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The Evaluation Rubric

How Skills are Measured

The PAT doesn't score you on how quickly you can invert a binary tree. We score you on how well you architect, build, and secure production-grade software.

Architecture & System Design

  • Is the codebase predictably structured (e.g. MVC, Clean Architecture)?
  • Are components modular, reusable, and appropriately decoupled?
  • Is state managed efficiently without prop drilling or unnecessary re-renders?
  • Is the API designed following RESTful or GraphQL best practices?

Database & Data Modeling

  • Are schemas normalized appropriately to prevent data anomalies?
  • Are indexes used effectively on querying fields?
  • Are complex relations correctly implemented (One-to-Many, M-N)?
  • Is there proper handling of transactions and concurrent operations?

Security & Authentication

  • Are passwords hashed using secure algorithms (e.g. bcrypt, Argon2)?
  • Are session tokens/JWTs handled securely (HTTP-only cookies)?
  • Is authorization enforced at the API route level (RBAC)?
  • Is user input sanitized to prevent SQL injection and XSS?

Testing & Quality Assurance

  • Does the project include a comprehensive suite of Unit and Integration tests?
  • Are critical business logic paths covered securely?
  • Are edge cases and error states tested and handled gracefully?
  • Is a CI/CD pipeline integrated for automated testing?

Performance & Optimization

  • Are heavy database queries optimized (e.g. N+1 problem avoided)?
  • Is caching implemented (Redis/CDN) for frequently accessed data?
  • Are frontend bundles optimized and lazy-loaded where appropriate?
  • Is backend pagination/cursor streaming used for large datasets?

Problem Solving & Logic

  • Did the candidate choose the right algorithmic approach for the business logic?
  • Is the code readable, maintainable, and aligned with SOLID principles?
  • Does the code anticipate future scaling requirements?
  • Can the candidate articulately defend their technical decisions?

The Scoring System

Each category is graded on a scale from 0 to 5. Achieving a passing score requires a high minimum baseline across all categories, ensuring no weak links in foundational knowledge.

  • 0 - 2
    Needs Improvement (Does not meet production standards)
  • 3 - 4
    Proficient (Meets industry standards for junior/mid roles)
  • 5
    Exceptional (Mastery of concepts, highly optimized)

Minimum Passing Score

85%

Only the top tier of candidates achieve the SkillCred PAT Certification.

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