Use of programming aptitude test in CS program admission For research reasons, in the last few days, I’ve been looking at several statistics on computer science programs in Portugal (but also in Europe and the US).

One of the most interesting findings is that approx. 20% of the students will drop the program at the end of the first year. But the most problematic finding is that after four years, only approx 22%-32% of the students were able to graduate in a 3-year program.

It is important to stress that in Portugal the admission to higher education is determined only by the grades that the students obtained in High School (50%) and the results of the exams in some particular subjects (Math and Physics) for CS programs, for instance (50%). In the end, only the n students with higher scores will be admitted.

Given the demand for IT personnel and the high unemployment rates of several other areas, several students will end up attempting CS. 

I am aware, that some companies rely on the Berger Aptitude for Programming Test to select their candidates. From what I understood, this test is used mostly to evaluate the candidate’s ability to program and could not be used to select candidates for the CS programs.

Given this context, shouldn’t the students be performing some aptitude test before enrolling in these programs? Is anyone aware of the usage of such tests? 

Obviously, I understand that one shouldn’t simply say to someone: “Hey choose something else!”. However, we are talking about several hundreds of students that are basically losing one or more years of their lives. Although this happens in Portugal, I guess the same thing occurs in other countries. Shouldn’t we be doing something about it?

I am aware of some other questions concerning programming aptitude. However, I think mine is different.
This is a great idea. We should definitely help people determine in advance what fields they are likely to succeed in. It would be far better for them, the economy and the employers to admit only people who are likely to be good candidates for schooling and employment.

The work training program that I have been employed to teach -- training adults with physical disabilities for entry-level programming jobs -- has just be discontinued partly due to the recent US Workplace Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requirement that job training programs result in a recognized industry credential leading to employment or advancement in a job. (We could not find a credential that was reachable with around a year of training.) As far as I know, this job training program was unique in the US, and it used to be quite successful, when it was possible to get a programming job with a few months experience in COBOL. This is no longer true, and we were short on incoming candidates and not having much luck placing them either.

We have now decided to offer training leading to the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification instead, which is faster and much more likely to get people in to jobs, and we can serve far more people a year that way.

I am just a little curious though, as to why someone didn't see this coming long ago -- the calls for prequalification for education and for screening of employment candidates -- back when the US Supreme Court passed that decision in 19711, making it illegal for employers to use screening tests that "could be biased"? (The decision that led to employers simply requiring a college degree instead, which has been implicated as a cause of the mushrooming demand for and cost of college and university education.)

Many experts in the field of computing are calling for Apprenticeship programs. Any takers? We could again try using the method humanity has relied on for thousands of years to produce experts, masters and professionals.

1: http://northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/griggs-v-duke-power/