Ada Programmer certification exam?

Ada Programmer certification exam?

[SWW0751]

In 1987, I heard that a group was developing an exam to certify Ada programmers.
Is this rumor true?  If so, what is the status of the project?

From what I heard, there will be 15 levels of certification, one being the
lowest.  And that only a few people will be able to reach level 15.

I would like to know how others feel about "Certified Ada Programmers."  Any
information will be appreciated.

----------------------------------------------------

Steven Whatley
Graduating Senior,
Texas A&M University

Re: Ada Programmer certification exam?

[William Thomas Wolfe,2847,]

From article <8902201634.AA03717@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu>, by SWW0751@TAMVENUS.BITNET:
> In 1987, I heard that a group was developing an exam to certify Ada 
> programmers.  [...]  From what I heard, there will be 15 levels of 
> certification, one being the lowest.  And that only a few people will 
> be able to reach level 15. I would like to know how others feel about 
> "Certified Ada Programmers."  

    Sounds like a great idea to me!  Where do I sign up for the exam?

    Bill Wolfe, wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu

Re: Ada Programmer certification exam?

[Dean Luick]

In article <8902201634.AA03717@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu> SWW0751@TAMVENUS.BITNET writes:
>I would like to know how others feel about "Certified Ada Programmers."  Any
>information will be appreciated.

I think this is a silly idea.  A language is a language.  Sure there are
quirks to each language (Ada has more than I've ever seen) but you eventually
learn them, or learn enough to get by with what you are doing.  If I were a
project manager looking programmers, I would be looking for people who
could produce usable, working, code.  Unfortunately, this is much harder to
pin down.  Testing for knowlege is easy, having the ability to apply it
is much more rare.

dean
--
Dean Luick
University of Wisconsin-Madison Computer Sciences Dept.
uucp:	...!{allegra,harvard,seismo,topaz}!uwvax!dream!dean
arpa:	dean@cs.wisc.edu

Re: Ada Programmer certification ex

[ryer]

I agree with Mr. Luick.  When headhunters send me resumes of people who
are "Experienced Ada Programmers", my reaction is "so what?" (i.e. I don't
forward them to Personnel).  This is even though Intermetrics does entirely
software development, hires people regularly, and does a lot of work
in Ada.  How about a certificate for Able-to-learn-Ada-in-a-Month?  How
about a certificate for Good Software Engineer?

Mike Ryer
Employed by, but not speaking officially for, Intermetrics, Inc.

Re: Ada Programmer certification ex

[Gordon V. Cormack]

In article <124000033@inmet>, ryer@inmet.UUCP writes:
> 
> I agree with Mr. Luick.  When headhunters send me resumes of people who
> are "Experienced Ada Programmers", my reaction is "so what?" (i.e. I don't
> forward them to Personnel).

This sounds like a stronger reaction than "so what?".  It sounds like you 
discriminate against people who happen to know Ada.

The reason such a claim is irrelevant is that it is self-proclaimed.  I would
be very interested in knowing if an "ada programmer" really knew how to use
generics, abstract data types, exceptions, etc.  I might be tempted to hire
such a person, even for projects not necessarily involving Ada.
-- 
Gordon V. Cormack     CS Dept, University of Waterloo, Canada N2L 3G1
                      gvcormack@waterloo.EDU   gvcormack@uwaterloo.CA
                      gvcormack@water          { UUCP or BITNET }

Re: Ada Programmer certification exam?

[Robert Munck]

In article <8902201634.AA03717@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu> SWW0751@TAMVENUS.BITNET writes:
>...group was developing an exam to certify Ada programmers.
>
>From what I heard, there will be 15 levels of certification, one being the
>lowest.  And that only a few people will be able to reach level 15.
>
>I would like to know how others feel about "Certified Ada Programmers."  

I'd like to suggest that the system should involve belts of different
colors rather than certificates.  Of course, that introduces the problem
that the highest-level belt really should be green, not black.  And, 
instead of numbering levels within a belt as "first-dan," "fifth-dan."
etc., we should probably have "first-jean," etc. (pronounced "firth-zjohn")

The uninformed will make jokes about it, of course:  "Why do the best Ada
programmers wear Green Belts?"  "To hold their pants up."

I personally would probably be better off with the little loincloth with
sticks hanging from it and a black top-knot.  I'd certainly enjoy throwing
salt at everybody.
                          -- Bob Munck
                          -- (Disclaimer: MITRE wishes I wouldn't
                              do this kind of stuff.  So do my friends.)

Re: Ada Programmer certification exam?

[Bob Munck]

In article <8902201634.AA03717@ajpo.sei.cmu.edu> SWW0751@TAMVENUS.BITNET writes:
>...group was developing an exam to certify Ada programmers.
>
>From what I heard, there will be 15 levels of certification, one being the
>lowest.  And that only a few people will be able to reach level 15.
>
>I would like to know how others feel about "Certified Ada Programmers."  

I'd like to suggest that the system should involve belts of different
colors rather than certificates.  Of course, that introduces the problem
that the highest-level belt really should be green, not black.  And, 
instead of numbering levels within a belt as "first-dan," "fifth-dan."
etc., we should probably have "first-jean," etc. (pronounced "firth-zjohn")

The uninformed will make jokes about it, of course:  "Why do the best Ada
programmers wear Green Belts?"  "To hold their pants up."

I personally would probably be better off with the little loincloth with
sticks hanging from it and a black top-knot.  I'd certainly enjoy throwing
salt at everybody.
                          -- Bob Munck
                          -- (Disclaimer: MITRE wishes I wouldn't
                              do this kind of stuff.  So do my friends.)