The Nordic Prior Knowledge Test in Programming: Motivation, Development and Preliminary Results

Abstract

With recent updates to Norway's national curriculum, computational thinking and programming has become a core part of the K-12 education, leading to an influx of students entering higher education with prior programming experience. This shift has the potential to impact the teaching of ICT at universities, as foundational knowledge could allow for the introduction of more advanced topics earlier. However, the quality of programming education varies, making it essential to assess students' prior knowledge.

To address this need, the Nordic Prior Knowledge Test in Programming was designed to assess incoming students' programming proficiency in the basic elements of the introductory programming course (CS1). This study details the rationale for assessing incoming students, the development and content of the test, and the preliminary results from its 2024 administration.

The test was completed by 3,038 students (2,661 after data pruning) across eight higher education institutions in Norway. Results indicate a mean score of 39.9%, with a significantly higher performance among students exposed to the new curricular model (50%). Despite these gains, a substantial proportion of students scored at the lower end of the scale, highlighting the ongoing need for foundational programming instruction.

Although most students will benefit from completing the standard CS1 course, a notable subset of students achieved high scores (14.7% scoring above 90%), suggesting the potential value of accelerated or alternative learning pathways, such as an advanced CS1 course or direct progression to CS2.