That works if they can. I've worked a number of jobs that were secure locations. No code leaves, in fact no storage media leaves, the facility. If that's the case, a simple progamming task works wonders. For people who can't "take the test" and freak out ... they'll have to go elsewhere. Software development requires some non-code skills like talking with customers / users (not just requirements, sometimes for feedback or even "thank you"), documentation, and the that applies to lots of non-tech careers too, working under some pressure. The best and simple skill test I saw, on the web, went something like this: Write a program that will print "X" for numbers divisible by 10, "Y" for numbers divisible by 4, and the number itself for all other numbers. Do this for numbers (integers) between 1 and 100. Amazing how half the posts to that complaint - that 90% of programmers can't think the problme through - also didn't get it correct. I'd suggest something like that - give them a computer to actually do it on, real-time, and a few others like it. Deeper code problems like APIs / object libraries (Java and .NET come to mind) and design patterns and such are best done orally or "at the white board." What to look for there, and this is crucial: understanding, not knowledge. It was a preacher - minister - that once talked about that and gave the clearest explanation, which went well above, shall we say, spiritial scenarios. It applies to programming just fine. - Knowlege is the accumulation of facts, as in "memorization"; most public school tests only deal with this, except for essays - Understanding, which is the ability to re-organize the facts without losing the meaning. Jesus' talking in parables - using a story to explain something, was the minister's example. In programming, the person has to be able to "explain it" in plain terms, not just buzzwords. Even if she starts out with something as silly as "these 2 objects go into a bar, and the that implements Ifoobar says ..." - you're looking for understanding, not memorization. Why? When? Where? Gotchas? Under what conditions does this no longer apply? - Wisdom goes well beyond knowledge, and is harder to describe. Simply put it deals with "application" but requires a level well beyond the obvious. Anyone claiming to be a guru or master thinker should have wisdom. For non-programming stuff, it would be the "master" in something like a Karate Kid movie who does things not at all obvious to the apprentice