Table 5 Key assessment aspects on student code

Syntactic correctness

All commands in code must be correct. Automatic code graders can simply verify this using a compiler

Semantic/logical correctness

Code’s outputs must agree with the expected solution described by specifications. Most automatic code graders can validate the code outputs using defined test cases

Efficiency/performance

Code must provide outputs within a specific duration and computer resource. Most automatic code graders can specify CPU time and memory limits to validate this aspect

Quality/maintainability

This aspect involves coding style, guidelines and best practices which focus on readability and reusability. It is a consideration for advanced programming course. This aspect cannot be judged by automatic code graders

Plagiarism

Code should not replicate nor closely resemble another student’s code. Some automatic code graders have a feature to check for code authenticity, but it could yield high false positives in cases of simple coding questions