The COBOL Programming (Short) test is designed to assess candidates' and employees' knowledge and practical skills in writing, debugging, deploying, and maintaining COBOL programs for business applications, covering standard keywords, syntax, and design patterns. The test evaluates a broad range of competencies, including COBOL program structure and divisions, data definition and the Data Division, file handling, Procedure Division logic such as arithmetic operations, conditionals, and PERFORM loops, table handling with OCCURS clauses, subscripts, and SEARCH statements, as well as debugging techniques, copybooks, and COPY statements. It measures skills through a variety of question formats, including Multiple Choice, Multiple Correct Answer, and Essay Composition questions, with one or more questions scored using artificial intelligence and one or more questions subject to individual time limits to discourage cheating and enhance predictive accuracy. Questions are drawn from a large pool to further safeguard test integrity and ensure a unique testing experience for each candidate.

The specific attributes measured include:

Following completion, the test produces a Candidate Selection Report that includes an overall score and detailed scores for each attribute.

The Candidate Selection Report also provides expert interview questions that help you probe critical or low-scoring areas, along with a guide for noting your evaluation of the candidate's responses. Consistent use of an interview guide is an important part of gaining better candidate insights and making better hiring decisions.

Note that while the COBOL Programming (Short) assessment is a useful and efficient instrument for confirming a base level of skill or knowledge about this important topic, it is not intended to pinpoint the exact level of candidate or skill. We recommend that skills tests, like this one, be used in parallel with other measurements, such as cognitive ability, job fit, and behavioral history. Each different type of test provides a valuable piece of information you can use when evaluating potential job performance.