All six dimensions

Communication

Engineering output that never gets read is engineering output that never gets used. This dimension scores written explanation: the pull request description, the summary for a non-engineer, the note that stops someone repeating your work.

What a candidate is asked to do

  1. 01Write the pull request description for a given change.
  2. 02Explain a technical change to someone who does not read code.

How it is scored

What earns points

  • Leading with what changed and why it matters
  • Concrete numbers over adjectives
  • Naming the risk rather than omitting it

What loses points

  • Restating the diff line by line
  • Jargon aimed at the wrong reader
  • Padding that hides the one sentence that mattered

Why it predicts the job

The engineer who can explain the tradeoff is usually the one who gets to make it. It is also easy to miss in a process built only around code, which is how a strong writer goes unnoticed.

See communication scored on a real assessment.