The COBOL Programming (Short) test is designed to assess the knowledge and skills of job candidates and employees in writing, debugging, deploying, and maintaining COBOL programs for business applications, covering entry-level to mid-level proficiency. 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 encompassing arithmetic, conditionals, and PERFORM statements, Table Handling with OCCURS clauses, subscripts, and SEARCH statements, as well as Debugging, Copybooks, and COPY Statements. It measures skills through a variety of question formats, including Multiple Choice, Multiple Correct Answer, and Essay Composition questions, with some questions featuring individual time limits to discourage cheating and enhance predictive accuracy. Questions are drawn from a large pool to further reduce the risk of cheating, and one or more questions leverage artificial intelligence in the scoring process to ensure a thorough and objective evaluation of each candidate's COBOL programming proficiency.

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.