
IBM to US Senators: Yo Kids So CS-Stupid Nobody Wants to Hire Them - theodpHN
https://slashdot.org/submission/5942461/ibm-to-us-senators-yo-kids-so-cs-stupid-nobody-wants-to-hire-them
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gravypod
I recently, as of now it's been about two years, took the APCS exam when I was
in high school. I can tell you it was a horrible measure of computer science
or even software engineering knowledge.

I know they recently changed the exam, to remove grid world, but I took the
exam that they used to transition from grid world to the new material.

I got a 5, the maximum score. I'm fairly sure I was one of ~3 in my school
that got that score.

The material was antiquated: no low level systems questions, no optimization
of code, no coding style questions, no design pattern questions, no software
architecture questions, no security questions. In essence no thinking
questions.

It was just a test based on "Do you know Java" as the only questions that I
felt were of substance were things questioning understanding of Java's object
inheritance.

I want to go into software engineering, and it is slowly turning me even more
cynical that I can't actually find a good CS program to teach me about the
over arching issues about software engineering (at least at a reasonable
price).

I want to learn the things I need help with, but no one has given me a
platform to expand my knowledge base. I'm stuck trying to look for work so
that an employer can fill the gaps in my hodgepodge software engineering
career.

