Frontend Architect Entry Assessment
This curriculum assumes senior-level implementation experience. It does not teach JavaScript, CSS, React, HTTP, or testing from the beginning. Use this assessment to decide whether to start the curriculum or repair specific foundations first.
Scoring
Score each statement from 0–3:
- 0: cannot explain or demonstrate it
- 1: can describe it with help
- 2: can apply it independently
- 3: can diagnose failures and teach the tradeoffs
| Domain | Evidence prompt | Remediation reading |
|---|---|---|
| JavaScript/TypeScript and runtime | Explain closures, async scheduling, module boundaries, types at runtime, and a memory leak you diagnosed. | Browser Networking and Runtime; Event Loop and Latency |
| HTML/CSS/accessibility | Build a keyboard-operable form with semantic errors, focus behavior, zoom/reflow, and responsive layout. | Forms and Interaction State; WCAG 2.2 Engineering Practice |
| HTTP/caching/networking | Trace DNS through response and explain cache key, freshness, invalidation, retry, and timeout. | Browser Networking; HTTP/2, HTTP/3, TLS, and CDN; Cache Layering |
| Data/state ownership | Classify server, URL, form, local, shared, and derived state for a real route. | Domain, Data, and State Foundations |
| Testing/debugging | Place five risks at unit, component, contract, E2E, synthetic, or production layers. | Testing and Verification; Production Debugging Drills |
| Performance | Diagnose an LCP or INP regression with a trace and field segments. | Performance Foundations; Performance Architecture |
| Security | Model browser trust boundaries, session assumptions, unsafe sinks, and authorization. | Security for Frontend Engineers; Browser Attack Surface |
| Delivery/operations | Explain immutable assets, staged rollout, rollback, telemetry, and incident ownership. | Tooling, Build, and Delivery; Production Readiness |
| Architecture judgment | Write an ADR with constraints, alternatives, evidence, owner, and revisit trigger. | Architect Decision-Making Model; ADRs |
Maximum score: 27.
- 22–27: begin the 24-week curriculum.
- 16–21: begin, but complete remediation reading for every domain scored below 2.
- 0–15: complete Part 0 and one production project before using the architect path.
Regardless of total score, security, accessibility, and production operations scores below 2 are mandatory remediation areas.
Calibration task
Choose one production route and produce a one-page packet containing its user journey, state ownership, data requests, performance risks, trust boundaries, verification evidence, release owner, and rollback signal. Score each section 0–3 using the definitions above. A strong packet makes uncertainty visible rather than inventing facts.
Review checkpoint
Ask a senior peer to challenge one score and record the evidence that changed or confirmed it. Store the assessment as the first artifact in your portfolio, then continue to the Start Here curriculum.