Programmer's Tests

Microsoft asks some interesting questions I heard.. like ''How are M&Ms made?'', ''Which way should the key turn in a car door to unlock it?'' and ''Why is it that when you turn on the hot water in any hotel, for example, the hot water comes pouring out almost instantaneously?''


Really interesting questions in themselves actually.

As for programmer tasks, in my experience the programmer tasks are usually not that hard. They are mostly very simple, so simple even that you might even ask yourself if you''re being tricked. But very simple problems sometimes need very sophisticated solutions. And that''s what they are looking for..

Cheers,
Nick

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Original post by Laz

And on a side note, does anyone know where I can get the book "Learning Assembly Language for the IBM-PC"? It was published back in 84 i think, and I can''t remember the name of the Author. Someone said it''s a very good book, and i''d like to take a look at it.

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The current version of this book might very well be Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers 4th ed by Kip Irvine. The first edition might very well have been your book. I enjoyed the first book and still have it somewhere, but as I took the course from the author this could just be my sub-conscious deciding to give the guy a plug.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9993368628/qid=1029012405/sr=1-8/ref=sr_1_8/002-2934672-8734461

It was published in 84.

If not then search on Amazon with the name of the book and it should bring up a list.

[edited by - Badone on August 10, 2002 5:02:28 PM]

After a lot of searching, this is the book I am looking for:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0136619010/qid%3D1029014556/sr%3D1-8/ref%3Dsr%5F1%5F8/104-7490925-7071165

Just letting you guys know in case you''re interested. Thanks for the responses

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When I was in a job interview for a coding job, they didn''t give me straight tasks, like, code this or code that, but instead asked me questions about different development tools, and how would I start a specific (don''t remember what kind of project it was anymore) specific project all the way from scratch and how would I develop it.

They were testing about how I start developing something, how I work at the project, like how I organize all the desinging/coding etc...

Oh and prepare for some really weird stuff, like they asked how good I think I am at english (I''m a finn, so my mother language is not english) and then they told me to speak some english. and we were in the restaurant and there were loads of people, but I was prepared that they could ask anything, so it didn''t took me more than 1 second to start speaking english

Anyway, search through the net of how to prepare for job interviews, what kind of clothes to use, etc. and then specific about what kind of tech. guestions they might ask in your situation (you know what kind of job it''s going to be, right?)

Just my 2 € cents

Know bitwise operaters. They''re incredibly simple answers, but probably the most frequently missed.

If you want to see a real test, go to Westwood''s site and apply for a programmers job. They''ll send you a test. I took it three years ago. It was pretty hard to be honest. It was 15 questions long. The first 9 questions were strict programming, and they were either right or wrong. ie: How many times does this loop execute, write assembly language code to do this, write pseudocode to do that, how do you divide by 256 the fastest, etc.

The next six questions were pick three of the six. They were essentially essay questions. Explain polymorphism, inheritance, and compare and contrast the two, what do you think makes a good game.

I''m told I aced it and if I ever want them to fly me out for an interview, to give them a call. I never did though. But it was my first taste of a difficult programming test. I doubt they still use the same test, but they might.

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Looking for an honest video game publisher? Visit www.gamethoughts.com

Usually interviews are very easy programming questions. Write a function that reverses a linked list... write a function that inserts a node in a binary tree... write a function that finds the top 3 integer values given this array... etc.

However, in one memorable interview someone asked me a couple of bizarrely difficult questions... The one that stands out in my mind is "Given a node in a binary tree, and the root of the tree, find the right-most ancestor of this node."

This one baffled me. It''s not an easy solution by any means.

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However, in one memorable interview someone asked me a couple of bizarrely difficult questions... The one that stands out in my mind is "Given a node in a binary tree, and the root of the tree, find the right-most ancestor of this node."

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There''s nothing hard about this... UNLESS the nodes are allocated in some random pattern. But usually the right and left nodes of each root are known, just keep following the right child until you hit a null right child, and that''s your right-most ancestor, though it''s not necessarily a leaf.

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- outRider -

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Original post by Anonymous Poster
People will wonder what I am talking about so I''ll explain. The questions are ones that aren''t out of books and if you answer them they will demonstrate that you knew the answer or were clever enough to work them out. Surely this is the result any employer wants from a test?

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God, I hope that wasn''t one of the questions, ''cause you would''ve failed outright j/k (sort of )

Anyway, could you give an actual example question that fits your criteria? It''s hard to get an idea of a "good" question without a representative sample.

MSN

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Bitwise operations...who cares if you forget how to create a power of two? Who cares if you have never come across this situation in your life? The important thing is that you can work it out and a written test doesn''t really demonstrate this.

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Concerning many aspects of programming, I''d agree with you, but not bitwise operators.

Lacking an understanding of bitwise operators may show quite strongly what sort of programming you have (or, more importantly, have not ever) done.

It isn''t unreasonable to say that &, |, ^, ~, <<, >>, (in C) etc. can be expected to be second nature to certain types of programmers, and it''s quite possible the interviewer was looking for this sort of experience.

Bitwise operations are fundamental to computer science.

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Bart

another test you often get is a logic one... i recently had a test that asked the following...

"you have eight balls, one of them is slightly heavier than the others. using only a set of balance scales, work out which is the heavier ball with two weighs"

it''s generally used as a test of problem solving and the ability to convey an idea or solution - if you can''t explain how you worked it out you''re not gonna be much use to them...

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Original post by Laz
After a lot of searching, this is the book I am looking for:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0136619010/

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I''ve got this edition collecting dust in the "obsolete books" section of my bookshelf. At least I think it''s a later edition of the same book. Although I never had much use for it, it was an OK book back when I bought it - despite Peter Norton being involved - but it''s VERY old. Learning how to use 16-bit assembly code for updating the screen in text-mode DOS programs just isn''t very useful any more...