Doing a Tecnical Test to Secure an Interview

[psychocandy]

Had to do one of these a while back for an end client called BJSS who have a contract with UCAS in Cheltenham to build and deploy some system in time for A Level results.

Agent reckoned it would take 2-6 hours. The document I received from the client said 2 days(!).

My question is really, how far do you go when you're given a blank canvas to write a programme that does xyz?

It's a case of how long is a piece of string, really.

I mean, plugging in IoC containers, ORM, logging, unit test / mocking frameworks - this takes a lot of time. And because the job spec mentioned all the above, I guess that's what they wanted to see.

Since I never got any feedback at all from neither BJSS nor the agent (Reece Graves at TRG who wouldn't return my emails) I can honestly say it was a wasted exercise and one I'm unlikely to repeat.

Worked there a while back. Different consultancy firm though.....

Nice place to work. Outskirts of cheltenham etc near racecourse.

UCAS are all geared up for results day though and it can get pretty manic in the weeks leading up to. They tend to get loads of people in for the few months before then scale it all down afterwards.

[Gumbo Robot]

IYou wouldn't get a plumber to fit a new toilet to prove he has the ability to fit a bath before giving him a job would you? .

Oddly enough I was talking to a bloke in my local pub the otger night who used to be a subby on building sites. He was saying that they'd always get him to lay a few courses to show his skills were up to scratch.

[psychocandy]

Dunno, worked for them in this instance

Of course, you are assuming the person who got the gig is more of a nobhead than me!

[jmo21]

I've heard a lot of colleagues say similar, but I've also read a lot of articles online saying that kind of exercise a much better way of interviewing people.

Not 2 days worth of course, few hours max I'd say.

There is of course the question of how long did the candidate really spend on their solution, was it actually them that coded it or did they get someone to help out etc.

Not sure it works well for contracting though, better suited as a 1st stage permie interview, before a 2nd stage in person. Not a fan of 2 stage contractor interviews

[MyUserName]

I got asked once to write a program which would take a chessboard size, given at runtime and a list of pieces, given at run time and would then calculate all possible permutations of piece positions where they could not capture each other.

The catch .... I could not use any language that was on my cv.

The result ... I said "I will do no such thing". The agent didn't even bother to argue, I got the impression a lot of candidates had said the same.

[TheFaQQer]

Technical interview doesn't bother me. Technical interview where all they ask are the same questions to everyone to establish a baseline doesn't bother me.

Spending hours or days for an interview - no chance, unless I was desperate.

[Gumbo Robot]

There is of course the question of how long did the candidate really spend on their solution, was it actually them that coded it or did they get someone to help out etc.

I'm sure there's a very cheap service in Bangalore that one can use for exactly these purposes

[jmo21]

I'm sure there's a very cheap service in Bangalore that one can use for exactly these purposes

probably!

[Eirikur]

I only do "tests" if I'm getting paid for it. I'm suspicious they use this in a lot of cases for themselves and you did some free work for them.

[DannyF1966]

I only do "tests" if I'm getting paid for it. I'm suspicious they use this in a lot of cases for themselves and you did some free work for them.

A couple of years ago my girlfriend was looking for work as a beauty therapist, and they're usually asked to do a trade test to see if they're up to scratch. Usually the test is something like putting a set of nail extensions on another staff member or something fairly quick like that, half an hour or so. One employer in a fairly upmarket salon in the city centre had her working on a client all day doing treatments that cost the client upwards of £200. And because it was just a trade test she didn't get paid for the day's work.

She's nowhere near that naive now, in fact she got so cynical about the whole industry she turned her back on it completely.