Syntax is the easiest part of programming. If I have a chance to hire a good program who knows zero CFML vs. a poor programmer who has memorized CFML, I'll go with the former.
Matt Liotta President & CEO Montara Software, Inc. http://www.montarasoftware.com/ 888-408-0900 x901 > -----Original Message----- > From: Joe Eugene [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 2:22 PM > To: CF-Talk > Subject: Re:building cert tests (WAS Re: certification experiences/plans?) > > Dont agree at all.. Usually.. you have have know your stuff very well to > answer tricky option questions... > e.g.. > What is the right method to declare a ColdFusion Array? > (choose 2). > a. newArray(1); > b. arrayNew(2); > c. Array(2); > d. String x[]= new String[10]; > e. listToArray(); > > If you never used ColdFusion arrays.. you probably wont get this right. > > Joe > > > >Again, goes to show essay questions (effectively) are much >better than > >ABCDE > >or true/false. > > -------Original Message------- > From: John Paul Ashenfelter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: 01/07/03 02:03 PM > To: CF-Talk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: building cert tests (WAS Re: certification > experiences/plans?) > > > > > That's an excellent point -- and one we did a variation of: > > I'm giving candidates a simple concept, but poorly written SQL stored proc > actually build by the current reporting team and asking them what they > think > of it and how'd they'd improve it. > > > > Regards, > > John Paul Ashenfelter > CTO/Transitionpoint > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Matt Liotta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "CF-Talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 1:41 PM > Subject: RE: building cert tests (WAS Re: certification > experiences/plans?) > > > > My favorite interview technique is to provide the candidate with a > > program written in a language they aren't familiar with and ask them to > > debug a problem. Of course I don't expect them solve it, but I like to > > watch how they going about attempting. > > > > Matt Liotta > > President & CEO > > Montara Software, Inc. > > http://www.montarasoftware.com/ > > 888-408-0900 x901 > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: John Paul Ashenfelter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 1:43 PM > > > To: CF-Talk > > > Subject: building cert tests (WAS Re: certification > > experiences/plans?) > > > > > > Boy, do I agree. I took the Brainbench MS-SQL exams to asses whether > > > they'd > > > be useful for evaluating the SQL knowledge of some candidates for a > > > enterprise reporting group. I distinctly remember that there were 3 > > > questions on Oracle to MS-SQL migrations (out of 40), including "How > > do > > > you > > > install it". What a waste. And then look at the statistics -- I scored > > 3.7 > > > out of 5 which was also the 89% percentile. Visualize a very steep > > spike > > > instead of a bell curve to understand what the distribution of scores > > must > > > resemble. > > > > > > I will say, having written exam questions for another online company > > (hey, > > > I > > > was young and needed the money), that it is very hard to write useful > > > questions within the parameters these companies give you. You can > > write > > > some > > > good ones, no doubt. But if I remember, it was something like $500 for > > 100 > > > questions and each question had to have a right answer, 3 wrongs, and > > a > > > "close" answer that got partial credit. And then there's the whole > > fitting > > > it into the domains of knowledge that the test developer designed. Oh, > > and > > > it's plain text and the potential for one image, but you have to > > create it > > > yourself (me!=artist). I thought it would be a good review for me, and > > it > > > was, but it's not easy to write a *good* exam with only multiple > > choice > > > questions for a topic that's much more essay/practicum oriented. Thus > > the > > > move in several high-level certification worlds towards hands-on > > testing > > > (Cisco, Oracle for example). > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > John Paul Ashenfelter > > > CTO/Transitionpoint > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > From: "John Wilker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > To: "CF-Talk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 10:10 PM > > > Subject: RE: certification experiences/plans? > > > > > > > > > > That's one thing about on the spot tests and certifications and what > > > > not. I keep a lot of junk rattling around in my brain some useful > > some > > > > not, but there's just no way I can remember all the attributes of a > > > > given tag. I just can't. I know where to look to find the > > information > > > > though and can get the answers pretty darn quick. > > > > > > > > I think having instant recall on such things as all the attributes > > of a > > > > tag or all the cgi server variables is not that impressive but that > > sure > > > > makes it easier to take the cert exams. I usually don't take those > > tests > > > > when interviewers ask. When I'm in my cube I won't be being timed > > and I > > > > will have my books, notes, listservs and whatever other tools I use > > > > available. So the, "how would I...?" exams right there with x number > > of > > > > people staring at you is just frustrating. > > > > > > > > J. > > > > > > > > John Wilker > > > > Web Applications Consultant, Writer > > > > Macromedia Certified ColdFusion Developer > > > > Founder/President IE CFUG > > > > www.red-omega.com > > > > > > > > Whatever is wrong it is better than a poke in the eye with a sharp > > > > stick. Unless of course you just got poked in the eye with a sharp > > > > stick. > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Jeffry Houser [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 6:51 PM > > > > To: CF-Talk > > > > Subject: RE: certification experiences/plans? > > > > > > > > > > > > At 06:18 PM 1/6/2003 -0800, you wrote: > > > > > Some haven't > > > > >cared and some have wanted me to take a brainbench exam on the > > spot. > > > > > > > > I took one such of these test ( Not BrainBench, but a company that > > > > escapes me ) and the questions asked were so vague / detached from > > real > > > > development it was very frustrating. One question I remember was > > "How > > > > many > > > > possible values are there for the X attribute of Y tag?" In what > > real > > > > world situation would that come up? Never! For example, I may > > know > > > > that > > > > the cfobject tag can be used for creating an instance of specific > > > > objects > > > > (COM, Corba, Web Service, etc.. ) but that doesn't mean I know ( or > > even > > > > > > > > need to know ) how many valid values there are for the type > > attribute of > > > > > > > > the cfobject tag. > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > Jeffry Houser | mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > DotComIt, Putting you on the web > > > > AIM: Reboog711 | Phone: 1-203-379-0773 > > > > -- > > > > My CFMX Book: > > > > <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0072225564/instantcoldfu-20> > > > > My Books: http://www.instantcoldfusion.com > > > > -- > > > > Ask me how to get a free recording of your band > > > > -- > > > > Original Energetic Acoustic Rock: http://www.farcryfly.com 80's, > > 90's, > > > > and Now: http://www.mtmexperience.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=4 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=4 FAQ: http://www.thenetprofits.co.uk/coldfusion/faq Your ad could be here. 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