Programming aptitude tests

bowlesling · 2010-06-02 17:36:23

Has anyone had to take an aptitude test for a job interview?

I have an interview for a junior Java programmer at a very large corporation and I have to take a personality and aptitude assessment. The personality stuff is corporate crap... but the aptitude part makes sense. However, since it is only an entry level junior position (and in fact, they only require that you have had coursework in Java) I can only guess the aptitude is based on something more than your ability to write some piece of working code. I asked if it was specific to a domain of mathematics (or any topic--- my formal training is in mathematical logic) but they said it was "only a pure aptitude" test. Um... okay.

After looking at the normal pop-crap aptitude stuff one expects to find on a blind google search, I came across something called the

Berger Aptitude for Programing Test (B-Apt)

Has anyone heard of this or had to take it? Have you had to take any other kind?

Also, what does everyone think about aptitude testing for programming jobs? I'm also curious to know how many of you list 'Arch' specifically on your resume? (Under computer skills I put ==> Platforms: Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch), Mac (OSX), Windows (XP, Vista) ).

Awebb · 2010-06-02 18:04:47

I don't know this specific test, but when I applied for my current job for an ISP, they asked me a lot of things. It seemed like the more I know the more they ask. You don't really need to know about the OSI layers or the "package over dove" RFC to file a ticket for a PPPoE error. I really only failed at relevant basic questions, like what does ISDN mean or what does DSLAM stand for. I also learned something that day: In Windowsish, traceroute is tracert. And THEY learned that the routers they give to their customers don't play well with the hostnames on linux machines.

2nd question: I only wrote "Windows, Linux, OS X". When they asked me what distro I use, they really expected some reply like "Ubuntu" or "OpenSuse". When I said Arch Linux, they asked me wether it uses deb or rpm...

And now? Now I'm calling customers to make appointments for the field technicians after checking wether they have stable dial-ups and a signal to noise ratio >6...

bowlesling · 2010-06-02 18:18:33

For anyone interested, here are some links I found. The first is for something called the LPAT, next is for the BAPT, and after that is the University Kent site that looks like it manages various aptitude tests for its graduates (the url is for the programming aptitude).

http://www.aprtestingservices.com/busin … ontent.php

http://www.bapt.co.uk/page26.html

http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/testss/computer-test.htm

I also found this article, titled "Programming aptitude testing as a prediction of learning to program": http://www.ppig.org/papers/14th-tukiainen.pdf

This gist of most of these is this: give the basic syntax (and semantics) of a rudimentary and hypothetical language then ask the person to perform certain tasks. The idea is that even someone with no knowledge of a specific language should be able to take basic structures and make loops or define functions or classes or whatever. Some exams include numerical reasoning too, and be as explicit as asking mathematical questions specifically related to computers (for example, what is the base 10 value of this binary digit...).

By the way, there are at least two types of the Berger APT: one is designed for no previous programming experience (called Form D) and the other is designed for people with basic knowledge of, say, C/C++, Java (called Form AF). It can be used, they say, for helping to determine promotions and such.

Cyrusm · 2010-06-02 18:56:29

I had a pretty informal aptitude test when I was interviewing for my current positon. my boss asked me to solve a bunch of puzzles basically.
puzzle 1:

  you have 5 pill bottles each with 5 pills.  4 of the bottles contain 5mg pills, 1 contains 4mg pills, you may only take one mass measurement.
which bottle contains the 4mg pills? and explain your reasoning.

puzzle 2:

puzzle 2: The school has 100 lockers. One by one each student has to go the lockers and open them in the following pattern:
Student 1 opens all the lockers
Student 2 goes and closes every second locker
Student 3 goes and "changes the state" of every third locker i.e. if its open , close etc and vice versa.
Student 4 changes the state of every 4th locker.
.
.
.
.Student n changes the state of every nth locker
This goes on for all 100 students.

which lockers are open after the 100th student is done with his task.

puzzle 3:

there are twelve coins, eleven of which are identical and one of which is different, but it is not known whether it is heavier or lighter than the others.
what is the minimum number of weighings with a balance necessary to determine which coin is the counterfeit? and explain your reasoning.

and so on and so forth, he also made me solve a rubix cube and a couple knights and knaves logic problems and a chess problem, I managed to get them all right, and I got the job so yay.

as far as programming aptitude tests go, I figure if you're going to hire someone, you might want to measure their ability to do the job.

Last edited by Cyrusm (2010-06-02 19:28:23)

draugdel · 2010-06-02 20:48:09

I like puzzles.

First: you take 1 pill from bottle 1, 2 from bottle 2, ... Then measure it, the difference between 5*15 - the measurement is the bottle number.

brova · 2010-06-07 08:36:43

Cyrusm wrote:

I had a pretty informal aptitude test when I was interviewing for my current positon. my boss asked me to solve a bunch of puzzles basically.
puzzle 1:
  you have 5 pill bottles each with 5 pills.  4 of the bottles contain 5mg pills, 1 contains 4mg pills, you may only take one mass measurement.
which bottle contains the 4mg pills? and explain your reasoning.
puzzle 2:
puzzle 2: The school has 100 lockers. One by one each student has to go the lockers and open them in the following pattern:
Student 1 opens all the lockers
Student 2 goes and closes every second locker
Student 3 goes and "changes the state" of every third locker i.e. if its open , close etc and vice versa.
Student 4 changes the state of every 4th locker.
.
.
.
.Student n changes the state of every nth locker
This goes on for all 100 students.

which lockers are open after the 100th student is done with his task.
puzzle 3:
there are twelve coins, eleven of which are identical and one of which is different, but it is not known whether it is heavier or lighter than the others.
what is the minimum number of weighings with a balance necessary to determine which coin is the counterfeit? and explain your reasoning.
and so on and so forth, he also made me solve a rubix cube and a couple knights and knaves logic problems and a chess problem, I managed to get them all right, and I got the job so yay.
as far as programming aptitude tests go, I figure if you're going to hire someone, you might want to measure their ability to do the job.

seeing as im a college student (computer systems analyst) who is going to be applying for my coop in january, I am really curious to know the answer to the first question.

tlvb · 2010-06-07 11:14:25

I haven't checked it, but I would take one pill from bottle A, two from bottle B, three from C and so on.
Edit: or if it is the active substance mass that is listed the pills would likely weigh the same and weighing them would not be a valid differentiation method.

Last edited by tlvb (2010-06-07 11:16:17)

Trent · 2010-06-07 13:05:39

tlvb wrote:

I haven't checked it, but I would take one pill from bottle A, two from bottle B, three from C and so on.
Edit: or if it is the active substance mass that is listed the pills would likely weigh the same and weighing them would not be a valid differentiation method.

But you don't need to weigh pills from all 5 bottles. 4 will do.

Zeist · 2010-06-07 20:23:03

I did a four month internship with the company I work with now as my aptitude test, during which I developed software used at a major event at the headquarter of a fortune 100 company (still not allowed to actually mention which one ).

Arch Linux

#1 2010-06-02 17:36:23

Programming aptitude tests

#2 2010-06-02 18:04:47

Re: Programming aptitude tests

#3 2010-06-02 18:18:33

Re: Programming aptitude tests

#4 2010-06-02 18:56:29

Re: Programming aptitude tests

#5 2010-06-02 20:48:09

Re: Programming aptitude tests

#6 2010-06-07 08:36:43

Re: Programming aptitude tests

#7 2010-06-07 11:14:25

Re: Programming aptitude tests

#8 2010-06-07 13:05:39

Re: Programming aptitude tests

#9 2010-06-07 20:23:03

Re: Programming aptitude tests

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