> I've been writing software professionally Yes, you are a developer. Are you a good developer or bad? If your users are pretty happy with your results, maybe

> I've been writing software professionally Yes, you are a developer. Are you a good developer or bad? If your users are pretty happy with your results, maybe you are good. > various online developer tests where you have to write or debug code. I was bad at all of them. This can be learned. Are you willing learn? This is the crux. If you want to progress, you have to study at what you got wrong. You have to take your feedback (e.g. the developer tests you took) and find out what it would take to pass them with flying colors. If, instead, you expect to pass them without putting extra effort, or correcting yourself, then I'm afraid you are a bad developer. I've worked with developers who, when faced with criticism (guidance, really) just get red in the face and double down on whatever ineffective strategy they were using to begin with. And later they get even more red in the face because they spent so much effort doing the wrong thing instead of what they were advised to do.