

                      John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

                      This is basic programming stuff.

                      Only for those who have a notion what the processor actually does.

                      The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
                      This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a fucking golf cart.
                      "I don't know, extraterrestrial?" "You mean like from space?" "No, from Canada." If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.

                      realJSOPR 1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • L Lost User

                        John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:

                        This is basic programming stuff.

                        Only for those who have a notion what the processor actually does.

                        The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
                        This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a fucking golf cart.
                        "I don't know, extraterrestrial?" "You mean like from space?" "No, from Canada." If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.

                        realJSOPR Online
                        realJSOPR Online
                        realJSOP
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #20

                        Which is basic knowledge for us old guys. I haven't personally seen any (production) .Net code that uses shift left/right, but its use was somewhat frequent in some unmanaged C++ code I've been involved with.

                        ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
                        -----
                        You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
                        -----
                        When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

                        L F D G 4 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • realJSOPR realJSOP

                          Which is basic knowledge for us old guys. I haven't personally seen any (production) .Net code that uses shift left/right, but its use was somewhat frequent in some unmanaged C++ code I've been involved with.

                          ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
                          -----
                          You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
                          -----
                          When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

                          L Offline
                          L Offline
                          Lost User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #21

                          Just read and convert the input from some binary file format and then press it into .Net structs/object. As soon as you leave the beaten path of serializing/deserializing from and to XML, you will have to do a good share of bit twisting.

                          The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
                          This is Javascript. If you put big wheels and a racing stripe on a golf cart, it's still a fucking golf cart.
                          "I don't know, extraterrestrial?" "You mean like from space?" "No, from Canada." If software development were a circus, we would all be the clowns.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • S Slacker007

                            Knowing how to code C# syntactically, doesn't mean shit in the real world, in and of itself. I am more interested that my fellow engineers know how to solve complex problems, and you can't really take a fucking test for that, now can you. I am strongly against organized testing, as I have seen it prove nothing really, time and time again. We have fired more Engineers from our shop because they could not design, let alone implement, basic problem solving solutions, versus their ability to do basic C# fundamental tasks (you can learn this shit, duh). I don't think you can learn problem solving, I think you are born with that - true problem solving. In summary, syntax and code fundamentals you can learn (if they are not retarded), but problem solving is hereditary. I am more interested in one's ability to problem solve, then the proper way to concatenate a bloody string

                            S Offline
                            S Offline
                            S Houghtelin
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #22

                            Slacker007 wrote:

                            I am strongly against organized testing

                            Says the person who identifies themselves as a slacker. ;)

                            It was broke, so I fixed it.

                            S 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • S S Houghtelin

                              Slacker007 wrote:

                              I am strongly against organized testing

                              Says the person who identifies themselves as a slacker. ;)

                              It was broke, so I fixed it.

                              S Offline
                              S Offline
                              Slacker007
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #23

                              This misnomer is by design, because I am anything but a slacker, thus, the reason I chose this to be my online name. I also like James Bond films, and I am not bad-ass enough to be a super spy, so I threw in the "007" for good measure.

                              S 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • S Slacker007

                                This misnomer is by design, because I am anything but a slacker, thus, the reason I chose this to be my online name. I also like James Bond films, and I am not bad-ass enough to be a super spy, so I threw in the "007" for good measure.

                                S Offline
                                S Offline
                                S Houghtelin
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #24

                                No insult intended, just found the irony between the statement and your online ID was humorous. :thumbsup:

                                It was broke, so I fixed it.

                                S 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • V virang_21

                                  I did an IKM assessment for C# and some of the questions are so odd it makes one wonder does it really gauge one's ability to code ? You are given a program and 5 outputs and you have to choose right one. One of the question was what is the value of x after running this code ?

                                      int x=0x0000FFFF;
                                  	x=x>>4;
                                  	x=x<<4;
                                  	x=x|0x0000000F;
                                  	x=x^0x55555555;
                                  

                                  Where in real world application am I going to use this ? I scored 76 out of 100. Last time I took .NET 4.5 test I scored 88. How does it help someone understand my ability to write code for actual application ?

                                  Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

                                  M Offline
                                  M Offline
                                  Marc Clifton
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #25

                                  We seem to enjoy reducing our individuality down to an abstract number that we can then use to simultaneously stroke our ego and feel inferior in a pointless comparison with other abstract numbers. And of course, the bean counters love their pigeon holes in which to categorize us to determine our salaries, title, benefits, and work. Marc

                                  V.A.P.O.R.ware - Visual Assisted Programming / Organizational Representation Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802

                                  V S 2 Replies Last reply
                                  0
                                  • realJSOPR realJSOP

                                    Which is basic knowledge for us old guys. I haven't personally seen any (production) .Net code that uses shift left/right, but its use was somewhat frequent in some unmanaged C++ code I've been involved with.

                                    ".45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly" - JSOP, 2010
                                    -----
                                    You can never have too much ammo - unless you're swimming, or on fire. - JSOP, 2010
                                    -----
                                    When you pry the gun from my cold dead hands, be careful - the barrel will be very hot. - JSOP, 2013

                                    F Offline
                                    F Offline
                                    Foothill
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #26

                                    I had to use bit shifts when I built an email processor to manually decode Base64 to regular binary. The non-programmers gave me puzzled looks when I described it as bit-twiddeling.

                                    if (Object.DividedByZero == true) { Universe.Implode(); } Meus ratio ex fortis machina. Simplicitatis de formae ac munus. -Foothill, 2016

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • S S Houghtelin

                                      No insult intended, just found the irony between the statement and your online ID was humorous. :thumbsup:

                                      It was broke, so I fixed it.

                                      S Offline
                                      S Offline
                                      Slacker007
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #27

                                      S Houghtelin wrote:

                                      No insult intended

                                      Did not take it as such. :thumbsup: :) Cheers.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • M Marc Clifton

                                        We seem to enjoy reducing our individuality down to an abstract number that we can then use to simultaneously stroke our ego and feel inferior in a pointless comparison with other abstract numbers. And of course, the bean counters love their pigeon holes in which to categorize us to determine our salaries, title, benefits, and work. Marc

                                        V.A.P.O.R.ware - Visual Assisted Programming / Organizational Representation Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802

                                        V Offline
                                        V Offline
                                        virang_21
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #28

                                        With this level of English and deep meaning you can easily write a novel or two. :thumbsup:

                                        Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • V virang_21

                                          I did an IKM assessment for C# and some of the questions are so odd it makes one wonder does it really gauge one's ability to code ? You are given a program and 5 outputs and you have to choose right one. One of the question was what is the value of x after running this code ?

                                              int x=0x0000FFFF;
                                          	x=x>>4;
                                          	x=x<<4;
                                          	x=x|0x0000000F;
                                          	x=x^0x55555555;
                                          

                                          Where in real world application am I going to use this ? I scored 76 out of 100. Last time I took .NET 4.5 test I scored 88. How does it help someone understand my ability to write code for actual application ?

                                          Zen and the art of software maintenance : rm -rf * Maths is like love : a simple idea but it can get complicated.

                                          K Offline
                                          K Offline
                                          Kirill Illenseer
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #29

                                          That's one of those question that make it clear that the recruiter (or whoever is interested in your score) has no idea what to ask so he makes up artificial challenges. It doesn't matter at all if you can clearly predict the outcome of code that wouldn't pass a code review.

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