According to pedagogy-focused computing research, learning computer programming can place heavy cognitive demands on children and influence how they engage with technology. To alleviate the associated stress, classroom teachers are increasingly looking for ways to assess their students’ programming abilities so that they can make informed instructional decisions. Given a synergetic relationship between conceptual knowledge of programming and computational thinking skills, measuring computational thinking may be a good marker to evaluate students’ ability to design and implement digital solutions. This pilot study used a qualitative research methodology to explore whether a standardised computational thinking instrument can provide markers that help predict programming proficiency. The Computational Thinking Test (CTt) and a programming task were used as instruments to measure students’ problem-solving abilities and their understanding of programming concepts. Both the instruments were administered to 43 students across two secondary schools. The results showed a common theme around Computational Thinking Test responses, programming proficiency, and the difficulty level of attempted tasks. The study found that the Computational Thinking Test results can be used to group students into three levels: Beginner, Intermediate, or Proficient. This categorisation can help teachers make informed decisions when selecting developmentally appropriate learning activities and determining the best sequence of activities. The findings of the study are significant as they offer teachers a reliable formative assessment tool to gauge their students’ programming proficiency. This can help teachers in personalise tailor their teaching strategies, decreasing the associated stress involved in learning programming, and ensuring a more positive learning experience.