Case study · SISAL
The process starts with preselection. 80 applicants, 15 placed, 15 passed.
SISAL asked for Java developers trained to a known standard. We did not start with a classroom. We started with a pre-bootcamp assignment, sent to every applicant between 31 March and 9 April 2022, and scored on time taken, attempts made and an exam. Only the best rated entered the cohort.
Historical evidence, not current-product proof
This case applies to the named engagement and period. It does not prove outcomes from betaPlan current microcourses, training, workshops, qualification or human-evaluation work.
80
Applicants
44
Completed the assignment
15
Selected and trained
100%
Passed both exams
Preselection first
Filter before you teach.
The assignment window lasted 10 days. 73 of the 80 applicants received it and 44 completed it, taking between 1 and 6 days each, 2.7 days on average, over 1 to 8 attempts. Each completed assignment was scored on three criteria, time, attempts and exam, for a total out of 33.
The 33 best rated scored between 27 and 33. From that list 15 were selected for SISAL and 11 were held on a waiting list. The 15 selected averaged 29.7 in total and 9.4 of 10 in the exam. The other applicants did not go forward.
The funnel
Applicants in, developers out.
Each step is a count from the selection workbook and the cohort roster. Nothing is estimated.
Applied
80 (100%)
Java, spring 2022
Received the assignment
73 (91%)
31 March to 9 April
Completed the assignment
44 (55%)
Scored on time, attempts and exam
Best rated
33 (41%)
Total 27 to 33
Selected and trained
15 (19%)
11 on the waiting list
Passed both exams
15 (19%)
Web Fundamentals 9.0 to 10, Java 9.2 to 10
The outcome
What the cohort delivered.
The 15 started Web Fundamentals on 5 May 2022 and finished Projects and Algorithms on 9 September 2022, 18 weeks of delivery. Attendance held at 100% across the 8 Web Fundamentals sessions, 99% across the 16 Java sessions and 77% across the 8 final sessions.
All 15 sat the Web Fundamentals exam and scored between 9.0 and 10. All 15 sat the Java certification exam and scored between 9.2 and 10. A preselected cohort with a zero failure rate is the point of preselecting.
Start with the filter.
In this 2022 engagement, an assignment preceded the classroom and the client received a scored list, the cohort record and exam results. A future commission would require a new scope and agreement.